Most of us are aware of the best way to treat our catch and the PAC is at the forefront in educating newcomers to the sport. Sadly, like most things in life, these conservation measures have been learned the hard way and a lot of fish have suffered due to bad practice which in turn has led to the search for a better way to go about things. As we become more experienced at handling pike however, new problems rear their ugly head and demand a solution. The point of this article is to try and highlight some of the problems I have come across in an effort to stimulate debate within the club and, hopefully, uncover solutions.
Most anglers tend to hook their deadbaits tail-up.
That is, with the upper hock in the wrist of the bait's tail and the lower or end hook in the flank. Livebaiters traditionally place the upper treble in the root of the bait's dorsal and the lower one in the root of a pectoral fin. There are occasions, however, when it becomes more convenient to place the upper treble in the head of the bait and the lower one down the flank. Examples might be float trolling. I noticed that a number of the fish I've caught have had a hook lodged in the gill area and as a result, bled profusely.