HOW TO GET THE BEST OUT OF YOUR DEADBAITS

Dr Paul Garner reveals his top bait tricks

THIS autumn has been incredibly mild so far, yet with the clocks going back my thoughts turn increasingly to predator fishing, and pike in particular. The sight of a big Esox coming over the drawstring of the landing net is a real sight to behold, and one that with a little bit of effort is within the reach of just about anyone.

There is no doubting that deadbaits are hugely effective for catching pike. I know many seasoned pike anglers who rate ‘deads’ more effective than any other bait for big fish. Certainly, deadbaits are easily to buy and only require storing in the freezer until needed. That said, there are certainly some things that you can do to increase your catches with deadbaits.

SIZE MATTERS

I know some anglers who swear by using huge baits weighing 1lb or more for big pike, but in my experience not only are these baits unwieldy, they can also lead to a high proportion of dropped runs. The ideal bait size is around 6ins-8ins, which can either be a whole bait or a section. Baits of this size are easy to rig and cast, and crucially easy for the pike to pick up, meaning an instant strike as soon as you get an indication on the float or drop-off will see the fish cleanly hooked.

Small baits do not necessarily mean small pike, and each year some very big fish get caught on sprats and sandeels, which are hardly even a snack for a big pike. On venues where the pike become preoccupied on small roach then using baits of a similar size can be the only way to get a bite. For normal-sized deadbaits I place my twin-treble with the hooks about 4ins apart.

HOOKING DEADBAITS

I always strike as soon as my float or drop-off signals a bite. There is no need to wait with modern rigs and usually the pike will be hooked cleanly in the scissors. For my normal-sized baits I use a standard twin-treble trace with the hooks about 4ins apart.

The hook size is matched to the size of the bait to ensure that the hooks stand proud of the flank. I use size 4 hooks for large baits, swapping to

size 6 for baits less than 6ins and size 8 for baits under 4ins. The most important piece of kit that you will carry with you when pike fishing is decent unhooking gear.

This includes a pair of 12ins forceps and hook cutters to remove the points from awkwardly-placed hooks.

For most baits fished on the bottom or popped-up I will hook the top treble in the root of the tail, placing the bend of the hook under the backbone. The upper treble has two points in the flank of the bait so the third point stands proud. When using small baits I hook the single treble through the root of the tail.