pike decline?

[tomburras 2,730]

i lure fish leeds and liverpool canal in kirkstall / bramley / rodley and have noticed a huge drop in catches since 2002 onwards, i always use a unhooking mat and careful and fast release, and fish for them only in winter even when parts where frozen. i used to catch around 4 - 7 a session and now rarely catch any? other local people noticed too does anyone have a clue why this is?

[stealthy1 3,964]

Maybe its because it gets hammered, have you tried it at night? Sometimes when it gets hard only livebaits will work, have you tried following the bait fish and casting into them?

[neil r 1,862]

The l&l round here is not as good as it was a few years ago , it could be down to pressure but the amount of pike ive had with traces still in aswell as the idiots ive seen fishing without traces wont help , neither will one of the local clubs who took a couple of thousand out between clayton and blackburn just to keep the few muppets who fish their matches happy disregarding everybody else who pays for the licence to fish there

[runforyourlife 361]

People kill pike on canals more than any other water..They also dredge them, removing weed beds and any other visible form. Which in turn prevents the pike from having good spawning grounds...You also have the cycle of loseing the bigger fish to "muppets" as it has been stated, then their is a massive increase in jack population, which again, brings the clubs to have a cull!

 

The most effective way to find the pike stocks on acanal, is to lamp it at night when cold! NNow would be ideal. When the temperature drops, the canals become gin clear, You will see everything in there. Look for the shoal fish and the pike will not be to far away.. Hit the spot hard the next day, and you'll catch the pike.. I have 4 different 20's using this method, and wasted no time in searching... let me know how you go...

[poacher3161 1,766]

Its the same on the s.yorks canals the only good reason is eastern eueropeans taking them to eat as their not the hardest of fish to catch

[runforyourlife 361]

Its the same on the s.yorks canals the only good reason is eastern eueropeans taking them to eat as their not the hardest of fish to catch

 

 

the only good reason!

[jackard 36]

Its the same on the s.yorks canals the only good reason is eastern eueropeans taking them to eat as their not the hardest of fish to catch

 

totaly agree , they will eat owt they catch

 

atb jackard

[tomburras 2,730]

thanks for replies, i have seen a few of them fishing at bramley marina before. The canal is frozen over and covered in snow at the moment so i cant do the lamp trick yet but will have a go when it thaws out.

[poacher3161 1,766]

Its the same on the s.yorks canals the only good reason is eastern eueropeans taking them to eat as their not the hardest of fish to catch

 

 

the only good reason!

NOT a GOOD reason but the only reason i believe in the sharp decline on s.yorks canals a crying shame realy as this canal was heavily poulouted for donkeys years and now holds a good population of fish due to the demise of heavy industrie in the area and the dedication of the E.A and variouse angling clubs.atb dell