Pike tips?

[B RAD15]

i have been out a few times this year in search of pike but have yet to catch one! i like to catch any species of fish i can and i just want to add pike to my list. i am at a cottage next week in muskoka on Go Home Lake if that helps anybody! i have done lots of research but it obviously hasnt paid off thanks for any help guys

 

[Joel52]

The best way to catch Northerns is trolling shorelines and weedbeds, 4-8 feet of water. Use a 6" wire leader and a spinner tipped with worm (#3-4) or a red and white Daredevil (3-4"). You're bound to snag weeds and the occasional log, but if there's pike there you'll get them too. They're most active just before rain when the barometer's dropping, but will hit on something flying by their nose at any time of the day. Pike will always hit twice. Wait for the second hit then set the hook and hold on.

 

[NADO]

Ive had the most sucess fishing for pike using spinnerbaits. If you are fishing from shore spinnerbaits work and just simply putting a nice sized minnow under a float works very well too.

 

[Alfiegee]

I gotta recommend the daredevel too, red and white seems best. That's been my number one pike killer since my dad and I flew into a lake near Elliot Lake when I was 8. I also like large spinners, I prefer the bucktails. Another method of fishing that can be a lot of fun and very productive at times is fishing surface lures like Hula Poppers near weed beds or fallen trees at dawn or dusk. I've always found that pike will move close to shore as dusk approaches in their pursuit of baitfish and can be caught from docks or shore.. Lastly live minnows, like sucker minnows 3-5 inches long can also be very productive. Pike can be very ferocious, I have caught 12 inch pike on 6 inch rapalas (another good lure, try perch colors.), but if they are finicky the same lures will work but downsize. I also cannot stress the use of good leaders enough, I have lost a lot of good pike (and lures) over the years while fishing for bass with no leader.

Alfie.

 

[salmotrutta]

i have been out a few times this year in search of pike but have yet to catch one! i like to catch any species of fish i can and i just want to add pike to my list. i am at a cottage next week in muskoka on Go Home Lake if that helps anybody! i have done lots of research but it obviously hasnt paid off thanks for any help guys

Pike will hit at any time of the day, but to significantly increase your chances of hooking into one, fish around dawn and dusk. First few hours of the morning and last couple hours of light in the evening.

I agree that spinners or a live 3-5" minnow are excellent baits. Casting spinners in and around weeds in the early morning or late evening can be very productive. I like the Mepps Black Fury #3.

 

[Alfiegee]

Pike will hit at any time of the day, but to significantly increase your chances of hooking into one, fish around dawn and dusk. First few hours of the morning and last couple hours of light in the evening.

I agree that spinners or a live 3-5" minnow are excellent baits. Casting spinners in and around weeds in the early morning or late evening can be very productive. I like the Mepps Black Fury #3.

Yes I agree salmotrutta. I like the Black Fury too,I find the bucktail a little bit better. I also like a bucktail red and white Comet.

Alfie.

 

[salmotrutta]

I actually don't like to use the bucktails, I guess it depends on which bodies of water you're used to fishing and whatever you're accustomed to.

 

[Somenomai]

Those mepps black fury spinners work great. Most of the time, I find oversizing my lures to be a lot more productive for pike. For example, I usually use muskie killer black fury spinners and catch more than if i used a regular size 5.

 

[antoniojay]

Pike are a really funny fish, they're like the New York Italians of the fish world, just obnoxiously aggressive (sorry if that offends any NY Italians, I know a lot of them who can attest to this). I've had pike hit just about everything, but what usually always works for me is the red and white Dardevle Spoons, just cast out over some fallen wood/shallow weed beds, and right before the spoon hits the water, just jerk it back slightly. It makes a slapping sound, sounds weird, but its always caught me pike. I've had some just smash it right when it hits the water.

 

[RedSkullz]

Ahh pike!! I love fishing for the toothy critters!! Pike fight like the devil and you should have little problems at least smaller ones in Go Home. My buddies brother went to go home a few weeks ago and ended up with over 5 dozen bass and pike over the course of a weekend. Locate broadleaf cabbage/milfoil beds in the 6-12' of water and use the following baits while casting:
1/2oz - 3/4 oz white or brown or cheartreuse or orange willowleaf spinnerbaits tipped with a 4" berkley powerworm trailer
4.5" tube baits rigged texas style (you'll need special wire leaders for these, i tie my own with 7 strand toothy critter wire)

Pick a good line between the weeds and let the lure drop close to bottom. Slow roll the lures pausing every once in awhile to keep it close to bottom. This technique Will catch pike and bass. Now if you have your heart set on a big pike do the same technique in deeper water just off the weedlines.(15-20' deep)

Crankbaits - I fish cranks alot for pike and they love them, if the conditions are right. Crankbaits are not as effective for pike this time of year since they prefer cooler water and become sluggish in the dog days of summer.(which is why tube and spinnerbaits are so effective because they are fished so slowly) Cranks on the right day though are unstoppable. Rapala j-13, husky jerk hj-14, rapala magnums, grandma 6", bomber long A will all catch fish. Some places i fish close to go home flourescant lures catch a ton of fish, and some waters natural silvers,gold,white,perch will be the ticket to success. I have a rediculous amount of cranks in my box since they have caught me a ton of pike over the years.Be warned that cranks are quite expensive, especially the magnum sized baits.($12+ for one bait) If i could only have two crankbaits for pike i would choose a J-13 in flourescent orange/gold, and a Rapala Husky Jerk HJ-14 in silver/black. Trolling adjacent and close to weedlines with both of those cranks is a surefire way to get pike. A good casting tech for cranks is light jerk and reel 1',light jerk and reel 1', light jerk and reel 1', then pause for 2 seconds. Repeat for remainder of cast.

Spinners/Spoons - Another must have series of lures in any pike anglers arsenal!! The flutter of a spoon and the flash of a spinner catch alot of pike. Spoons that will crush numbers of decent pike are williams wobbler 3 1/2" silver/gold, northland forage spoon 3 1/2" gold/yellow, daredevle or len thompson number five 3 1/2" in both red/white stripe and 5 of diamonds. Spinners with their big flash draws pike in! Mepps #5, panther martin #15-28, blue fox #5 will all hit pike and bass. Fire tiger patterns and traditional gold and silver will all get fish, though i like silver the best. I find spinners are better suited to casting, and spoons are well suited to both trolling and casting.(for casting use the slow roll technique from the earlier paragraph)

Hope that helps!! And i hope to see you in the Top Fifty Pike Tournament Trail next year!

 

[B RAD15]

thanks for all the help guys, i will definitively use these next week and hopefully boat my first pike!

 

[Neb]

I'm surprised that the Gold Williams spoon wasn't mentioned until 2 posts up. That is definitely my #1 pike lure right there. Pretty much guaranteed to catch when when I fish with it.

Normally I go out with the Gold Williams, Silver Williams and then lately a yellow/white whitefish Williams spoon.

Occasionally I'll use the Perch X-Rap in all sizes and they'll deliver. When I fish at the cottage (Green River) the pike don't get big - 3-5lb- but they're certainly aggressive.

 

[RedSkullz]

I'm surprised that the Gold Williams spoon wasn't mentioned until 2 posts up. That is definitely my #1 pike lure right there. Pretty much guaranteed to catch when when I fish with it.

Normally I go out with the Gold Williams, Silver Williams and then lately a yellow/white whitefish Williams spoon.

Occasionally I'll use the Perch X-Rap in all sizes and they'll deliver. When I fish at the cottage (Green River) the pike don't get big - 3-5lb- but they're certainly aggressive.

Yeah the big williams have pounded the pike for me too. I also like the xraps, i need to get some of the saltwater version Xraps.

 

[Frankyfish]

my pike lures are walleye colourd boogy bait (bass like it to) walleye coloured spinners with gold and silver blades and metalic perch coloured cranks and jerks, i missed alot of pike using spoons they seem to hit it from the side and well come the hook set i yank it out of there mouths .... and well it usualy feels like you hit a branch or somthing,.,,. just like spinners they like to suck on the blades and loose intrest ( dont get me wrong iv caught pike with both these lures ) but as far as landing pike cranks never fail .... but i speek for waters around where i live and well im not big on live bait cant seem to go out of my way to go buy some lol.... i hurd the complete oposite from other anglers from diferent places thoug like a friend of mine like to fish reservoirs up north ... like way up north and all he uses is spoons and yellow minnow looking plastics...

 

[B RAD15]

yet again no pike! we got lots of smallies all about 1.5 lbs and a real nice pickeral, 26 inches 5lbs! i did a little more research and came up with cooks bay as a possible location, my friend has a house on cooks and a boat so we were gonna go out in a few weeks when its more "pike season" can anyone comment on cooks bay? it would be greatly appreciated

 

[grubman]

Sorry to hear no pike, but glad you caught the bass and walleye, which is what's been eluding me! Have you been to Little Lake just north of Barrie? I used to go there for the pike opener, lots of small ones on the west side. You have to have a boat to get there. In spring they take spinners especially with feathers. I think there are some big ones there, I don't remember off hand pics of pike on the wall of the bait store, lots of bass and walleyes tho. Lots of fish in that Little Lake.

Everyone here has given some great tips that I'll use next time I'm out for pike. My only lures for pike are chrome spoon, red/white spoon, plastic spoon frog pattern, tandem spinner, buzzbaits (don't know if pike even hit that), lots of inline spinners with/out feathers, crankbaits and some big plastics. My pikes sadly only 2 hit on grub and worm. But I know for a fact that there are pike there. Good luck.

 

[B RAD15]

Sorry to hear no pike, but glad you caught the bass and walleye, which is what's been eluding me! Have you been to Little Lake just north of Barrie? I used to go there for the pike opener, lots of small ones on the west side. You have to have a boat to get there. In spring they take spinners especially with feathers. I think there are some big ones there, I don't remember off hand pics of pike on the wall of the bait store, lots of bass and walleyes tho. Lots of fish in that Little Lake.

Everyone here has given some great tips that I'll use next time I'm out for pike. My only lures for pike are chrome spoon, red/white spoon, plastic spoon frog pattern, tandem spinner, buzzbaits (don't know if pike even hit that), lots of inline spinners with/out feathers, crankbaits and some big plastics. My pikes sadly only 2 hit on grub and worm. But I know for a fact that there are pike there. Good luck.

thanks for the help! i dont have a boat but a few of my friends do so i will try to get up there with them and yes i know for a fact pike hit buzzbaits cuz my friends have caught many pike on them before, just not me! sounds like youve got the right tackle for pike so good luck next time your out. hopefully you get some nice fish!

 

[kabes]

I was in Gravenhurst on the weekend and went fishing with the wife on the docks by Boston Pizza. She caught a 30" pike off an orange jighead and worm. I caught 2 more smaller ones with a white Mepps #5. I've never had much luck with pike in the past but Mepps seem to be working. :-D

 

[diggyj]

Cooks Bay is great and most of mine in there have been either casting or trolling a Jointed Rapala in Chartreuse color. Over and around the weedbeds just out from the rock wall at Crates marina.

 

[B RAD15]

i have another question, i know you need a metal wire leader, but does a fluorocarbon leader work just as well? will the pike bite right through that?