Off the mark for the new pike season and thoughts on live-baiting
The video starts on Morrisons’ car park, following the purchase of herrings. However, when it moves to the next clip, a few days later, the first pike of the new season was caught on a small perch live bait.
I had fished with a herring head on one rod and a tail on the other for about an hour or so without even a flicker on the float. However, within minutes of lip-hooking the perch, the bait was taken by a pike.
There is no doubt about it, as far as I’m concerned, that ‘lives’ are far superior to ‘deads’ when it comes to predator fishing.
Some anglers may have doubts regarding the ethics of fishing a live-bait but, for me, it’s not an issue. We hook live worms and maggots so, if you think about it, they are both ‘live-baits’ in that sense.
If you think that by not fishing with live bait you will appease the anti-angling mob (if that’s your line of thinking), then you are mistaken. In my opinion, of course. They are opposed to fishing full-stop and want it banned regardless.
It might, however, just be a straightforward case of thinking it’s cruel. But, as I’ve stated, we’re happy to put a hook in a worm or a maggot, never mind the fish themselves from the moment we strike.
Therefore, to sum up my own thoughts on live-baiting, I have no issues.
Back to the session though and it was just the solitary pike that I caught. I was on a small pool where there is a good head of jacks. I didn’t show the rig on this occasion but I was float-fishing with just one treble (size 4).
A pair of grey wagtails were around the pool and seen on several occasions.
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