I was on my spot today.
Water condition : approx 7 ft. visibility.
Lure : suspending plug
Method : jerk-jerk-slow retrieve.
I've caught my share of pike ice out using this method but this time I have witnessed how everything unfold.
1st cast...at the end of my retrieve I noticed the pike stopped about 5 feet from my lure. just observing it. about 1 minute I was getting anxious...and twitched it maybe my lure would look lively to trigger the pike to strike. In fact this made the pike swim away. This happened for 3 more casts...with light twitches just to give some movement. It doesn't scare the pike but it made it uninterested and just pass by and swim away.
1 more cast...same thing. the follow at about 5 ft. I just stopped. No twitch and just observed. 4ft....3ft...this is like 1 minute interval...as the pike gets closer.5 inches...i was really tempted to give it twitch before it notices it's not a realy minnow lol. my lure was actually on the tip of it's mouth and still no strike. wth?! opens it's gills and the strike was fast and deadly. It's great feeling the tug but watching them hit your lure like that is something else. I caught 3 more afterwards...patience Is key.