Wednesday 30 September 2020

In Pursuit of Pike with Lures




 An offering for our Pitster' pike lure anglers, it's aimed mainly at the folks who dabble or are thinking of dabbling. That having been said, the old dogs amongst us can appreciate the odd reminder that efforts can pay off. It's been rebaked' somewhat from an original mix printed elsewhere.

Some of us do it, some of us don't. Some of us use them pretty much exclusively, others not at all or only on very rare occasions. The gents' that don't, should consider adding “The Approach” to their skillset. Paying lures considerably more attention than just lipservice' can on occasion result in good rewards for one's efforts and the attention you might apply to the detail of your approach when using them can on occasion truly make your day.

The great majority of my piking season is confined to the October to mid March period, with only a rare foray or two outside of the that and only for specific circumstances, in a short “window” period. That's not to say you should confine yourself to the same, this is just what works for me these days. 

So, you get yourself a lure outfit, you get a bagful of lures and you get yourself out there and throw them all over the place. Well, it might work, it might not. There's certainly a better chance to increase yourprospects if you stop and just think about the “how and where” of what it is you are looking to achieve. Allow me to offer two examples of what a bit of thought and a particular approach by yourself can get you, they are only examples and I'm sure if more folks thought about using a particular approach on a particular venue, after giving it some thought, they could well reap dividends on the day. 

There was a venue which I was making an effort to familiarize myself with by walking it without any tackle other than a pair of glasses and a small pack. I did this for some time to try to get a feeling for the water and the different shore areas in differing wind directions and conditions. It was quite shallow in places with good water visibility. On some days the Glasses showed me surface activity by large fish, but they were out at range, well out at range in fact. In places it was just too dam shallow and it looked to be a case of “If they won't come to me I might have to go to them”. Careful investigation showed me that with the aid of a set of “chesties” and surfing boots I might just have a chance.

I wanted an outfit for distance work, that was the only way I was going to get a lure into the zone of activity that was spotted. During that time I imported a “Fox Terminator Elite Big Bait Spin”, in the 3 metre model and rated up to 168grams. It would prove ideal for the purpose, I believe this particular version might be out of production now? The rod was designed for fixed spool use, I paired it with a 5000 sized Shimano and began with 50lbs Power Pro (an old habit), soon changing to Suffix 832 and latterly Daiwa J Braid when it became available. Distance capability was all important in the circumstances and the thinner the diameter, well, you know the rest.

So, out “in” the water and well away from the bank, how are we going to control anything of the large economy size and get it back to that mat safely? Looking for a net capable enough for that “twenty plus” fish, I fell over the Fox Rage Speedflow, the NLN001 model. It turned out to be a very suitable choice, it floated on the surface out-of-the-box so to speak. Now I know one or two other Gents have lost this model overboard and it went down, I can only say that when parked carefully on the surface right next to me, it floated and without adding anything to it!

We were getting there. What was needed now was a Lure that was going to call out to the local Preds' and both advertise not only it's arrival (big splash) but went on to indicate it's direction of travel as they might come in looking for the disturbance, it should continue to advertise it's presencefirst by sound and then as they might draw closer by sight as well. It was the Joe Bucher stable that was chosen, specifically the Joe Bucher Topraider, a surface lure with a good reputation already established.So, with “Sight and Sound” taken care of, there was the added tweak of “Colour” for a lure they would first hear, then hopefully follow what they were hearing to investigate and then see exactly what was making the splashing that lured them in to the follow. There's a choice here of course, I went for what is commonly known as a “Baby Duck” pattern and I asked Mark Houghton to put his interpretation into acouple of the said for me. In this case the lure has quite a lot of yellow in it. Other patterns might well have worked, this was my particular lead choice. The underbody treble was changed out for a finer wire, the rear was left “as is”, no regrets there on occasions, as the underbody treble was the hook-up of choice for every fish that came in. I would add that you might consider changing the rear out for yourself, just for extra peace of mind perhaps.

It was certainly a new and different experience, standing chest deep and well away from the shoreline, getting as much distance as possible in order to get the “duck” into the zone of activity. It worked! On days when they were up for it I found fish around the mid teens were exploding upwards clean out of thewater straight under the lure being retrieved, spectacular stuff. I got the distinct impression that the real targets, the twenty plusers', were apparently eyeballing the Raider' and it looked like they were following it further and further in, in stages, along the line of travel. There were some occasions when standing chest

deep and the lure crawling within 20ft of me, a large head would suddenly explode under it and you saw the whole head slashing from side to side at the lure as it hooked up. These large fish did not completely leave the water as some others did nearer the start of a retrieve, perhaps they decided that with around just four feet of water where they came into, that they didn't need to. A new experience, fighting green twenty pound plus fish, at the same level as yourself and on a short line! But the approach worked, right “In yer' face” stuff. The best I did for the trial, which saw three low twenties, went a decent 21lbs 12ozs, so box ticked etc, method proved. Put in the back pocket for future reference.

The main focus however is always the winter river season and as you do, attempting to achieve the best result you can on the day. I do enjoy the deadbaiting', but lures should never be considered a poor second, each approach indeed can certainly have it's place and time on the day. I wanted to find a particular lure and approach that would in theory at least, offer far better potential than just the ol' “chuck it and chance it brigade”. I wanted a large rubber swimbait', one that would give me bags of movement per unit of distance being travelled, one that could be retrieved “low and slow” and still give plenty of action. It would be used solely “low and slow”, over and along a fairly clean bottom the lure being left to touch down on every cast before retrieved right along the bottom and indeed on the odd retrieve deliberately used to “bottom bump” on the way in. Mostly however if you felt it bump for a split second the tip was swiftly lifted slightly and only just enough to keep it running as slowly as possible.

Importantly I was looking for something to generate really good movement for distance combined with a slow retrieve, so staying “in the zone” for as long as possible.

After some consideration I found what I was looking for by returning to Joe Buchers' stable. I settled for the large 10” version of the now long discontinued (and as rare as rocking horse poo), Bucher's Fluttertail.

Depending how you work it, it can be up to 14” in length out there. However, even with the slow retrieve it has a really good action on the twin tails, specifically so! But it most certainly had quality issues and required some high maintenance to keep each lure in the best shape for as long a life as possible. Soft as butter was the original compound used in this lure. You needed to use the hot knife to drag them back to life from most good mauling's, however the big river queens didn't seem to mind too much, the action was the thing. Far too many of these lures were also cursed by the fault where the internal harness could split the lure body vertically on one side directly on the rear vertical harness itself. I also changed out the split rings for 50lbs rated and the trebles were swapped for finer wire. Leader went up to 100lbs Titanium and braid to the old workhorse of 100lbs Power Pro. Justified after big river spates, when you might find yourself some very large branches out in a swim. The rod stayed the same, so did the reel, only a spool of line was changed, easy.

The lure and the approach worked, it worked well, very well. There's always a “but” though is there not.

Out of production for around a decade now and “rare” don't cover it, don't forget the original production quality ran along the lines of “Could do Better”. Mend-it repair glue simply could not cope with that rear splitting, neither could the hot knife, over generous use of “Aquasure” on the split ensured it could get a few more fish for you. It wasn't pretty, but the big girls still liked it. We are looking at a rare to zero availability these days. However, for a short period back there all was not lost, as an enterprising Yank bought the Licence to manufacture Joe's Fluttertail' in another reincarnation. A complete overhaul was undertaken. A different and more durable compound was used for the body, total lure weight was tweaked upwards from around four ounces to about five, the internal harness was re-done and a range of new patterns were produced and Lo' the Fluttertail then morphed into the “Call Girl”, courtesy of an enterprising gent under the umbrella of “Guide Dog Tackle.” Unfortunately this appears to have been a relatively short venture apparently, as I believe the new range lasted for about two years only, before they too vanished and became as rare as the originals.

Along my regular stretches the Pike liked them, specifically, the larger fish liked them. Exactly the intention! They liked the original Fluttertails' and it appeared they saw no difference when the “Call Girls” were sent out searching for customers, that twin tail wiggle drew them in. It was good to see the twin tails working well right up to the rod tip and on that slow retrieve. The trial using that specific approach started off with a few fish hovering around the 18 and 19lbs mark, a promising beginning and one that showed the lure and approach did indeed appear to be working. Another visit and a few fish in the low twenties put in an appearance. The next “Lures” visit was in an early January, in very cold and calm conditions. It was an intended short session only, the first visit in the new year with this lure and this approach only. So............

Within no more than the first half dozen casts there was a solid “thump”, the rod hooped over and the lure simply stopped dead-in-the-water, for a second I thought “I have got hung-up on something”. I put a realbend into the blank. It was then that the tip moved just a little and I realised something large had turned stubborn on me. Solid pressure moved her and she really woke up. Eventually I was quite stunned to see her in excellent condition and weighing in at 27lbs 3ozs. Very nice indeed and it don't get better than that I was thinking, but it did and this was a very short session remember. After getting her back safely I switched off to relax with a mug of tea for a while, things had started well. I went back to it and moved upriver just slightly, about fifty yards, probably less. Same modus operandi, out goes the chosen lure.

Suddenly, just three casts later there's a distinct feeling of deja vu, I've been hit hard again by a right heavy lump, now when I first get a look at her the first thing to mind is that “stone me, I have the same fish again!” She was the twin of the first, well, a twin she indeed was but not the same fish! Another true river queen in great condition and going 27lbs 9ozs. Exact same lure, exact same method, same close area, two pristine big girls for 54lbs 12oz. I could have stayed, but after that Al went home, why spoil it, something to remember.

Would Al' have caught in either of the above planned approaches if a different lure had been used, perhaps, or perhaps not. The thing is the approach and lure to be used worked and well, in both examples given. The above are just offered as something of what is still possible if you can find the right approach and at the right time, a thing we all strive to achieve. The new winter season is knocking on our door, let's remind ourselves to use the day properly, don't lessen your chances on the Lures. Remember that day you set up well back from the bank, approached quietly and dropped the first deadbait carefully into the margin, whilst the second rod went further out, remember that twenty plus coming on the margin rod? So search the close areas and the margins first, both up and down stream on your bank, on the day you could well pick up a good fish doing exactly that, do it before you search more distant areas of your swim. Do not skyline.

There's a couple of pictures' embedded. Houghton's version of the “Baby Duck” (Nice one Mark) and a sister in a Perch pattern. Also take a long hard look at both the unused examples of Bucher's Fluttertail and Guide Dog's Call Girl. They are the same lure, but they have significant differences. Both will work well, at least they did so for me in the circumstances described. However the Fluttertail quite obviously suffered from quality control being off on Holiday for their production runs. Take a hard look at that vertical area around the rear hook harness. That unused original is a prime candidate for splitting, you can actually see it there, it would probably go during the first use. Some are okay, some are not. You have to wonder that just perhaps this may have been the reason for it's production ending. The revamped and renamed “Guide Dog” below it will last a whole lot longer.

The esox' pictured are both of the twins I encountered on the short river session described above, a cracking short trip, one not forgotten and would you believe that was not the last unexpected acquaintance I was to have with the larger of the twins, she was even heavier on the last day of the season in a slightly different area, on a different method. But that as they say, that is another story.

Good luck to all for the coming winter season and tight lines to everyone.

Alan Behenna

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