Unhooking Pike

How do you unhook pike?

Replies:

1. By Leon Roskilly: "Increasingly, I'm unhooking pike still in the water, wherever this doesn't present a problem (eg high banks and deep water).

Especially small pike who have a habit of rolling in a landing net, snagging flying trebles, and tangling everything, even before you've had a chance of laying them on a mat. Then, being out of water, they panic and are liable to start trying to thrash about just as you get yourself nicely positioned.

A pike, with just it's head held out of the water behaves impeccably, opening it's mouth obligingly when you grasp it's chin bone, then waiting patiently for the unhooking to be finished and for you to release it, to slip back down under the surface and away."

2. By Andy Macfarlane: "I assume you are right-handed, in which case I'll describe unhooking as I go about it. You'll find most Pikers carry this out whilst in a kneeling position.

Lay the fish on its left flank, head pointing towards your right hand. You may want to straddle the fish. I use my left shin to prevent the fish from flipping. I don't apply any weight on the fish. I just don't give it any room to move.

With your left hand, carefully lift the gill flap a little. Have a look under the flap to see the arrangement. You'll see 3 sets of rakers. Make sure your fingers havn't picked up any of these and slide 1 finger along the gill cover, towards the chin. When you get to the chin, you'll find your finger fits nicely into an area of soft skin with no teeth, no rakers and no obstructions.

Lift the head and you should find its mouth will stay wide open without force. You should now have the whole mouth cavity to work with unhindered. You should have a pair of 12" forceps and a pair of wire snips at hand, nothing less. The wire cutters are for fiddly hook-ups. Sometimes it is easier to break the hooks up for quick removal. Never use the snips for cutting the wire, that's a potential death sentence. As long as you have all your unhooking tools at hand, you should find the whole unhooking operation takes less than a minute.

If you are struggling, don't panic. Take the fish in the net back to the water for a good breather. Give the fish and yourself a minute to calm down before carrying out any other proceedures. Allow the fish a minute in the water for every minute you have it from the water.

Don't be scared to ask a more experienced Piker for a hand. They should gladly oblige and if asked, will show you how to cope with difficult hook-ups. Pikers love being asked for advice..it makes them feel important and necessary

Once the fish has been cleared of all oral metalwork. Lift the fish with both hands and carry it back to the water. Once in the water, use your left hand to support the head and use your right hand to hold the tail root. Don't grip the tail, just form a circle with your thumb and finger. his prevents them going anywhere. Pike sometimes try to pull away immediately even though they are exhausted. Just keep a slight hold on the fish until you are sure it has fully recovered. Make sure the gill flaps are working and the fish can hold itself upright. Once its definately ready to go, you will know. Release your hold and the fish should pull away immediately. Just keep an eye on the fish till it has gone. If its a really happy soldier you'll get a free drink when it kicks its tail."

3. By Andrew Burgess: "Provided care is taken, the technique of "gloving" make hook removal a forrmality. it should be done with a glove on the left hand (or the right hand if you are lefthanded). You gently slip your finger into the pike's gill opening and your thumb (still on the outside) in a firm grip. The pike may then lifted safely from the water. There is nothing macho about performing this with an unprotected hand, and suffering lacerated or bleeding knuckles from a brush with the pike's toothy gill filaments or secondary teeth on a freezing cold day, belive me - so glove up. Hardware shops stock a variety of suitable gloves.

When you are confident that your left hand (or right hand grip for the lefthanders)grip is sucure, lay the pike on it back on the dampened unhooking mat and slowly curl your hand. The pike has no option then but to open it lower jaw. Then remove the hooks with a long nosed artery forceps from the front, or gently through the opposite gill slit if they are well back in the throat. Even really deeply hooked pike can be unhooked this way (this is why semi-barbless hooks are so good), without the use of the gag or any other type of instrument, most of which can dammmage the fish's dentistry. Forceps between 8 and 12 inches long are ideal, and whatever you do don't be afaid of your pike. Treat it with firm respect."

More details on pike care can be found at the following addresses:

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/authors/leon04.htm 
http://www.esoxecosse.com/
http://www.pacgb.co.uk/