Pike fishing is a popular pastime for many anglers, and having the right lure can make all the difference in catching a trophy-worthy fish. With so many lures on the market, it can be overwhelming to choose the best one for pike fishing. However, by considering factors such as the water conditions and the pike’s feeding habits, anglers can narrow down their options and increase their chances of success.
When it comes to pike fishing, there are several types of lures that are known to be effective. Spinnerbaits, spoons, swimbaits, and topwater lures are all popular choices. Each type of lure has its own unique characteristics and is designed to imitate different types of prey. For example, spinnerbaits mimic the movement of small fish, while spoons imitate wounded baitfish. By matching the lure to the pike’s natural prey, anglers can increase their chances of getting a bite.
It’s important to note that no single lure is guaranteed to catch pike every time. Fishing is a sport that requires patience, skill, and a bit of luck. However, by using the right lure and paying attention to the conditions of the water and the pike’s behavior, anglers can increase their chances of success and have a more enjoyable fishing experience.
Understanding Pike Fishing
Pike fishing can be an exciting and rewarding experience for anglers of all skill levels. Before heading out to the water, it’s important to have a basic understanding of the habitat and behavior of pike.
Habitat of Pike
Pike are freshwater fish that can be found in a variety of habitats, including lakes, rivers, and streams. They prefer clear water with vegetation, such as weeds or lily pads, and rocky or sandy bottoms. Pike are also known to inhabit areas with structures, such as fallen trees or submerged logs.
When looking for a pike, it’s important to pay attention to the water temperature. Pike tend to be most active in water temperatures between 50 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. During the warmer months, they may move to deeper, cooler waters.
Behavior of Pike
Pike are known for their aggressive behavior and voracious appetite. They are opportunistic predators that will eat a variety of prey, including fish, frogs, and small mammals.
When fishing for pike, it’s important to use lures that mimic the natural movements of their prey. Topwater lures, such as poppers and buzzbaits, can be effective for enticing active pike to the surface. Spinnerbaits and crankbaits can also be effective for imitating the movements of small fish.
Pike are also known to be territorial and may strike at lures simply out of aggression. When fishing for pike, it’s important to use a strong, sturdy line and leader to prevent the fish from breaking off. It’s also important to handle pike with care, as they have sharp teeth and can be difficult to handle.
Types of Lures for Pike Fishing
Pike fishing requires the right kind of lure to entice the fish to bite. There are several types of lures available for pike fishing, each with its unique characteristics and advantages. In this section, we will explore the different types of lures for pike fishing.
Spinnerbaits
Spinnerbaits are an excellent choice for pike fishing. They have a spinning blade that creates vibrations and attracts the fish. The Booyah Pikee Spinnerbait is a popular choice among anglers. It has a half-ounce spinner bait that generates a frenzy and is perfect for pike fishing. The Blue Fox Vibrax is another excellent spinner bait that works well for pike fishing.
Spoons
Spoons have been a favorite bait for catching northern pike for a long time. They have a concave shape that gives them a unique wiggling and wobbling action that attracts the fish. The Eppinger Original Dardevle Spoon is a classic lure that has been around for over 100 years and is still popular among anglers. It is available in different sizes and colors and is an excellent choice for pike fishing.
Jerkbaits
Jerkbaits are a type of lure that imitates injured or dying baitfish. They have long, slender body and diving lip that makes them dive and swim erratically. The Rapala Super Shad Rap is an excellent jerk bait for pike fishing. It has a realistic swimming action that entices the fish to bite. The Storm Wildeye Live Pike is another great jerk bait that mimics a live pike and is perfect for pike fishing.
Topwater Lures
Topwater lures are a type of lure that floats on the surface of the water. They have a unique action that creates a disturbance on the surface of the water, attracting the fish. The Cotton Cordell Pencil Popper Topwater Lure is an excellent topwater lure for pike fishing. It has a realistic swimming action that mimics a baitfish and creates a commotion on the surface of the water, making it attractive to pike. The Heddon Super Spook Jr. is another great topwater lure that works well for pike fishing.
There are a variety of different fishing lures today it’s hard to keep track of them, all in different shapes sizes, and colors and most avid anglers have quite a selection in their tackle box. when you go fishing you want to be sure you have the right one for the job but with so many to choose from how do you pick the best one? This article is written with the intention of listing as many available lure types as you might want to include in your list of fishing gear.
Fishing lures are commonly put into categories prior to how they work, or on their physically defining features. Here are some of the categories of fishing lures available today; surface lures, spoons, spinnerbaits, jigs, soft baits, jerk baits, and crankbaits.
Soft Baits
These are soft rubber baits that could look like fish, long worms or frogs or a bunch of other shapes. Usually, these are used with a weighted jig head and retreat slowly or in a jerky motion. Soft plastic baits are any of a range of plastic-based fishing lures, termed so because of their soft, flexible rubber texture. Created to imitate small fish or other natural aquatic food sources, their realistic texture and versatility, combined with simple and economical production has led them to become a standard lure of modern fishing tackle. Soft plastics are available in a wide range of colors, sizes and particularly
Jerk Baits
Very effective for pike and musky. Jerk baits don’t have any movement on their own but need the angler to jerk them and bring them to life like an injured fish or worm. You throw them into the water and then do a jerky motion with your fishing rod which simulates the movements of a wounded fish making it look like a tasty titbit to the fish you are trying to attract. All jerk baits have some characteristics which set them apart from all other fishing lures. Jerk baits are slender for their length, showing an ideal profile for a lurking predator looking for a quick meal. Although all jerk baits are high floaters, they all trigger the bite while submerged, which separates them from a pure surface lure. All of the hard baits have some sort of lip to pull the bait underwater, similar to a crankbait. But the factor that sets them apart from other lures is the way they are worked. To get the most out of a jerk bait, you use the fishing rod in short or long jerks without retrieving it. This rod action is what gives jerk baits their name, and their action underwater. These baits are super effective to pike and musky.
Surface Lures
These are fishing lures that you reel along the surface of the water and are fun to use since the fish explodes up out of the water in order to take in the bait and really get the adrenaline going. When a fish hits one of these lures it makes a great show So much so that most anglers try to set the hook right away, when hesitating for a second or two is the best way to ensure the fish has the lure. They are great if one is fishing in waters that have a lot of weeds since they remain on the top and are less likely to get tangled in the grass. Topwater lures come in all sorts of colors and shapes and it’s fun to pick them out in the tackle shop and find the ones that work best for you. Especially fun to use for pike and musky as these fish attack with fierce and powerful.
Spoons
Spoons are just metal lure that looks like a spoon. When you reel them they make a wobbling motion which is attractive to most fish. They are inexpensive and fairly easy to use so a great choice for young and beginners. If you plan on fishing in places that are highly vegetated, then using spoons is a good idea. Spoons are commonly used on pike and musky and are used with either long casts or by trolling a boat along the weed line. Fishing Spoons that are known by a great number of anglers include the Red Daredevil, Five of Diamonds, and Little Cleo brand spoons. Red and white seems to be an attractive color combination for pike and musky.
Spinner Baits
This type of fishing lure has one blade or two that rotates and the rotating motion gives off a reflection that imitates the light glinting off of fish scales in the water. When you are retrieving a spinnerbait, you can alter the speed that you retrieve thus making it look like a wounded fish. If you’re fishing for pike a large spinner can be successful but if you go in for mullet or trout try a much smaller size. There are even some sorts of fishing lures that you can purchase that will make noise when they are used. These lures are great for fishing in waters that are muddy and dark, since the fish may not be able to see the bait properly. This will allow them to hear your spinner, which really can help you to catch more fish in these types of situations. These baits vary in size and color as most lures do, but as earlier said they have a spinning blade or two just behind the eyelet, a bell-shaped body, and a treble hook which sometimes includes a bit of fur or feather as an added enticement.
CrankBaits
This category of fishing lures sinks into the water after you cast and can dive into depths up to 15 feet or more. Each floor is designed for various depth and this depends on the angle of the lure. A lure with a smaller angle will dive deeper than a lure with a larger angle.
Depending on the depth of the water that your target fish appears in will dictate the sort of lure you use. Crankbait lures are also plugs designed mainly to imitate baitfish and crawfish and they have to be actively reeled in to activate them. Many of them rely upon a cupped “lip” or “bill” that makes them wobble when reeled in.
Those without a lip are surface plugs that struggle and splash at the surface. The size and form of the lip determine how deep the plug will go when retrieved. A rule here is that the longer the lip, the deeper the plug will dive, and the shorter the lip, the shallower the lure will go. The convexity of the lip makes the wobble.
The more convex the lip, the more wobbling action the lure will achieve. The less convexity the lip has the less it wobbles. It’s this side-to-side wobble that causes the crankbait to appear to be alive and swimming. An exaggerated wobble makes the crankbait appear that it is injured and struggling with much effort to swim. Fish are attracted to this way of swimming because they have instinctively learned that it will be an easy catch. Crank bait’s lips are typically made of clear plastic. This makes them hard to see on struggling crankbait.
Crankbaits come in a wide range of finishes and colors. A lot of them are painted in colors and patterns that closely mimic shad, bass, bluegill, trout, and crawfish. Commonly, crankbait floats at rest, and the lip causes it to dive when retrieved.
This makes not only for great stop-and-go action but helps prevent snags. The lip also orients the crankbait so its lip is much deeper than its hooks. This helps make the hooks snag-less. So one can crank it over rocks and sunken logs.
Crankbaits are a type of lure that has a diving lip that makes them dive underwater. They have a realistic swimming action that mimics a baitfish, making them attractive to pike. The Rapala Husky Jerk is an excellent crankbait for pike fishing. It has a suspending action that makes it look like a dying baitfish, making it irresistible to pike. The Strike King KVD Square Bill is another great crankbait that works well for pike fishing.
Jigs
Jigs are one of the most effective fishing lures today, especially in water clarities from slightly murky to clear, in water temperatures below the sixty-degree mark, and when pike is in an inactive modus and buried in deep cover. Jigs are presentation lures and the key factor to fishing them is to make them appear as much alive as possible. This is achieved through a slow presentation. A jig is a heavy, lead-headed lure with a single hook. An attractive skirt or trailer is attached to the hook. With a good weed guard, they can be worked effectively in dense cover where big pike lives. They are subtle and discrete and move into big-pike territory without making a lot of disturbance, as would a live crawfish or baitfish. And once hooked, the pike has a harder time throwing the single-hook jig than it would a treble-hook lure. A pork or plastic trailer is often added to these fishing lures. In clear water conditions, light colors (white, chartreuse, green) tend to work best. Transparent jig skirts and transparent crawfish-type trailers cast less of a silhouette and are less threatening to frighten pike. In darker water, black, brown, purple, and contrasting dark colors often produce the best. The trailer (plastic or pork rind) color can be altered to vary the appearance of the lure quickly and economically.