Pike fisherman James Holgate gives some advice on finding and buying boats for pike fishing in the United Kingdom

Inspired by the big catches that are now being made by pike anglers who fish from boats, you may have decided that you too would like to get in on the action and buy your very own pike boat. As you might expect there can be many pitfalls involved in finding a suitable pike fishing craft to be able to pike fish boat safely and efficiently.

I have learned the hard way the perils and pitfalls of acquitting a decent fishing boat, so I would like to pass on some useful tips. If you follow them you shouldn’t got far wrong in your quest to get afloat safely and with the minimum of expensive errors.

Always buy a slightly bigger pike fishing boat than you feel you will actually need. This may seem like an odd suggestion, but believe me almost everyone who buy their first boat buys one that is too small. That ten-foot dinghy sitting on a trailer may look perfectly roomy for two of you, but just try to imagine how much room would be left once you’ve put your tackle in it. Also, pike boats have a tendency to ‘shrink’ once you launch them off the trailer. As a result, if you’re tempted to buy a ten-foot boat, then buy one of twelve feet. If you’re tempted to buy a twelve foot boat go for one of 14 foot. You won’t go far wrong.

Take your time and look around at the different options before buying a pike fishing boat. It’s tempting, I know, to see the first boat that looks halfway suitable and hand over the readies. But is that boat really okay for the kind of fishing you want it for? A boat that is adequate, say, for a bit of row trolling on the Fens, would be downright dangerous in a heavy ‘blow’ on Lomond or Windermere or even the Broads. Similarly, a big water boat may be extremely difficult to launch on the kind of waters you intend to fish, and you may need something smaller and lighter for this purpose.

Fortunately, a lot of good advice exists these days. For a start, we have a forum on our website at: www.totalcoarsefishing.com/forums that is completely dedicated to boat fishing. I know for a fact, that many visitors have received some excellent advice from this forum when are in the process of buying a new or second-hand boat. Often you will find that there is another forum member who owns, or has owned in the past, a similar boat to the one you are intending to buy and you will receive advice as to its suitability. I myself recently asked some advice about bow mounted electric trolling motors on this forum, and received many helpful replies.

Boats suitable for pike fishing are regularly advertised for sale on the forum too. Other sources of useful information about boats for sale are Loot and Boat Mart, two magazines available from most good newsagents. On the web, one of the best sites for buying boats is www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk 

Pay attention to the trailer too It’s easy enough to focus on the boat you are buying and overlook the trailer it’s sitting on, yet this is an equally vital part of the whole package you are buying. Basically, you need to ask yourself is it up to the job? The most important point to look for are the state of the wheel bearings. Open up the hubcap and examine the state of the grease. Did water come out of the bearing? Does the grease look grey? In both of these cases the trailer may have been well used with insufficient attention to the bearings. It may simply be the case that the grease simply needs changing, or perhaps the trailer has been run in that state for quite a while? If the latter is true you may be lining yourself up for a bearing failure. This has only happened to me once, and it occurred on a busy motorway, it’s an experience I would not care to repeat. Which is why I always carry a grease gun fully loaded with good quality axle grease as spare trailer bearings whenever I go pike fishing. We have trailered pike fishing boats all over Europe in the last few years. So far, touch wood, we haven’t experienced a major mishap. Luck plays a part, obviously, but taking care of those bearings will make you much luckier in this respect.

Get a lifejacket for all your pike fishing afloat. It may seem like an obvious point, but the purchase of a boat should also go hand in hand with the purchase of a lifejacket. I know I will probably be accused of speaking with a forked tongue on this matter, as I am frequently photographed not wearing a lifejacket. But anglers fishing for pike have drowned because they were not wearing a suitable lifejacket. That’s my choice and it will be my own stupid fault if I drown. However, I do always have a lifejacket on board and if it starts to cut up at all rough or danger looms, then it’s straight on with it!

If you can afford it, buy one of  the self inflating lifejackets (mine is one sold by Fox Tackle) rather than the bulky normal lifejackets, they are much easier to wear, and yes for that reason I should wear it more often, but I’m only human!

Go to boat jumbles A decent boat and trailer is expensive in it own right, but unfortunately the expense doesn’t just stop there. There are many ancillary devices you will need to acquire before you venture forth on your local waters. Such as anchors, boat rests, seats, cleats (for trying anchors to) etc. Frankly, you’d be amazed at some of the stuff you can get to make your boat fishing more comfortable and safer. You may also be amazed at some of the prices for this stuff.

This is where your local boat jumble comes in. If you’re at all interested  boats for pike fishing and you haven’t been to a boat jumble, then you haven’t lived! They seem to be held in most areas of the country at regular intervals and as the name suggests are a gathering of stalls in a field selling everything from echo sounders and anchor ropes to stainless steel screws and fitting, often at excellent prices. You’ll usually be charged a small admission fee, but it is well worthwhile if you are getting a boat equipped, and besides it’s a great day out.

If you want to know when and where they are holding a boat jumble near you then, as ever, there are websites which will tell you. These can be found at: www.boatjumbleassociation.co.uk and www.boatjumbles.net
James Holgate

Welcome to Pike and Predators, the website for information and advice on pike fishing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Pike fishing has increased in popularity in the last few years. Whether you go pike fishing in the UK in general, fish in Scotland, England, Wales or Ireland, good opportunities to go pike fishing exist in almost all areas of the British Isles. Venues such as Windermere, Loch Lomond, The Norfolk Broads, fens, all offer great opportunities for catching pike.

Pike fishing has also become more specialised in recent years. With many anglers choosing to go pike fishing with lures, or pike fishing in boats.

Whatever type of pike fishing you prefer, you should find plenty of helpful advice and information on catching pike in the articles on this website.