Monday 8 October 2012

PH2: Flood & Mud


It poured down with rain all day on Friday, we knew it would effect the water but I don't think any of us expected just how high, dirty and fast the water was going to be at Penton Hook on Saturday.

We were on the island just after sunrise, Darren fished a sweetcorn rod and a maggot feeder for the barbel, bream and carp. Dan fished a luncheon meat rod for the barbel and a livebait rod for the pike and I fished a livebait and a deadbait rod - no question what was on my mind...


But first things first; the Great Penton Hook Cook-Off, Dan's sausage sandwiches verses Darren's bacon rolls... As I was the judge I had to call it a draw, both were great (and I wanted to ensure I continued to get both on future trips).


After trying to fish in the fast water we moved to some slack water towards the bottom of the island and Darren was soon into some dace, roach and skimmer bream on the maggot feeder.

I borrowed a dace and a few seconds later was hooked up to my first pike of the season 6lb 2oz a long skinny fish but fighting fit - brilliant!


With the action pretty slow Dan did a shop run, he left his livebait rod in the side (to keep his bait alive). And a few minutes after he left inevitably a pike hit his bait, I had it on for a few minutes, a cracking fight and a pike about 12-14lb, but it spat the hook in the side. Or as Dan later phrased it: I lost a pike on his behalf!

A few minutes later, before Dan was back, I had a run on my livebait rod. Another great fight and a 9lb 1oz was landed - pike number 2 of the season.


Dan returned and after half an hour of cursing his luck for missing his run, his livebait rod was away again... Looked like a good fish from the fight although we didn't see it... It managed to find a snag and transplant the hook into a submerged tree. Bugger!

Things quietened down, Darren's bites had dried up, I was really expecting him to get into the bigger bream but it didn't happen. And the odd little knock on Dan's luncheon meat rod didn't develop.


Then a zipping run on my deadbait rod (sprat), the pike stayed deep and managed to tangle in my second line, but eventually a 10lb 8oz pike was in the net - my first double of the season - I have all the luck!

We fished on but long after it should have been packing up time we called it quits, it was a great day on the island sat in the sun... And my pike campaign has started. Fantastic!


We'll all be back to catch some more...

15 comments:

  1. You are always the lucky one lol.

    Stu

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    1. There was another group of pikers fishing from the bank (they had done a day and a night) and two boats out and I don't think they had a run between them - so lady luck was really shining on me this time!

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  2. Fantastic start to the piking season. Is it just the angle of the photo or does the double look almost a bit pug like?
    PS the English invasion is going well, some really nice rays and Reds. Heading south looking for sharks tomorrow. I'll blog when I get a chance.

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    1. Great start in less than ideal conditions - Cheers. Yeah, the double does have a bit of a funny shaped head - didn't notice when she was on the bank - but we'll know if we meet again.

      Looking forward to the English invasion report and good luck with the sharks today.

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    2. Still not much time to blog, but I thought I'd let you know Roger is now in the 6'+ club!
      Paulos

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    3. Fantastic, can't wait to see the photos... 6' ?

      I had a few hours last night for just one eel. Cracking eel, easily over 2lb, but dropped it back trying to weigh it...

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    4. The bump on the head will let us know if we see that pike again... So I wondered if we'd seen her before?

      Yeah, last November at 10lb 15oz:
      http://www.pikeblog.com/2011/11/penton-hook-vi.html

      There is a dark mark just in front of the anal fin to confirm it. (The others are new).

      It's really nice to see her again - but it does make me worry just how few there are in there. I know it suffers from poaching.

      Good spot Shark Man!

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  3. Alright there, that river looks like my bath water! lol not the best Pike conditions its a good thing their sense of smell is amazing or it could have easily been a blankety blank.

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    1. I really like clear water for pike, but you have to play the hand you get.

      I fished a ledgered sea deadbait as close as I dared next to a ledgered livebait, the idea being the smell would draw them to me and the flash of the live fish would provoke a take. Seemed to work, but I do tend to over-think pike fishing!

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    2. In fact the only run on a deadbait was after we'd run out of livebaits. Pretty sure smell was luring them in and then they were hunting by radar. (Over thinking it again).

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    3. Did you have any joy the other night Barbel fishing?

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    4. Just an eel, good one but I managed to drop it back in while trying to weigh it...

      Been out recently?

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    ReplyDelete