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November to March is often the most popular time for fishing for pike; the weed beds are not as big a problem, the trout season is over then in January onwards when the pike have finished their last big feed for the upcoming spawn is when the pike are slowed and cold but it can also be when you are most likely to break your records.

Pike are among the largest freshwater fish and angling for pike can be loads of fun with their aggressive nature and aerial acrobatics. If you have not tried for pike yet you should look out you spinning rod, get some lures or plugs and head to your nearest water with an opportunity for pike.

The scientific name given to Pike is Esox Lucius. The average angler will simply refer to them as “Pike” but the names “Johhny”  and “Jack” are sometimes used to refer to either smaller (up to 2lb) or slightly larger (2-5lbs) pike.

Pike Behaviour and Habits

Pike are predatory in nature and almost no fish or mammal that swims (either in the water, or on it) are safe from them. You may have even heard stories of ducks, rats and small dogs being attacked.

Pike are also lazy by nature and well camouflaged to simply sit close to the bottom of the water and launch a sudden attack to the mid section of other small fish such as roach, perch and trout. They will then return to their quiet spot and consume the prey. Pike will not always seek prey this way, any period of forced fasting will bring him out where he will push through the water looking for his next victim.

The pike hunt with their natural sense of smell, water vibrations (knowing this helps us select the correct lures) and their sight which they are especially well suited for with their eyes set farther forward and higher on the head than most fish. I have read that pike are less likely to feed in darkness, which can be a hinderance when fishing in the British winter. However, they are still well suited to seeking prey in dark or muddy waters with their sensitivity to vibrations in the water and heightened sense of smell.

Feeding Habbits and What they Mean

Pike are affected by the cold weather like any other fish, this means observing the conditions and environments as are important with this species as any other. During the colder months a pikes apatite is going to be far more modest due to a reduced metabolism.

Sometimes the winter months can bring a lot of surprises when you experience a busy day with some good catches and then another, very similar, day where you get nothing. When you consider the weather we get in the UK its easy to see how the pike may well be feeding more after a cold stretch and their metabolism is bouncing back and leaves them hungry.

After seeing a large Anaconda feeding on huge animals on the Discovery channel it reminded me of how pike feed. They will obviously spend less time feeding than they will sitting and digesting a whole roach. I have noticed that after a period of extended cold or even a freeze the pike seem to feed harder than ever. Whenever the weather warms up (even a little bit) I like to assume that the pike are going to be feeling the rumble of hunger and head out for some pike.

Winter Tactics

Being lazy, Mr Pike will most likely prefer slow-moving or still water. This does not equate to much for anglers fishing in lochs or reservoirs but for anglers fishing in rivers it can help you close in on your very own area 51 for pike (meaning: keep it a secret). Look for parts of the river that are more protected from the full flow and momentum of the water. Pike might be waiting in one of these spots waiting for your lure to come past.

In colder or darker water, pike (and the fish they hunt) are more likely to move into deeper or more sheltered areas compared to fishing in the summer where you are more likely to find them anywhere and everywhere. Although it is worth noting this does not always apply to bigger predators when they are not concerned about any threats in the water and will swim around as they please – consider trying open areas when all else fails incase that’s where the big catch is.

Which Baits, Lures and Spinners?

Live baiting is not allowed in Scotland so this option is not really available to the angler up here. This is not a problem in most cases as live baits can understandably be harder to come by compared to artificial lures and spinners. I have known anglers to head out, go fishing for perch in a local river and end up heading out for their pike feeling disappointed because they have little or no baits.

It is obvious why a natural looking live bait would look better to a pike who has attacked and consumed live baits for long as it has known, this is a clear indicator for why we want lures that will act as much like a live fish as possible. The other option is to use dead baits which would be used in a specific way so that they will pulled through the water in as natural a way as possible. Not too naturally though; using techniques with a deadbait such as a “sink and pull” that will make the bait look like a wounded fish – and easy prey.

I will suggest good spinners and lures in this space soon.

For dead baits there are many options, we offer bulk packs of Smelt which are great for a bunch of deadbaits at a good price (normally about 15 in a pack) but you can also use the very oiley Bluey as they are often known, Mackerel, Sprat and Trout. We offer others such as Roach and Perch etc and are available on request if we don’t have any in stock.

Introducing Pike to Fisheries – Menace or Asset?

Some fisheries will not allow pike as a predatory fish in their waters. I recently heard the argument that many coarse fisheries or other waters will have roach, perch or other species such as trout that don’t go above a certain size. The gentlemen I spoke to made the point that these fish will be competing for food and this will prevent opportunities for larger prizes.

The advantage of pike, they pointed out: “is that they will control the numbers of the smaller perch and allow others to grow”. This sounds good to me but the fact that pike do not always discriminate towards the size of their prey is also a point worth considering in my opinion.

Coming soon to this article

1. Locations for pike
2. Lure and rig combinations
3. Suggested tackle (both budget and luxury)