AJMichigan Posted July 10, 2013 Posted July 10, 2013 Was fishing my normal spot today, and I never fish for Pike. I always bass fish with either my favorite purple shiny fake crawler with a loop tail (about 10 inches long) or a 4 to 5 inch fake minnow/bait fish. Was fishing with the fake minnow a few weeks ago when I hooked into my first pike, a 22.5 inch one. Thankfully I didn't get bit. lol. Great fight, fun catch. Today, was fishing with my fake crawler that i consistently hit big bass on, when I hooked into a pretty d**n large pike. As soon as he hit it, I knew it wasn't a bass. I get him about 8 feet from the shore and he jumps, and I finally see how big this thing is. He had to be at least 35 inches, and im sitting here with 10 pound line and a 6 foot bass fishing pole. Thought the whole time my pole was going to snap. Well I fight this fish, and I get him about 5 feet from shore and I see him in the water, this thing is a monster. He sees me and tries to run away, and he snaps my line (just glad it wasn't my pole). Is it normal for pike to hit fake crawlers like this?! Quote
Super User Scott F Posted July 10, 2013 Super User Posted July 10, 2013 Pike will hit anything that moves. A guy that was on a fishing trip with me was brushing his teeth standing on the dock of our remote cabin on a fly-in lake. He was rinsing his toothbrush in the water and a pike came up and bit him on the hand! 1 Quote
Super User Marty Posted July 10, 2013 Super User Posted July 10, 2013 Yes. I have caught pike on plastic worms and everything else I use. Quote
tholmes Posted July 11, 2013 Posted July 11, 2013 Pike will hit anything that moves. A guy that was on a fishing trip with me was brushing his teeth standing on the dock of our remote cabin on a fly-in lake. He was rinsing his toothbrush in the water and a pike came up and bit him on the hand! Yep! I've caught pike on everything from plastic worms to spinnerbaits, crankbaits and topwater lures. They've stolen a lot of tackle too. Tom Quote
Super User Scott F Posted July 11, 2013 Super User Posted July 11, 2013 While not a very popular bait, a friend of mine LOVES banjo minnows for pike. We used to try to see if the craziest lure you had in your box would catch a pike and they all did. Homer Simpson crankbaits, beer can crankbaits, even Dancing Eel lures caught pike. 1 Quote
Snakehead Whisperer Posted July 12, 2013 Posted July 12, 2013 Like everyone in this thread has said, yes pike will eat a crawler (real or fake.) A couple of months ago I saw a guy at a local lake hook and boat a 25-30lb. muskie with half of a night crawler on a 1/8oz. jighead while walleye fishing. He was fishing a MF rod with 6lb. mono. The fight was epic to say the least. His line was completely trashed, and he almost lost the fish at boatside. We don't have pike in many places around where I live, but we catch lots of pickerel on soft plastics. Quote
AJMichigan Posted July 12, 2013 Author Posted July 12, 2013 Like everyone in this thread has said, yes pike will eat a crawler (real or fake.) A couple of months ago I saw a guy at a local lake hook and boat a 25-30lb. muskie with half of a night crawler on a 1/8oz. jighead while walleye fishing. He was fishing a MF rod with 6lb. mono. The fight was epic to say the least. His line was completely trashed, and he almost lost the fish at boatside. We don't have pike in many places around where I live, but we catch lots of pickerel on soft plastics. I can't stand Pike..i'm not a big fan of any fish with teeth that can do serious damage. I do enjoy walleye fishing with my buddy on Lake Huron though in Saginaw bay, because he handles them lol. And they're DELICIOUS. I tell you what though man..that Pike I was hooked into had to be at least 30 inches. Biggest freshwater fish i've ever had on the end of my line. If my drag would have been set properly i would have been able to land him, but he snapped me off 5 feet from shore after he jumped about 8 feet out. Man..what a fight Quote
Snakehead Whisperer Posted July 12, 2013 Posted July 12, 2013 I can't stand Pike..i'm not a big fan of any fish with teeth that can do serious damage. I do enjoy walleye fishing with my buddy on Lake Huron though in Saginaw bay, because he handles them lol. And they're DELICIOUS. I tell you what though man..that Pike I was hooked into had to be at least 30 inches. Biggest freshwater fish i've ever had on the end of my line. If my drag would have been set properly i would have been able to land him, but he snapped me off 5 feet from shore after he jumped about 8 feet out. Man..what a fight Awesome. I don't run the risk of catching pike in most of the fisheries I frequent, so I guess I'm uninitiated Pickerel do put up a good fight for their size, but I've never had a problem with their teeth breaking my line. I'm curious now. Need to get up north and try for some pike and muskie. Maybe I should stock up on steel leaders first. One thing that pickerel do though is try to bite me when unhooking them. On more than one occasion I've had pickerel take a swipe at my hand when removing hooks. Pretty tough little fish. Quote
AJMichigan Posted July 12, 2013 Author Posted July 12, 2013 He didn't cut through it, he snapped it. I had a metal leader on, at least I think that's what they're called. The ones that you can just easily change between a lure/hook without retying everything. Quote
Snakehead Whisperer Posted July 12, 2013 Posted July 12, 2013 He didn't cut through it, he snapped it. I had a metal leader on, at least I think that's what they're called. The ones that you can just easily change between a lure/hook without retying everything. I understand, it's just that I've heard the stories from many irritated bass fisherman who get their lines chewed up by pike. I've heard them called all kinds of names... like snake, etc. Quote
AJMichigan Posted July 12, 2013 Author Posted July 12, 2013 I understand, it's just that I've heard the stories from many irritated bass fisherman who get their lines chewed up by pike. I've heard them called all kinds of names... like snake, etc. Its funny because ive been fishing that spot for four years...and the first time ive run into pike was this year. Quote
SudburyBasser Posted July 12, 2013 Posted July 12, 2013 I have a little spot where I go for pike when I want to do something different. Like others have said I've found that they will hit virtually everything. And regrettably yesterday morning one of those scoundrels ate through my line and stole a Rebel Pop-R that I was slaying them on. I hope he chokes to death on it. Quote
Super User Marty Posted July 12, 2013 Super User Posted July 12, 2013 Pickerel do put up a good fight for their size, but I've never had a problem with their teeth breaking my line. I've thought for many years that pickerel fight somewhat better than largemouth. I've also had as many pickerel biteoffs as pike. Both are equally adept in that department. Quote
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