Pike

[Drewster116]

Well a river I used to fish in for smelt isn't that good this year cause the pike have moved in and are pushing them out. We used to be able to catch over 1k smelt a night easy now you cant get more the a couple dozen. So people started fishing for pike on the ice. I went down to check it out and d**n they're huge. There was 6 Pike sitting on the ice that people caught and the biggest was 50+ inches and the others were all over 40 so now I want to fish for them when the ice goes out cause I like the idea of catching them on rod and reel more then pulling them out by hand and using live bait. So my question is which lures should I used while fishing for these beasts? I never really tried fishing for pike so I'm clueless. So any help would be appreciated. Thanks

[wisturkeyhunter]

All over 40 inches and one 50+  : That sounds like a stretch.

Swimbaits, jerkbaits, cranks, big plastics, spinnerbaits, bucktails, spoons and topwaters are what you need.

[Drewster116]

didn't have a tape measure but i used my boot which is about 12-13inches I'll be sure to get pictures if i get a big one this spring it's gonna be nice cause the spot they were catching them in is one of the first places for the ice to go out that's near me. So I'll be out there day 1 of the fishing season :-p

[wisturkeyhunter]

Big pike are most active in cold water so it should be a good time to be out there.

[Marty]

Pike will readily hit any lure there is. If you have to start somewhere, a spinnerbait is a good choice. Expect biteoffs if you don't use a metal leader.

[detroit1]

I agree with Marty on the spinnerbaits- great to start with.

[farmpond1]

Es macht nichts what lure you use but generally, the bigger the bait, the bigger the pike (to a greater or lesser degree).  Bigger baits necessitate heavier gear, however.  Immediately after ice-out is supposed to be a good time to catch the big ones.  Generally speaking, the longer the cast, the better your chances of getting a big one to bite-they will often follow a bait some distance before they feel inclined to bite.  I'm hardly an expert but that's been my observation.

[moby bass]

I've caught pike on lots of different lures from Sluggos to buzzbaits.

A black buzzbait caught my PB to date. He hit the lure 4 different times

in 30 minutes before I caught him. I have read where red and white lures are best for pike so you might try something like a Dardevle in red/white.  I picked up a couple and plan to try them this spring.

BTW, also had a pike tear up a Ragetail shad pretty good one time before he bit it off.

[jack1]

Pikes can get big if they're chowing down good on smelt with nobody going after them.  I've seen and caught huge pikes up here in Wisconsin.

Anyways, pike love fast erratic movements and flashy colors.  Spinnerbaits, spoons, and jerkbaits would be my top lures.  Pikes are not as good of a surface striker like muskies, doesn't mean you won't catch them, but I've seen pikes go airborne and totally miss a surface lure by 1 - 2 ft.

[MichiganFisherman]

Can't beat a fat 6" live minnow on a big treble with a big *** bobber cast over a weed bed. Try it, you'll thank me.

As for lures.. husky jerks, jointed rapalas, bucktails, spinnerbaits, and buzzbaits. Don't forget a steel leader! Oh yeah, and a net.

Good luck to ya. Def. post pictures if you land a big one. 50 inches is pretty unbelievable...

[fishizzle]

put a smelt on a hook

[swilly78]

Can't beat a fat 6" live minnow on a big treble with a big *** bobber cast over a weed bed. Try it, you'll thank me.

x2

I like spinners also.

[firefightn15]

Good ole fashion real deal red/white daredevil.  

[Crestliner2008]

You can get trophy pike like this in open water. I've fished for pike for over 30 years now, but here in my small state, the odds of a truly large pike are limited. My biggest was 43" and weighed about 22#. Have caught many in the 12 - 15# range. Trolling is the best presentation. Reason is that big pike are territorial and are a true cold water species. So, you have to move around with the bait in order to score.

Large 8" Believers, big Rapala type lures and especially large in-line spinners like the Wendel's Musky Harasser are good examples of what you need to present. You have to fish deep as well. If you can find bait balls (large bait....like trout or ciscos) off deep humps or points, you'll eventually score....and score BIG! Good Luck!  

[wisturkeyhunter]

Pike can be found shallow before the water warms to much. They can also be found shallow where cold creeks come into the warmer water in the summer.  

[jack1]

Remember that trophy pike do not act like your average to smaller size pikes.  Spring and fall are prime times for trophy pike.  Summer they move out into open deep water, chasing bait fish until fall arrives.  Mean while, tons of your smaller to average pikes can be caught in and around shallow weeded areas all summer long.  Targeting trophy pikes during the summer had been a challenge for a long time, but with today's technologies and some knowledge, good numbers of trophy pikes can be caught during this period.  

[dmac14]

Pike are not afraid of anything, I went on a fly in trip and one pike hit my daredevil a good 12 times before I could get him, even had him hooked and almost in the net and he got off. Turned around casted at him again and sure enough he hit it, frayed my 30# leader and took all the paint off my daredevil.