Pike Fishing Basics - Fish Handling Tips for Beginners
Pike fishing and catching your dream fish is every angler's dream, which you spend hours on the water to achieve. Every hour on the water and every fish contact teaches you how to handle fish and your equipment better.
I thought I knew something about pike fishing and fish handling, but under the guidance of Jani Haavisto (Finland's importer for Mikado), small things that I had not previously considered became important, making handling easier, faster, and more enjoyable.
Handling Your Catch: Release or Keeping for Food
The fish is now in the net. When the water temperature is high, it's crucial to quickly tire out the fish and net it or release it alongside the boat. Before fishing, you should have arranged your equipment in the boat to be easily accessible.
Long-nosed pliers, wire cutters, a fish handling glove, and of course, a sufficiently large net. Check the selection of pliers and nets.
The tired fish is now in the net, and it can be handled in two ways:
Neck Grip (picture 1 above) is the quickest and safest way to handle the fish. Firmly grasp the fish by the neck, right between the gills. Pressing down the gills will automatically open the fish’s mouth, making it much easier to free the fish. The neck grip works for smaller fish, but it may be challenging to grasp the thicker necks of larger fish.
Lip Lock Grip (picture 2 above) is initially more challenging, but with practice and repetition, it becomes quick and secure. For this grip, slide the fingers of the gloved hand between the gill cover and the gills towards the fish's snout. When the gill cover reaches the snout, the fish can be easily lifted, and the fish again opens its mouth to free the hook.
You can assist in opening the fish's mouth with a jaw spreader, but a correctly executed neck or lip lock grip almost always opens the fish's mouth.
Often, hooks are only attached at the mouth, but in the worst case, hooks and lures are deep inside the fish's throat. Here, it's essential to think about the quickest way to free the fish from the hooks: cutting the hooks.
Good pliers with cutters that easily snip thicker hooks are helpful for freeing both fishes and anglers from the hooks. To cut hooks, it's good to have various sizes of treble hooks and pliers with a point to open split rings.
If the fish is to be used as food, there is no need to remove the lure. Firmly grip the fish and strike it with a club or another hard object between the eyes one or more times.
Once the fish is stunned, cut the gill covers. It's sufficient to cut the gill covers to drain the blood and enhance the fish's quality. During warm conditions, remember the cold chain, fish spoil quickly without ice packs or ice.
These tips are also good to remember when trolling for zander. If a pike bites on a large wobbler with treble hooks, you'll know how to handle the fish and protect both yourself and the fish.
If you intend to release the fish, make sure it remains upright and doesn't turn belly up before you release it back. If you used the neck grip, slightly open the gills by lifting them. This helps the fish breathe.
A Brief Checklist for Fish Handling
- Ensure safety for both you and the fish. Fish weighing less than three kilograms can be handled with the neck grip; larger ones are easier to handle with the lip lock grip.
- Have your net, and other tools within reach. Check out our selection of nets here.
- Act fast, keep the fish steady.
- Quickly document the fish. If releasing it, ensure it swims away. If using the fish for food, stun and bleed it promptly to improve the meat's quality. Ensure to maintain the cold chain. Check our selection of coolers here.
Text: Juha Salonen, Finland’s worst pike fisherman.
