Targeting Northern Pike

[jgordon]

Alright for anyone from Kansas we have Kingman lake that has pike.  We have gone off and on three years and never caught one.  Tried about everything and tips? For those that don't know this is a shallow lake talking I think deepest spot 12ft maybe and chocolate milk stained water.  We have tried the grass lines with various baits and then the deeper areas by the d**n has a good rocky area as well. 

[Dwight Hottle]

Try an inline spinner like a Blue Fox Vibrax in firetiger color comes with a brass blade on the inside. You cast cast them with spinning tackle or bait casting gear. Size 5 or 6.  They make great search baits for pikes the color is high visibility & the special sound from the resonating bell design helps them locate the bait in off colored water. The best way to locate pike is to cast the weed lines & most effective is to troll them on the edge of the weeds or open water around other structure until you locate some. Trolling can be more effective because it gives the pike a longer opportunity to commit to a bait than when casting. When trolling vary the speed & pump the rod to change up the action. 

 

[Michigander]

More flashy + more splashy = more pike

[Further North]

Good info above.

I can't troll, so I stick with casting...but flash and underwater "noise" is what you want.

If you're not getting bit, change your presentation, strategy, and lures.  They'll eat something, they're pike.

I've had huge success with Strike King Smokin' Roosters, Texas rigged on a red 5/0 Gamakatsu EWG swimbait hook...it's virtually weedless and makes about the same amount and noise as my trusty #5 Mepps, which is my other go-to.  I have rods dedicated to both that are always on deck.

Doctor Spoons are the 3rd leg of my pike plan, in both the 1 1/8 oz. size, and the one smaller than that.  Burn 'em, work 'em like a jerk bait, steady retrieve with or without a stop-n-flutter...whatever they tell you they want.

Pike are gonna be where the food is, at least until water temps drive the big girls into cooler water or semi-dormancy.  They'll be back in the fall...

[J Francho]

If you know you are where there pike, all of the above will eventually work.  When it doesn't, work they are just turned off.  They may turn on like a light switch.  When they're on, it can be pretty nuts.

[ajschn06]

18 minutes ago, J Francho said:

If you know you are where there pike, all of the above will eventually work.  When it doesn't, work they are just turned off.  They may turn on like a light switch.  When they're on, it can be pretty nuts.

I know what you mean...this was like a decade ago but had a day where they were just nuts.... 3 40"+ and 3 35" on the mississippi.  I go back to that spot every year at the same time and have never been able to come close to replicating it...

[jgordon]

Awesome guys I am going to be making a trip to pick up a few things based on what you have all mentioned.  Thank you very much we are heading out in the morning so I will hopefully not get skunked again haha.  Might have to give the whopper plopper a go again and savage gear bat maybe for fun.  Then go into the water with some new lures I will pick up tonight.  

[FryDog62]

When I fish for bass with white or chartreuse Chatterbaits, all I catch are pike... 

[Michigander]

2 hours ago, FryDog62 said:

When I fish for bass with white or chartreuse Chatterbaits, all I catch are pike... 

I put my bladed jigs in my pike box because that's all I catch on them too.

[Further North]

BTW:  Leaders.  Use them.

I tie about a foot of wire leader (20# is plenty, but 30# is fine) directly to my 50# braid with an FG knot (an Alberto will work) so that there's no swivel at the top of the leader to bang into my tip guide.

I tie in a Mustad Fastach swivel clip (best clip ever, no moving, flexing, or bending parts to open or close it, I've never seen one fail) in the business end with a Perfection Loop so there's plenty opportunity for action.

...you can use a commercial wire leader, but  you're going to bang the top swivel into your rod tip, several times a day, unless you are the most patient angler, ever...and the kink and twist like crazy after just a few fish.

[Allen Der]

if you've never been bit off by a pike or caught one on accident while bass fishing, there probably aren't a lot of pike in the lake.  we have a lot of lakes around here with very low pike density and it really isnt worth targeting them.  try a #5 mepps agila firetiger with a cheap 20lb berkley leader/swivel

[Further North]

On 4/24/2021 at 9:20 AM, Allen Der said:

try a #5 mepps agila firetiger with a cheap 20lb berkley leader/swivel

If you're targeting pike, I'd advise staying away from cheap leaders.

You get what you pay for...

Here's a system that's less expensive, and works better than any commercial leader:

Tie in about 12" - 18" of tieable wire to your main line.  Alberto of FG knots are best (FG is smaller diameter, but doesn't work on single strand like Knot-2-Kinky).  That will run up into your guides without damaging them.

On the "business end" use a perfection loop to tie in a Mustad Fastach clip.  No moving/flexing/bending parts to fail, and they last forever.  If you want a swivel in the line, use the Fastach with a swivel built in so there is only one swivel in the rig.

[Allen Der]

7 hours ago, Further North said:

If you're targeting pike, I'd advise staying away from cheap leaders.

You get what you pay for...

Here's a system that's less expensive, and works better than any commercial leader:

Tie in about 12" - 18" of tieable wire to your main line.  Alberto of FG knots are best (FG is smaller diameter, but doesn't work on single strand like Knot-2-Kinky).  That will run up into your guides without damaging them.

On the "business end" use a perfection loop to tie in a Mustad Fastach clip.  No moving/flexing/bending parts to fail, and they last forever.  If you want a swivel in the line, use the Fastach with a swivel built in so there is only one swivel in the rig.

I've never had one fail.  That said I do use joe bucher and stealth tackle leaders when using musky size lures. 

[jimmyjoe]

On 4/23/2021 at 7:36 PM, Further North said:

so that there's no swivel at the top of the leader to bang into my tip guide.

 

One way to stop that is to use a judiciously sized plastic bead ahead of the leader, swivel or other metal obstruction. Any color is OK, but I use grey or purple for concealment. 

 

A little story:

About fifteen years ago I was fishing in the Mississippi with an ultralight.  I threw a 3/16 oz. Li'l Cleo spoon in Redhead, parallel to the bank. Water was about 2 feet deep. As I retrieve the little spoon, a dark shadow comes from my right side. Pike!  It intercepts the spoon ..... tug ..... and no more spoon. That pike came in from at least 8 feet away. It knew exactly where that little spoon was, and it went directly for it.

   I use larger lures myself, and I occasionally use noisy lures. I think they tip the odds in my favor. But I don't believe that you absolutely need them. Pike can target many different lures, different in size as well as design.

   If pike want your lure, they'll get it. If they aren't interested, it's as if they're not there. 

 

Good luck!       jj

[Further North]

1 hour ago, Allen Der said:

I've never had one fail.  That said I do use joe bucher and stealth tackle leaders when using musky size lures. 

The Bucher leaders aren't cheap ones.

...that said, The system I use has fewer moving parts and can't run into your guides.

55 minutes ago, jimmyjoe said:

One way to stop that is to use a judiciously sized plastic bead ahead of the leader, swivel or other metal obstruction. Any color is OK, but I use grey or purple for concealment. 

That'll work too, but the system I use is simpler, and has fewer moving parts...and if you use the Knot-2-Kinky singel strand, you'll never have to tie on a new leader because a two footer turned your leader into a tornado twisted pigtail.

[jgordon]

Well we were unsuccessful and have just taken defeat on it and are done trying.  The lake isn't one of our favorites anyway.  We aren't going to waste anymore time driving out to said lake.  Thank you for all the tips and tricks but after many trips and last few years trying we are done with it.  Throwing in the old towel haha.  

[gim]

47 minutes ago, jgordon said:

Well we were unsuccessful and have just taken defeat on it and are done trying.  The lake isn't one of our favorites anyway.  We aren't going to waste anymore time driving out to said lake.  Thank you for all the tips and tricks but after many trips and last few years trying we are done with it.  Throwing in the old towel haha.  

Honestly if you haven’t caught one by accident out there bass fishing, there may not be very many anyways. I don’t target pike all season but I catch a ton of them. Sometimes even 30-40 an outing when the timing is right.

[Further North]

6 hours ago, gimruis said:

Honestly if you haven’t caught one by accident out there bass fishing, there may not be very many anyways. I don’t target pike all season but I catch a ton of them. Sometimes even 30-40 an outing when the timing is right.

That's a very solid evaluation.  If there's any serious numbers of pike you almost can't avoid catching them.