Find the weed, find the pike
One of Ireland’s top lure anglers, Radek Staszkow, explains how summer pike fishing can be practiced safely
Issue 17 (Jul-Aug 2017) Radek Staszkow Wojciech Stypuła
The post-spawning mayhem is over and catching a nice pike will be a bit more difficult than a few weeks or months ago. The fish may now be fully recovered but they still need to eat, although they will come out for a snack less often. Feeding windows will open a few times a day and only for short periods. So, it’s up to you how well you will do your homework and find out which is the best time and where is the best spot to do some summer pike fishing.
Big weedbeds and bays full of lilies and “cabbages” (submerged lily leaves) is where the big girls look for shelter from the sun and wait for a meal to swim by. With all the weed and snags, fishing these kinds of spots is very difficult and sometimes very frustrating but it’s extremely rewarding. Spectacular takes, crazy fights full of jumps and tail-walks are nothing unusual at this time of the year. It’s all this that makes summer fishing so exciting!
You can forget about any type of deep runners or heavy sinking rubbers that you may have used in the winter or spring. Lure selection these days is absolutely huge but basically we can choose between simple jerkbaits in all possible shapes and sizes, slow-sinking soft plastics, weedless lures and crazy looking top-water runners. The perfect lures are out there but the difficult part is finding the right one for your waters!
It might sound obvious but while fishing heavily weeded venues you need to have the right gear. It is tempting to fish with light tackle to maximise sport – light lure fishing or LRF is all the rage now – but this is not recommended when summer pike fishing, as I’ll explain later. A powerful rod, big reel with a good drag and tough braided line is a must have. My setup is always strong. A short, stiff rod is perfect to give your jerkbait the right action or to use with smaller swimbaits. A strong backbone is needed and this will help you to rip the fish out from the weeds. That’s why I choose 100g casting weight (CW) as a minimum.
“From our observations, in late spring or early summer pike like fast moving and smaller snacks”
For heavier slow-sinking swimbaits I use even more powerful gear. You need a strong rod to send your big lures in the right spot and then if you become connected to a big fish you need some extra power to keep her away from all the weeds. Something like the Savage Gear Custom Predator Trigger up to 240g CW, combined with the Okuma Komodo 463LX and 70lbs SG Silencer braid is perfect for that, but there’s now lots of options to suit every budget.
You always want to be in control of a big fish which during the fight will try to escape into the weed. Thin braid, say 20lb, can break on weeds but a thick one will cut through the plant stems without a problem. Sometimes a hooked pike will look for shelter in a thick weedbed. They dive in and get wrapped in the stems and fronds, and any hooks sticking out their mouth will help them to gain extra weedy weight. Most of you probably know what I’m talking about. Sometimes it is hard to find the fish in all the weed once you get it in the net!
Ok, enough about the gear; let’s talk about catching! From our observations, in late spring or early summer pike like fast moving and smaller snacks. The waters are still cool and the fish are full of power to chase our lures. Many times a lazily retrieved big swimbait won’t work at all but at the same time a small energetic jerkbait can cause some damage, big time. It’s not a rule as such but most of the time the magical “zig-zag” of a jerkbait is irresistible to the big opportunistic hunters, just waiting for an easy meal like a sick or wounded fish. A good trick is to stop the lure for a second or two and then continue. Most of the times your lure will get hit during that short stop and, trust me, it will be spectacular! Sometimes a big pike can follow your lure all the way up to the boat and hit it only a few feet away from you. These are heart stopping situations but it’s priceless to see those mighty jaws opening right under your feet.
When fished in shallow water, as is often the case in summer, the lure might be thrown out of the water along with the pike as it strikes. This is especially likely to happen with smaller pike, which like to hit them very hard. Like I’ve mentioned before, fishing a weedy bay can be very frustrating and tiring. Your lure will snag a lot but all that is a part of the game. I remember a small bay which was so weedy that we had a problem to get the boat through it. But, we knew that the pike were there so we kept trying. I saw a small weedless patch of water and I had a good feeling about it. These kind of “holes” are ideal for a pike ambush. A precise cast into the middle, two twitches and BOOOM – a massive pike hammered the lure with electric speed! By the time we got her into the mesh of the net, she was twice as heavy because of all the weed but this is where the strong gear comes in. There is no room for finesse in summer pike fishing!
Radek’s top summer pike fishing tips
- Check the water temperature. Don’t fish for pike when it goes over 20°C. Best results are when the water is 13-18°C and it’s safer for the fish.
- Speed up a little bit. Retrieve your lure slightly faster in warmer water, especially jerkbaits. But don’t do this religiously. If things are slow, change your retrieve, “stop and go” is a magical trick
- Match the hatch. If you see loads of small baitfish where you are fishing, use smaller lures. If you see “flying” roach use a roach pattern because they are on the menu right now.
- Check the depths. The warmer the water gets, the deeper you need to look for pike.
- Time! Be quick with handling the fish. The water is warm and lower in oxygen. A long fight followed by a long photo session might kill the fish – seriously. Be responsible and respect the fish.
As enjoyable as summer pike fishing is, it can be very dangerous for the pike. It is extremely important to watch the water temperature. Irish summers are usually cool but every now and then we get a heat wave and that’s when we should be very careful with where we are looking and fishing for pike. We need to remember that big fish – particularly pike – need loads of oxygen, especially during a fight and that is a problem when water temperature goes over 20°C. Oxygen levels start to drop dramatically and looking for pike in shallow water is not the best idea. In fact, if it is really hot I would recommend to just not fish for pike. At the end of the day, none of us want to see them come to any harm so if in doubt just don’t cast out!
“We need to remember that big fish – particularly pike – need loads of oxygen, especially during a fight and that is a problem when water temperature goes over 20°C”
When the water gets too warm, pike move to deeper areas where water is colder and contains more dissolved oxygen. But the fact that they are deeper doesn’t mean that catching them is any safer. Water closer to the surface is still very warm, even over very deep water, and so it is poor in oxygen. Of course, a big part of the fight takes place close to the surface. Even when you give the fish a moment to rest in the net once landed, she is sitting in warm water, with low oxygen levels. Time is crucial. After you land the fish make sure she goes back ASAP. Summer is not a great time for long photo sessions. If you are fishing alone, have all your stuff ready to unhook and photograph the pike to save time and possibly the fish’s life. Sometimes it’s not worth risking taking a photo, no matter how big a fish it is.
So, please be aware that fishing for pike when water is over 20°C is not the best idea. Fish caught in those kind of conditions need to go back as quickly as possible. There is no time for a long photo or measuring sessions. Fish for pike responsibly and we will enjoy our passion for years and years! The best thing about Irish summers is that they are short. True tropical weather lasts usually only for couple of weeks and then the rain is back. The waters cool down and pike mania starts all over again!
Radek Staszkow
