soft rayed fish
that have lots of natural oil in the skin and flesh make the best dead baits for pike fishing. These natural oils leech into the water and help to attract pike that may be cruising in the area. Some of the best dead baits are smelt, alewives, small whitefish, chubs, and the always popular sucker.
What size lure is best for pike?
Go for lures in the 6-inch / 16cm range as these will be easy to cast and will catch pike of all sizes.
Are crankbaits good for pike?
Best Crankbait:
rapala super shad rap
Measuring 5.5 inches in length, the Rapala Super Shad Rap is the plus-sized version of the brand’s tried-and-true Shad Rap, and it is ideally suited to targeting northern pike and muskies.
What color lures do pike like?
The very best lures to use for pike in clear water are swimbaits, softbaits, and crankbaits with an authentic pattern and
swimming action
. Natural lure colors that resemble the pike’s prey, such as white, silver, green, or black , have proven most effective.
What’s the best time of day to catch pike?
Time of day As another rule of thumb, the best times for pike are usually around sunrise and sunset However, since in spring the weather isn’t as harsh yet and water temperatures allow pike to hunt for longer – you can successfully catch pike throughout the day.
Do pike like
big lures
?
However, there is one aspect of big lure fishing worth being aware of; on some lakes after being caught and released multiple times, pike will learn about big baits and will become very finicky towards them.
Do pike like topwater lures?
“Sometimes it’s hard to tell if it’s a big smallmouth or a pike hitting the bait. Or they may miss the lure and their whole body flies out of the water like a missile” Topwater piking is a great program for adrenaline junkies. The natural reaction to an explosive topwater strike is an instant hook-set.
Do pike like spinnerbaits?
Of the ample spinnerbaits on the market, the Booyah Pikee has always been a fan favorite The Booyah Pikee has everything you would want in a spinnerbait. Upon retrieval, it puts out an impressive flash and vibration, which inspires even the laziest pike to abscond the cover of a weed bed and inspect a potential meal.
Do pike like jerkbaits?
Jerkbaits for Pike Are the Way to Go Northern pike are built for chasing down prey.
Do spinners work for pike?
In-line Spinners work well for northern pike If you are just looking to catch some pike, the smaller spinners in the 3 to 4 inch range will catch plenty of smaller pike with an occasional big fish, especially during the spring.
Do pike like Powerbait?
Pike Lures Daredevil and Mepps Cyclops spoons and large Mepps spinners are popular When you can see Pike in the shallows a Gulp plastic Jerkshad fished weightless is a good option.
How do you attract pike?
Pike use their eyes to hunt and are attracted to colors like white, chartreuse, and bright orange Use reflective or brightly colored baits to catch the pike’s eye. Good baits to use for pike include walking baits, buzz baits, spinnerbaits, spoons, and crankbaits. Pike also react to sound and vibration.
How deep do you fish for pike?
Most of these fish are caught in shallow water. Big pike, however, go deep. Many times they are in water 15 feet deep or deeper At these times, a big deep running lure is needed.
What type of bait do northern pike like?
The best live bait for northern pike are baitfish like ciscos, suckers, alewives, and shad along with
yellow perch
and bluegill Northern pike a whole range of food items but artificial lures actually work better and offer more benefits for pike fishermen than live bait, in my opinion.
How do you target a large pike?
If you’re fishing in shallow water (10 feet deep or less), you’ll want to suspend it in the bottom half of the water column If you’re fishing in water deeper than 10 feet, place the bait about three feet off the bottom, always keeping in mind that prowling pike like to silhouette their prey against a light backdrop.
Where do big pike hang out?
The really large Northern Pike are more likely to hang around points leading into bays, narrows between islands or in river current especially later in the spring They like to hang around areas where Walleyes and Bass are migrating through to ambush them.
How do you fish for pike from shore?
- Fan Cast. It is important to cover many different casting angles when fishing from shore
- Put on Waders
- Approach Water Cautiously
- Map out Topography
- Switch Baits for Missed Fish
- Hard Hook Sets
- Use a Wire Leader
- Darken Up Your Wire Leader.
Are spoons good for pike?
It’s true that spoons do a fine job of tempting pike into striking , but my experience with spoons suggests that these baits work best when fish are actively feeding. The wobbling and flashing action of a spoon requires a steady and fairly fast retrieve speed.
Can it be too cold for pike fishing?
Pike will remain active and feeding during the colder months of the year but have a harder time handling really cold weather conditions. What is this? Frosty nights, sudden temperature drops, or a prolonged period of a cold front are all unfavorable weather conditions for pike and should hence be avoided.
What color do pike see?
When a pike looks towards the surface, all colours look the same against the sky. They only see a black silhouette ! The only colour thing that does pop out on the surface is reflective material.
What month is best for pike fishing?
Regardless of where you fish, late May and early June is a prime time to target big pike. The majority of pike will spawn around the full moon cycle in April whether under ice or open water. By mid-May the spawn is over and the big fish look to regain all the weight they lost during the spawn process.
Do pike take lures at night?
With the right tactics, night fishing for pike can be extremely effective. As pike are somewhat less active at night, you will have to fish lures that are bright and vibrate a lot to get their attention Fishing with both live and dead bait on the bottom is another highly effective tactic for nighttime pike.
Do pike like frog lures?
Bass and Pike Frog Lures The life-like kicking action of the Superior Frog’s legs sends Bass and Pike into a feeding frenzy Holographic finishes enhance the effectiveness of this lure in coloured or murky waters.
Do pike like weeds?
Pike Lures for Weedy Situations Pike move into shallow bays and off points to access weeds rich in bait like shad, suckers, shiners, bluegill, perch, and frogs Pike will key into these areas and usually suspend just on the outside of these weedy patches in the deeper water.
Does pike eat perch?
Northern Pike are at the top of the food chain in most lakes and they just about eat anything. Walleyes, Chubs, Perch, Bass, Shiners, Frogs, Snakes, Birds, Bugs and other Pike are all on there menu.
References
https://www.northernontario.travel/algoma-country/how-to-use-dead-bait-to-catch-northern-pike
https://www.amazon.com/Pike-Fishing-Lures/s?k=Pike+Fishing+Lures
Crankbaits for Musky & Pike