Boys Toys, Lures and Big Teeth!

I pride myself in being a good all-round angler – coarse, carp, a little fly (badly) and sea fishing, both at home here in the UK and overseas. I love all fish and all fishing as long as the rod has a reel. Sorry but I don’t do pole - it’s just not my thing! Fishing different disciplines not only keeps my interest buzzing but also keeps me learning different aspects of the sport from which I naturally find that I draw inspiration from one style into another. Although I love all types of fish and fishing, the one other thing that I love about angling in general is... gadgets. I’m a lad and I do like my boy’s toys! Carp bite alarms, high-tech reels, fish finders, multi tools, GPS’s, boats, 4x4’s, etc, etc, the list is endless and my garage is full. Fishing-useful items only though!

The latest toy to add itself to my gadget collection is not for sea fishing but for pike fishing. I caught my first pike many years ago and became hooked on fishing for this, the ultimate freshwater predator. The most common way to catch this huge toothy critter that inhabits our inland waterways is to fish sea fishing dead-baits (mackerel, herring and smelt) hard on the bottom, mounted on trebles, so that the scent attracts this huge fish with the hope of inducing a take. But this fish deserves so much more! Pike are a fish that deserves to be stalked!

Over my many years pike fishing, rarely do I sit it out and wait for this species anymore. I prefer the roving approach. Float fishing live-baits, twitching dead-baits, and chucking lures. The excitement of fishing this way offers so much more anticipation and, because you are always on the move, so many more chances to catch. Pike will often lie in waiting in one area and if they are feeding, all you have to do is work a bait or lure in front of them and they’ll usually take! If they don’t, it’s time to move on again or go home. Stalking pike can be done from bank or boat, with boat offering better access to water that cannot be accessed from the bank. Boats also offer a greater level of excitement if you’re an angler who likes his toys. My new ‘boy’s toy’ is in fact my new pike boat.

Having read many articles on Kayak fishing, I first started to look at kayaks but soon realised that although they are great, they couldn’t offer all the requirements I needed. I wanted space and lots of it, with room for a buddy to join me too. I wanted a boat that I could mount a motor on. And I wanted a boat that I could stand in. Working lures from a sitting position when using a Yankee Jerk Bait rod just doesn’t seem to work! Sometimes you cannot beat tradition and on my quest to find the perfect freshwater boat I settled for a traditional Canadian canoe. Well not totally traditional...!

“Duck Sucker!” is an Old Town Predator SS150 15ft, modern, plastic Canadian canoe that was designed for those who like to stalk and hunt their prey – perfect! With its camouflaged colouring it blends perfectly into its surroundings – good for sneaking up on shallow water and surface feeding fish. Its width and 3 seats mean it’s perfect to carry a friend and all my fishing gadgets. It has Scotty rod holders and a Scotty automatic anchor system. Its square stern, with reinforced mounting panel, has been fitted with a Minn Kota Endura 40 electric trolling motor and battery which is perfect for freshwater use and is eco friendly! It even has fitted tackle bags! The last things I added were a set of paddles, some safety gear and a Humminbird portable fish-finder with suction cup transducer. The whole lot sits perfectly on the roof of my car and can be launched within 10 minutes of arrival – perfect for short pike fishing sessions when the weather is too bad to go boat fishing at sea. Primarily, be it saltwater or freshwater, I prefer fishing from boat and my new toy is the perfect addition to a boat angling junkie’s armoury of floating tools! The whole lot I purchased from Brighton Canoes http://www.brighton-canoes.co.uk/

Duck Sucker ready for launch

Duck Sucker has just completed her maiden voyage, so how did she do? More importantly how did I do!!! Me and my angling buddy, Andy Hart of High Octane Angling, launched her on one of the midlands many canals. Our aim was to test a new range of lures that Andy and HOA are considering importing in 2009 (watch this space!). Andy himself likes to test all the tackle that High Octane imports, in both fresh and salt water, before any deal is done, so Duck Sucker was launched with a bucket of rubber and plastic items to be put through their paces before the UK angler will ever get to see them! I wonder how many other companies go to this effort....

The Old Town Predator canoe performed beyond my wildest dreams. Her engine propelled her along fast. She was as roomy as I hoped for. And her stability could not be matched – the two of us stood and cast lures all day without falling overboard! But more importantly, did the new lures work and did we catch?

The Duck Sucker, in all her glory.

After the initial boat tests, we headed out into the remote countryside for some peace and quiet, Isaac Walton style, and proceeded to test the lures with both of us fishing the same lures at the same time for better clarity. The first two hours produced no fish and more than a dozen lures got transferred to a waiting bin liner! Then we hit gold. A lure that Andy had tested with great success for bass was tied to both our rods, and we began to work a weed fringe on the canal’s margins. Our first fish was no monster, neither was our second or third, but fish number four was to surprise us!

Jim and Andy start working their experimental lures from Duck Sucker

As I cast and worked the lure back to the canoes sides, I felt an abrupt snatch so I kept winding! Many anglers fail at this point by stopping! Just as the said lure reached the end of my retrieve, my Jerk-Bait rod whammed over, tip almost touching the water, “fish on!” and the Duck Sucker started to get towed backwards! 20 minutes later, and 300yrds from where we hooked the fish, Andy netted for me my biggest pike of the year – all 23lb 12oz of her! Duck Suckers ‘Duck’ had been broken but more importantly we had found High Octane Angling’s next winning lure - out next year! But for the moment it must remain top secret!

Jimbo lands his best pike of the year at 23lbs 12ozs

If you have never tried any freshwater angling, roving pike fishing using lures, be it from bank or boat, offers the sea angler an adrenalin packed and exciting foul weather alternative to sea fishing. Both pike waters, and rental boats (if you don’t want to buy one) near you can easily be found from internet searches. Both sea fishing lure rods and lures are suitable for all pike fishing.

As I mentioned earlier, I pride myself in being a good all-round angler and I furmenty believe that experiencing and learning about different styles of angling will make you an angler that stands out above the rest! As for my Old Town Predator canoe..., I can highly recommend this boy’s toy for anybody who is looking for a cheap and fun way to get afloat in protected waters! Be safe though and don’t forget to take some pliers for removing hooks as pike have big teeth. As you will see – I forgot mine!

Big Teeth Damage!