Pike

[clayton86]

So I'm hooked on pike fishing now but I don't have many pike lures I only have 1 actually and its a old black jointed river chubb. What kinda lures should I invest in the spots I go to are loaded with pike a lot of small ones 30 and under but there's also a good number of giants wich surprised me because its a fairly small shallow creek. Iv seen 2 40"+ fish taken out of there in the last year all in one small hole in this creek. Iv hooked into a few as well but never seem to land them. The one I had on last night was pulling drag on my revo sx cranked all the way up looked like a small submarine running up stream then down again then back up I thought I was salmon fishing the way it was running.

Also what do I look for in pike spots is it the same as bass pretty much cuz I always catch pike when targeting bass like last night. I fish from the bank so trolling and such is out of the question.

[J Francho]

Show Girls, Grandmas, Bushmaster spinnerbaits, X-Rap X-14, Big Ratt'l Traps and any diving crank bait meant for bass that you value greatly, all work well for northerns. Invest in some titanium leaders, and some Cortland Toothy Critter tieable.

Right now, there will be overlap with bass and pike. Summer pattern pike are usually on deeper weed edges. Fall, look for creek mouths again.

[Marty]

Pike will readily take any lure that exists. Topwaters, jerkbaits, crankbaits, spinnerbaits and inline spinners and soft plastics, such as soft jerkbaits, Senkos and grubs on jigheads. If I had to choose one it would spinnerbait by a tiny margin.

If you are in the vicinity of some willing pike, I'd be comfortable using just about any lure that's appropriate for the conditions at any given time.

[Hamby]

...and any diving crank bait meant for bass that you value greatly, all work well for northerns.

Right now, there will be overlap with bass and pike. Summer pattern pike are usually on deeper weed edges. Fall, look for creek mouths again.

Haha no kidding. It's almost as if they know exactly how much a lure costs.

Like francho said, the pike will be up shallow now but not as shallow in the summer.

Although i still manage to lose lures to those few stray pike in 4 FOW mid-summer.

[clayton86]

That throws a wrench in things if they go deeper along with the bass spawn ill be gone for 3 weeks starting Sunday to go to PMT to get ready for my upcoming deployment. Ill be getting back and finding no fish.

[J Francho]

Clayton, just remember this, northerns like it cold. Also, when its nasty, cold front weather, and bass have shut down, northerns become spunky. So, where ever the water is cooler, and/or the weather turns, you can usually find good pike.

Good luck with PMT. When you get back, bass will be over their post spawn blues and feeding well. You'll get over it fast

Hamby, I fed six or seven slim shad to northerns last late summer. They were following, bumping, and I'd kill it letting it suspend, and then give it a twitch, like an X-rap or Pointer. They would whack it every time, unfortunately it was always a northern. I never learned either, losing all those baits, LOL. I did catch three pike in the 12-13 lb. class, though.

[clayton86]

J I figured they would be spawning when I'm back I haven't seen any beds but maybe there spawning now lmb have all but disapeared it seems all but the dinks. I'm slaming smallies on oak orchard though trout are gone and smallies are at the end of almost every cast bellys fat with eggs

[grampa1114]

Every August when I'm on Champlain for a week, I devote a day or two to Northerns. I bring out the medium heavy 61/2' rods and 5/8-3/4oz white tandem willow leaf spinnerbaits.and 5" white grubs on 1/2 oz leadheads. PB so far is 16lb. and still trying.

[Scorcher214]

Big dare devils!

[A-Jay]

The pike / bass over lap is KILLING ME !

Seems like just about every mid-depth drop with weeds on it is holding decent size bass AND over sized Pike.

I am Very Tied if feed these toothy devils my best jigs !

And when I go with a leader I don't get bit. I am using AFW surflon in camo which is thin and tie-able.

I'm gonna start keeping them and feeding it to my pack - they would love it !

A-Jay

[J Francho]

A-Jay, get some Cortland Toothy Critter in 10# size. Tie your jigs and even your t-rigs up with it. Bass don't care about, and still bite. Use a Uni to Uni if using mono, or a Alberto for braid. Its 100% perfect, but you at least give yourself a fishing chance.

[A-Jay]

A-Jay, get some Cortland Toothy Critter in 10# size. Tie your jigs and even your t-rigs up with it. Bass don't care about, and still bite. Use a Uni to Uni if using mono, or a Alberto for braid. Its 100% perfect, but you at least give yourself a fishing chance.

I hear ya J,

I actually have some - it's a gaudy green color but it is a bit cheaper and available locally. I love catching big pike, they really Hammer a jig too. Nothing subtle about it.

A-Jay

[J Francho]

If you are actually targeting them, then get some titanium leaders. They outlast everything, and well worth the money.

[RoLo]

J Francho offered you two valuable pike tips

1) Big pike love cold water (they require more oxygen than muskies)

2) Titanium leader is the way to go.

Pike under 30" are warmwater tolerant and can be found in shallow water all summer.

but trophy pike behave more like lake trout. Unless you know the whereabouts

of an onshore spring hole, most gator pike during the summertime will probably be

offshore & unrelated to weeds (outside the deep weed-line).

Roger

[agssebvtsece]

Big dare devils!

Agreed!