Tackle and Tactics
Mike Ladle
Information Page.
Exchange of information.
I have many e-mail correspondents who have written to me after reading the website. In most instances we only write a few times each year to exchange ideas about fishing of all kinds. In many cases I have picked up really useful tips or confirmations of things that I was thinking. In others, just as useful and certainly just as interesting I, hear about events that conflict with my own ideas and experience. Quite recently I have put one or two pages in my diary that dealt with catching pike on spoons, as a result one of my e-friends, David Riley, wrote the following e-mails (with the order slightly altered to fit in with my page). Essentially David , who is an experienced pike angler, was stimulated to buy a couple of spoons and give them a go on his local waters.
"Dear Mike, I try and fish for pike during the winter, 2 to 3 times a week, but always lure fishing. I find it too cold to just sit around.
“I was pleased with the spoons because of the action I could impart and had forgotten how well you can 'work' spoons, particularly making them flutter which is one of the actions which I think attracts the pike. I was chatting to a fellow angler whilst working the spoon and he remarked how realistic it looked in the water.”
“We forget the 'old methods' these days as everybody seems to want to fish jerkbaits of several ounces (costing a bomb) with small 'poker' rods.” (Dave uses a nine foot spinning rod with braided line and really enjoys his fishing.) "Over the years I have spent a small fortune on plugs and like many anglers, when out fishing have probably spent as much time changing plugs as fishing. Since using the spoon I have fished all the time without a lure change. No need! I now know that the spoon catches and I feel confident using it, particularly as I can see how realistic it is in the water. For me it has put the real enjoyment back into lure fishing."
Now the above is even more interesting when you see the preceding e-mail from David.
"Hi Mike, I couldn't resist telling you. After our e-mail exchange last week I went out and bought two 'Toothy Critter Muskie' 5 inch pike spoons (silver one side fish pattern the other). On one lake trip since I have had two pike, both about 5lb, with one follow from a huge fish. Today I fished my local river and had three pike , smallest just under 5lb with the largest 17lb2oz. All have been on the spoon."
Now I should stress that neither David nor I have anything against using jerk baits or indeed any other method. The real interest of his experiences is that methods that used to work in the past will still work today, however fashions in the use of lures might have changed. Pike are still pike and will behave in much the same manner that they always did. Perhaps most important of all is the fact that if you have confidence in your plug, spinner, spoon, livebait, deadbait or what have you, there should be no need to change unless you think it is failing to reach the 'fishy' spots. The other interesting aspect is that spoon fishing is often a highly visual approach to piking. Usually you can watch the lure flashing along in the water and because of this you tend to see the takes - the most exciting part of the whole business.
I must say that I have often thought that the internet is a fantastic way to exchange ideas. There is always the problem that anglers are notoriously secretive about where, when and how they fish. However, I have to say that I think there is much more to be gained from soaking up everyone elses info than there is to be lost by telling them about the few things you have gleaned yourself. To be honest no angler worth their salt wants to fish in someone elses spots anyway.
If you have any comments or questions about fish, methods, tactics or 'what have you.'get in touch with me by sending an E-MAIL to - docladle@hotmail.com
INFORMATION SPOT
Exchange of information.
Dave's 17 pounder.
