"50lb of Pike in the Boat!" - Phil Spinks

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Fishing this winter has been very different with lockdown restrictions to consider, but in between the madness my pike floats have vanished a few times.

I decided to concentrate more on local boat fishing this winter, targeting 25lb+ pike on the Norfolk broads.

My small aluminium boat was prepared, taxed and ready to go. Having a small boat has its plus points…and its negative points too. Launching and recovering my boat is nice and easy, but I have to be fairly minimalistic when I comes to gear.

 

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Tackle

-10-foot 3lb test pike rods x3

-Shimano OC 6000 baitrunners loaded with 58lb Daiwa J-braid x3

-42” landing net with short handle and replacement rubber mesh x1

-Fox boat rests x3

-Waterproof boat bag with necessary tackle

-Large padded unhooking mat

 

I prefer a folding triangle net for my pike fishing. I can be folded away and stored neatly in the boat. Large pike can be lifted into the boat onto the mat in a folded net, similar to a carp.

Most of the smaller pike that I catch are unhooked in the water next to the boat when possible.

Using the boat rests free up so much more space in my boat too, having the rods in the rests rather than across the gunnels.

 

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Rigs

For 95% of my boat fishing, I use the same very simple, versatile set up. A simple cigar shaped pike float with a stop knot and bead above to set the depth.

Below the float is an egg-shaped weight, strong quick-change swivel down to a wire trace consisting of 28lb wire and either size 4 or 6 semi barbed trebles depending on bait choice. 

 

 

Most of my pike fishing these days is dead bait fishing. I’ve no problem with live bait fishing and have caught pike over 30lb on live baits, but good quality dead baits are very effective and much less hassle.

My dead baits are fished laying on the bottom with the float set slightly over depth. The baitrunners are set loose, as quite often on the shallow Broadland waters the float will slide across the surface causing the baitrunner to whizz!

 

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My pike fishing this winter started very slowly! I seemed to be a jack pike magnet for a while. Although, I had been on the wrong side of the camera for a few bigger pike landed by my boat partner.

I’m a stubborn bugger at times though, several blank trips didn’t worry me. I felt I was doing everything right and if I wanted a bigger pike this winter, I needed to keep plugging away.

So I did.

I remember thinking the weather was perfect - Overcast with very strong south west winds – which is ideal for the shallow broad I was fishing that day.

Three rods were cast, two on the left, and one on the right of the boat. A large herring on the one rod and whole lamprey on the other two.

The rods had probably been cast out less than 20 minutes and the lamprey cast in the open water screamed off. Anyone that has been fortunate to catch a large pike before will know that lovely feeling of winding down into a fish and feeling a solid resistance as you pull hard.

A heavy weight kited across the open water powerfully and slowly. I calmly asked my boat partner to put the net together as it was obviously a good fish.

After a short but intense battle a 26lb pike was carefully lifted into the boat. Once weighed I left the pike safely resting in the retention sling beside the boat while the camera gear was organised.

Before I had the chance to cuddle the 26lber for a picture one of my other reels was whizzing away as the float flew across the surface.

I hit the take instantly! I played the pike fairly heavy handed if I'm honest, as I was keen to get the first fish photographed and returned safely.

The pike didn’t take kindly to me pulling back too hard and fought like mad! I really didn’t expect it to be another big fish. After an explosive battle - including tail walking next to the boat and being flat rodded on a couple of occasions - a longer, leaner, beautiful pike weighing 24lb 14oz was mine.

 

“After numerous blank sessions, and a run of smaller pike, I was now sat in the boat with over 50lb of pike!”

 

 

If I wasn’t for my good friend, Ian, convincing me to hold the two fish on my lap together, I would have missed out on the picture of a lifetime.

With both carpet and a large padded unhooking mat in the bottom of the boat we carefully took a brace shot.

The day didn’t end there, time after time my floats kept disappearing. By late afternoon I had caught the following:

-9-10lber (estimated)

-12ber

-15lb 8oz

-17lb8oz

-20lb 1oz

-24lb 14oz

-26lber.

The other end of the boat had been relatively quiet for poor Ian, he had caught a tiny jack while chucking a lure around, and a tatty looking pike around 10lb.

 

"Interestingly, nearly all my bites had come from some super fresh lamprey I had sourced. Ian had his own lamprey, but you could tell they had been in his freezer since last winter and looked nowhere near as fresh as mine.

I suggested he tried one of my baits to see if it made any difference. Within 30 minutes of casting one of my baits out Ian had caught an 8lber and a 23lb 8oz. Backing up my opinion of how important good quality fresh dead baits are."

 

 

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My purple patch didn’t end on that day either, a couple of weeks later I shared two very enjoyable days piking.

On the first trip out with fellow piker ‘Technical Malcolm’, we fished from Malcom's boat. Malcolm is a very accomplished engineer and so his boat is so much better organised than my little boat. Everything is custom made and incredibly well thought through.

The first hour passed without any action, if I'm honest I expected a couple of bites quite quickly and wondered if I had made a poor venue choice.

Then, maybe 150 yards away, I saw fish rolling on the flat calm waters surface. I didn’t know if it was bream, roach or even a pike striking, but it was worth investigating.

Once the boat was repositioned, I enjoyed what I will probably describe as some of the most hectic dead bait fishing, I've ever experienced. I couldn’t keep three rods in the water, double, even triple takes occurred that day.

 

"With an average size of 12-14lb the fishing was brilliant. By the end of the afternoon, I had landed over 20 pike. Malcom, similarly to Ian, had much less action, again I suggested he tried some of my fresh eel sections and once again it made a huge difference."

 

I’m well known for my “one last cast” and with the light now fading I was slowing packing away a few bits and pieces whilst leaving the rods out as long as I could.

While rummaging around in my tackle bag one of my rods cast quite close to the boat on a large eel section, burst into life.

“This feels a little heavier” I announced to Malcolm!

Malcolm suggested he put the net together.

“Nah, it’s not massive, maybe 15-16lb I'll chin it next to the boat to save getting the net wet on packing up time.” I replied.

Malcolm obviously thought otherwise and kindly passed me the net, to my surprise a long, lean scraper 20 ended the day nicely. That 20lber was my 59th ever pike over the magic 20lb and I felt achieving 60 by the end of this winter was very achievable.

 

 

A couple of weeks later I returned to the same venue and had another incredible session. Boat partner Sam and I honestly lost count of how many pike we caught. I’d guess 35-40 pike between us, up to upper doubles.

I carried on plugging away on some slightly more challenging venues hoping that my 60th 20lber would make an appearance. I was back on the steppingstones again hoping the next trip would be the one.

I achieved my goal just in time before we went back into national lockdown. And what a fish it was too....

I’ll save that story for another time.

My experiences this winter highlight the importance of quality bait and persistence. Even when the fishing is very slow, I love every minute out in the boat chasing pike.

The world seems a bit less crazy.

Tight lines

Phil

 

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