Pikes Like Eels

PR / Broj 66 / Rujan / 2013.

Pike are ferocious predators with an unrelenting appetite. They’ll basically hit and devour anything that is edible, but certain prey items are more to their liking than others – and eel are definitely one of them.

BY RASMUS OVESEN

THE PIKE is constantly on the lookout for food, and it will hit just about anything that looks alive and edible. Some times they’ll even pick up carcasses, and they rarely care if what they eat is a fish, a mammal or even a bird. In general, they chew down on whatever is within reach, but whenever food sources are plentiful, they can get a little picky. Moreover, they have certain food items that they particularly like – either because they taste good, or because their movements or their looks trigger the pike’s hunting instincts.

THE EEL used to be an extremely abundant species of fish, but even though it is now relatively scarce, it still ranks as one of the pike’s favourite preys. They are big, chunky, tasteful, and they movement patterns are enticing and hypnotic. Eel are however an odd prey for pike. Being a bottom-dwelling species and an overtly night-active one, eels aren’t something pike come across regularly. As most fishermen are aware of, pike hunt pelagically and they rely very much on their vision. In other words, they usually aren’t actively hunting in the dark – when the eels are most active. They do come across eels every now and then, however, and when they do, they are immediately on their fins and ready for the kill. And if a pike has tasted eel just once, it will always be hungry for more!

BIG PIKE can eat big prey fish, and even a 50cm eel can’t feel safe around hunting pike (maybe this is why eel like to creep under rocks, seek shelter in the reeds and otherwise keep themselves out of sight). They might not be easy for big predators to catch, but once lodged in the jaws of a big pike, they are fairly easy to swallow, and they constitute a wholesome meal. Wherever the eels are abundant, pike will tune in on them, and this is something that can be translated into some good fishing.

FEW FISHERMEN have ever fished with eel imitations, but with the introduction of the silicone Bulldog lures, and later the Savage Gear Alien Eels, catching pike on eel imitations is a sport that can now be enjoyed by anyone. And with the new 3D Real Eel and 3D Twitching Eels from Savage Gear, that are ultra-realistic eel imitations with acute attention to detail, lure fishing with eels is really starting to evolve. International pike specialists Henrik S Lund and Christian Moeller, who have more than 40 years of pike experience between them, are just a few of many new eel enthusiasts. They have had massive success with the goofy looking Alien Eels over the last five years, and they have landed staggering amounts of 10+ kilo pike on them.

CHRISTIAN MOELLER and Henrik S Lund fish their Alien Eels in a number of different ways, but they generally stress that the water has to be relatively clear for them to work effectively. Ideally the visibility shouldn’t be less than one meter, and the water shouldn’t be too cool either, says Henrik S Lund. Generally, really strong colours should be used if the visibility is less than 1,5 meters, but more natural colours are to be preferred if the visibility is better than that.
The two pike experts usually troll the lures behind a boat using paravanes at speeds exceeding two km/h, but they have caught pike on them even at six km/h.

THE MOST SIMPLE WAY to fish an Alien Eel is to cast it out directly behind the boat, explains Henrik S Lund. ‘And if you reel out 25 meters of line and sail at three knots/hour, the 125gr version of the lure will fish 4-5meters down. If you want it to fish even further down, it is advisable to tie a paternoster rig with 200grams of lead mounted in front of the eel’.
The Alien Eel can also be fished on a downrigger, and this method is particularly advisable on big and deep reservoirs during winter and summer. When fishing lakes that do not exceed 10 meters, and the visibility is good, the pike will rise to the lures even when you fish them close to the surface.

THE ALIEN EELS and Bulldogs can also be cast and retrieved, and so can the up to 45cm long 3D Real Eels. The bigger versions require fairly heavy gear – i.e. spinning rods with lots of backbone (7’ 150gr versions) and stout spinning reels with 0.35-0.40mm braided line whereas the lighter versions and the 3D Twitching Eels can be fished on lighter tackle.

For lakes and rivers with deep water, the big 30cm Bulldogs and Alien Eels work perfectly, and usually a steady retrieve with a few sudden spin stops is what makes the pike loose their calm. The smaller 20cm versions and Shallow Runners can be fished in a few feet of water, and they can be particularly effective for pre-spawn and post-spawn fish in April and May.

THE 3D REAL EELS and Twitching Eels from Savage Gear are 3D scans of real eel, and they have the same feel and density as their role models. The 3D Real Eels are designed with a big, ultra lifelike tail – just like an oversized traditional jig, and they come in sizes up to 45cm. They can be mounted on an offset hook rig with a treble hook and a stinger or on a jighead. The same goes for the 3D Twitching Eel, which is an ultra-realistic 1:1 imitation of a real eel.
The 3D Real Eel is best fished with a slow, steady retrieve whereas the Twitching Eel comes to life with sudden jerks with the rod tip making the lure twitch and move erratically to the sides. Both lures can be fished immediately below the surface making them wake, they can be fished pelagically using a slow retrieve, and by mounting them on a jighead, they can be fished in 2-5 meters of water.

GENERALLY, PIKE have great difficulty resisting eels, and unless they are already full (or stressed in some way), they’ll respond immediately and with great determination when presented with one of these juicy mouthfuls. Therefore, the best strategy for fishing with the different eel lures on the market is to cover a lot of water and constantly be on the move. You’ll find that it is a lot easier for you to find the fish, than for the fish to find the lure. Search the drop offs, weed beds, and reed lines and be prepared for some thunderous attacks – because pike really do love eels.