The Pike Swinger is a drop-off indicator with a difference. Not only does it have a sliding weight to adjust line tension, but the shape of the arm also means that the weight can be set behind the point of balance. The result is that the indicator can be lifted with almost no resistance. For finicky pike, and especially perch (which often won’t tolerate resistance) this can sometimes make the difference between dropped runs and a big catch.
With drop-off indicators it’s vital that drop-backs can be seen otherwise the fish could swallow the bait without the angler knowing. This can all too easily happen if the line is a little slack. The advantage of a sliding weight is that the line tension can be adjusted so that all the slack is removed, yet still with minimal resistance.
It also means that you can compensate for current, and thus the Pike Swinger is well-suited to fishing drains and rivers rather than just stillwaters. Having said that, stillwaters are rarely still due to drift caused by the wind, so the ability to adjust the line tension is again very useful here.
The Pike Swinger can be attached to all standard ½” diameter banksticks by the built-in terry clip. This can easily be replaced by a different size if you use thicker banksticks.
Being a Fox product the Pike Swinger is nice and sturdy. The only feature I didn’t like was the line clip, which is too fiddly to adjust, especially with cold hands. Whilst this is usually just a nuisance when after pike, when perch fishing it can be important to get the tension just right to avoid dropped runs. However, as the orange sight bob is made from foam, it’s easy to change the line clip to your own favourite.
To sum up, I don’t know why I haven’t used these Pike Swingers before. Certainly in future I’ll be using them for all my predator fishing. In fact, I now also use them for nearly all my carp fishing too – yes, they’re that versatile! They cost £11.99 and this is a small price to pay for fish safety.
Copyright Steve Burke 2001
