So if you can you need to either quickly get the hook out or secure the fish so it can’t flap around.

He was having a lot of fun casting a …

This page refers to unhooking the fish that we in Britain know simply as pike (Esox lucius), which are also known as “northern pike”, in other parts of the world. Two pairs of hands are often better than one, especially if the fish is hooked deeply. Landing a pike by hand and unhooking it in or above the water means that it is less likely to hit itself against any hard objects, like the ground, and its coating of protective mucus which is used to fight infections won't get rubbed off by your net or unhooking mat.

They appear to be tough, hardy creatures, which they are in their own underwater environment… but remove them from this and they are surprisingly fragile. To see how I tie a wire trace for pike fishing, read my article or view my YouTube video.

Receive mail from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors? A boga grip is not the tool for the job either.

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Before doing this, check again the position of the hooks and make sure you avoid them. In such cases the pike is likely to have at least one of the hooks in its soft stomach lining. BA1 1UA.

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If you are lucky this is simple and you are done.

This is a short instructional video showing how to unhook a pike.

A boga grip is not the tool for the job either. Then, gently roll the pike onto its back. Barbaric stone age tools that are not needed in pike fishing. Step 2: Slide your fingers in the pike's mouth. Place gentle pressure on the trace wire and use the forceps through the mouth or gills to reach the hooks.

Move your fingers forward until you find a soft area within the mouth cavity of the pike - this is free of teeth and you'll be able to support the fish here without getting bitten. Pike have really bony mouths and the hooks usually come out very easily when using this method - especially if you use barbless hooks. Choose one to suit your needs but keep in mind a pike is a long fish, often 30 inches and more if you are lucky.

With the mouth open wide, insert your unhooking tool into the mouth, locate the hooks and turn them. When you have the pike in the net, lift it on to the unhooking mat which should already be wet. Pike generally remain fairly calm after they've been chinned, but do watch out in case the fish thrashes and always keep an eye on where the hooks are located so you keep yourself out of harm's way. Once your pike is unhooked you may want to transfer it to a suitably large weigh sling for weighing or if want to take photographs. Of course, predators also have teeth so proper handling protects us from injury too.

This will help protect the fish and not wipe away the slime. Ideally, when you do this you'll also support the fish's belly so the full body weight isn't placed on the jaw when you lift the fish out of the water.

If the fish is small, you may find it easier to lift the pike to unhook it.

The mouth will open up and you can get your forceps in to deal with the hooks. Whether you've landed your pike in a landing net, picked it up behind the head or chinned it, the next step is to get the hooks out. A must for pike (and most other fish) is an unhooking mat.

Fish on it’s side or back and jaw without the hooks nearest you. Friends' Fishing-Related Websites, Blogs & Handy Links: I don't fish often for zander so 5 blanks in a row, 15 years on and it's still my PB patio chair! Obviously, it's also vital that you always use a wire trace when you're fishing for them, otherwise you risk getting bitten off and leaving your hooks inside a fish. It covers essential pike handling techniques to enable safe unhooking. The pike is, of course, our biggest native freshwater predator and that’s the species we’ll cover here, but the same care and principles should be applied when handling all predators. Barbaric stone age tools that are not needed in pike fishing.

A great way is to straddle the fish and hold it between your thighs.

Thank you for signing up to Advnture. Place two or three fingers of your left hand (if right-handed) under the pike’s gill plates and slide your fingers down towards the chin and into the ‘v’ shape of the lower jaw, gripping the lower jaw firmly. I only managed 2 evening sessions over the summer; – Articles Written for Coarse Angling Today, DIY Rod Tip Betalite / Starlite / Isotope Sight Adapters – Quivertip / Carp / Barbel Fishing Rod Hack for Night Fishing, The Boy and the Trout – Children’s Book Review. Well no, that’s just a dead pike.

Carefully kneel down on the mat with one knee either side of the pike with the head facing forwards. After you unhook a pike, get the fish back in the water as quickly as you possibly can. Remember: Minimum Handling = Maximum Conservation.

This procedure can be speeded up by using the long-nosed cutters to cut the prongs off the hooks, making them easier to pull free. There’s a massive selection of mats available thanks to carp fishing. Depending on how it's hooked, you can then use your unhooking pliers to carefully remove the hooks from its mouth, or if it's hooked more deeply, you can chin the pike or transfer it to your unhooking mat so you can remove the hooks there. Chinning a pike is potentially risky to both yourself and the fish if not done correctly. When you have the pike in the net, lift it on to the unhooking mat which should already be wet. These are not needed once you learn how to open a pikes mouth safely. Once your pike is on the mat then it’s time to look out for those hooks and get them out of the way while you can.

These are not needed once you learn how to open a pikes mouth safely. Many fish are injured during unhooking because of the lack of confidence of the angler. If your pike is larger than about 2 kilograms (4.4 lb), use the gill cavity grip to hold it.

Only those brave enough should continue reading or even attempt to fish for pike, for you risk losing a finger, an arm or your life. This is called the ‘chin grip’.
Learn how your comment data is processed. Basic unhooking is very simply once you know how. This means that they can tire quickly and lactic acid can build up, causing them to become exhausted. You don't want to be rummaging around in your bag looking for a tool when you've got a fish flapping around on the mat and it's vital that you unhook the pike quickly and efficiently. The diawl bach fly, or little devil, is a great nymph pattern for trout.

Before you even consider going pike fishing you'll need several things in order to unhook a pike safely: a good unhooking mat, a large landing net, some unhooking pliers and some croppers known as side cutters, just in case you get into difficulty and need to chop the hooks or trace out.

Pike fly fishing Fly fishing tips

They may look ferocious but pike are very delicate creatures. Home » Technique » How to unhook a pike safely (video tutorial). If you have never fished for pike before, then please take an experienced pike angler along with you, to learn how to unhook pike and handle them safely. The pike’s mouth should drop open as you gently lift the jaw.

You can either unhook the chinned pike in the water or transfer it to an unhooking mat to be unhooked there. A dry mat would remove a massive amount of slime. Just follow these steps: Gently lay the pike down horizontally along the centre of the mat. You will see that the teeth are located around the edge of the mouth, well away from your fingers.