Crankbait for fishing around pike

[10,000 lakes Bassin]

I fish in lakes where pike are the main predator. I can’t spend $15 on a lures because chances are high that i will loose it in the first couple hours. Any recommendations for crankbaits with diving depths of 10-20’ in the sub $8 range? I could maybe spend $10-$12 apiece for a couple but not for the vast majority.

[Functional]

Strike king have been good to me. I always manage to get mine hung up so I tend to stay cheap. The academy brand isnt too bad either but I cant recall the price off the top of my head.

 

If you loose them often might want to try a heavy mono leader or try making up some light gauge wire leaders. 

[Fishingmickey]

You might want to try some of the titanium "tie-able" leader material. It's pricey but if you keep your leader to about 8-12" it's reasonable.

FM

[gim]

I use Seaguar Blue Label.  Its a fluorocarbon material specifically designed to mitigate bite offs.

 

I would use 20 or 30 pound if you are around a lot of pike.  I've been using it for 3 full seasons now and had not had one bite off yet.  You do need to inspect it frequently for damage though.

 

I use it on my spinner baits, chatterbaits, and crank baits.  About a 12-15 inch section of it.  I catch about 50-75 northern pike each season by accident.

 

https://seaguar.com/products/blue-label?variant=42960855531739

[tkunk]

I use the AFW leaders with small snap swivels, and they're great. In addition to not having to worry about bite-offs, one big bonus is you won't have to retie as often if you fish around sharp rocks and zebra mussels. If you use a snap swivel, another bonus is you won't have to retie when you switch baits.

[MediumMouthBass]

Pike and pickerel are in 80% of the lakes and ponds i fish, some you might only catch less than a few a year and others theres a 40% (bass) to 60% esox ratio.

 

For years i either didnt fish hardbaits, or used cheap house brand ones from DSG, Academy, or BPS.

When i did use lures i used a steel leader.

This resulted in almost no bass and even less pike/pickerel.

 

This year i decided i dont care if the lure gets bit off i just want to catch more fish, im fishing everything i got. Id rather lose a $5-15 dollar lure and have a great time, then have a $5-15 lure at home on the shelf and catch little to no bass.

 

Academy jerkbaits and crankbaits while on the budget side are actually good, Strike King/Berkley crankbaits are often on sale between $3-6 per lure. When theres a sale buy in bulk.

And often the pike/pickerel dont bite the lure off when they grab it, its almost always when they are right next to the boat/kayak and when you go to grab them they slice the line. Invest in a good net, that way atleast if they slice the line you can grab them and unhook the lure. This is my experience others may vary.

 

I know you said crankbaits, but you will lose them heres some alternatives for stuff that hurts less financially.

If you want to save the most money when fishing waters with anything from the esox family of fish, a paddle tail swimbait, toad, or a craw/creature soft plastic with lots of movement are great alternatives to hard baits and dont cost you much if they get bit off.

 

Oh and spinnerbaits and buzzbaits are great as well, you catch either bass or pike on them and usually from how long the wire on them is the line gets saved.

[casts_by_fly]

you'll want a leader as noted.

 

To your question, the rapala DT series are my go to crankbaits and they are $8 or so as full MSRP.  They go on sale often also.  You should be able to pick them up around $6.50 each.

[Fishingmickey]

To kind of add to my previous post. You could make your own leaders with the titanium wire and use one of the high quality small swivels on one end and a good snap on the other.  With the light wire and smaller swivel (Owner Micro hyper barrel swivel size 12) and snap (Spro, Owner, Duo, Nishine, VMC) you should not inhibit the action as badly of the crankbait your fishing either.

FM

VMC crankbait snap & Owner Micro are pictured.

 

 

[10,000 lakes Bassin]

I’ve experimented a lot with leader and just feel that I catch less fish

The best best for me is 25-30 Fluoro but they bite through that too

[Mbirdsley]

norman DD 22 strike king xd-5 are a couple that are $7.99-$8.99. both catch fish.   i would change hooks on both that I mentioned.  getting bite off from pike is just part of the game up here.

 

i run 10 lbs on my one rod and 12 lbs suffix co-polymer on my deep cranking rod.  I attach my cranks with a snap and i rarely get bit off while using cranks.  usually, i only get bit off if im fishing a t-rig, tube, or other bottom contact lure. 

[BASS302]

Tackle Warehouse has Bomber Gen 2 lures for $3.99.

[10,000 lakes Bassin]

In general would you recommend the XD line from strike king or the DT like from rapala? 

[RRocket]

8 hours ago, Fishingmickey said:

You might want to try some of the titanium "tie-able" leader material. 

 

Excellent suggestion! 

 

But honestly, the titanium stuff isn't required for a mere Pike.

 

Check out their coated, tieable THIN Surflon Micro Supreme or Micro Ultra.

 

It's what I use.

 

 

[A-Jay]

9 minutes ago, RRocket said:

Check out their coated, tieable THIN Surflon Micro Supreme or Micro Ultra.

It's what I use.

X2 ~

Me too.

Good Stuff.

A-Jay

[RRocket]

4 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

X2 ~

Me too.

Good Stuff.

 

Indeed!! 

 

6lb test with 6lb Micro Ultra.

[A-Jay]

11 minutes ago, RRocket said:

Indeed!! 

 

6lb test with 6lb Micro Ultra.

Nice fish !

 

A-Jay

[RRocket]

25 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Nice fish !

 

 

 

I bow down to your greatness, Sir! That is a truly spectacular fish! 

 

For those that don't know...that's a "Pike of a Lifetime" level fish right there. And you don't catch those without skill and spending an inordinate amount of time on the water.

 

Truly, truly awestruck.

 

Would love to hear more details on fish and gear used.

 

Wow...just Wow! 

[10,000 lakes Bassin]

9 hours ago, August said:

In general would you recommend the XD line from strike king or the DT like from rapala? 

I think I’ll go with the XD line because they’re cheaper

[A-Jay]

9 hours ago, RRocket said:

 

I bow down to your greatness, Sir! That is a truly spectacular fish! 

For those that don't know...that's a "Pike of a Lifetime" level fish right there. And you don't catch those without skill and spending an inordinate amount of time on the water.

Truly, truly awestruck.

Would love to hear more details on fish and gear used.

Wow...just Wow! 

Thanks ~

OK, here's what I've got. 

 

This fish ate a 1/2 oz SK RES I was throwing for SMB along a deep weedline.

7'4" cranking rod & 12 lb FC WITH Wire of course. 

Caught a decent one the day before in the same spot.

I have a mostly raw video of this catch (pre-Go Pro's).

So the quality's not the best.

 

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/181116-gators-were-chewing/#comment-2040936

 

It was a good one but I've caught a few that were just a long but bit quite a bit heavier.

(insert thicker)

A-Jay

[Deleted account]

BOGO SK deep divers (and other things) at DSG...

 

https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/search/SearchDisplay?searchTerm=strike king crankbaits&storeId=15108&catalogId=12301&langId=-1&sType=SimpleSearch&resultCatEntryType=2&showResultsPage=true&fromPage=Search&searchSource=Q&pageView=&beginIndex=0&DSGsearchType=Keyword&pageSize=48&selectedStore=143

 

 

[Fishingmickey]

11 hours ago, August said:

In general would you recommend the XD line from strike king or the DT like from rapala? 

X2 for the XD, I think they are a tougher more robust bait too.

[Mbirdsley]

20 hours ago, August said:

I think I’ll go with the XD line because they’re cheaper

to me there 2 separate baits.  the XD has a bit wider wobble than the DT. Both are goods baits 

 

the XD i’d work on flats. while the DT comes through boulders and brush better. 

 

Strike king has very good shad pattern for murkier lakes where the DT is more for clearer lakes with better natural paint jobs 

[OkobojiEagle]

Bandit 300 series. 

 

Purely anecdotal... using a snap seems to lessen my bite-offs.

 

oe

[Mbirdsley]

2 hours ago, OkobojiEagle said:

Bandit 300 series. 

 

Purely anecdotal... using a snap seems to lessen my bite-offs.

 

oe

i forgot about bandits those work too 

[A-Jay]

Swimjigs were the deal today ~ 

A-Jay