For the most part, a basic pike spoon should fall between 4 and 6 inches long. The heavier the spoon chosen, the deeper and quicker it will run. My preference is one to 1 1/2 ounce baits, as this will allow easy casting and proficient action on the retrieve.
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.
How do you catch a pike with a spoon?
Spoons can be most effective in these situations but proper technique is important. Most times these pike just lay on the bottom. An effective way to deal with these fish is to cast and let the bait sink to the bottom. Then begin a slow retrieve, dragging your lure along the bottom—the retrieve can’t be too slow.
What size line should I use for pike?
You’ll need a stiff rod, 14 to 17 pound test line, and 9 to 12 inch steel leaders. Every pike fisherman has caught his share of northern from 4 to 10 pounds. Most of these fish are caught in shallow water.
Do you need a steel leader for pike?
When is a pike or muskie leader not necessary? The quick answer is that a leader isn’t necessary for most crankbait trolling situations. Usually, when trolling with crankbaits, pike and muskie are lip hooked.
What color do pike see best?
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 is the best rig for pike fishing?
The most commonly used bait fishing rig for pike is, without a doubt, the running ledger rig. This bait fishing rig is designed to fish a bait on the bottom of a lake or loch bed. The rig itself compromises of a run ring, buffer bead, quick-change link, a lead and a wire trace.
What color spoons do pike like?
3-5/8″ Dardevle spoon has been a staple for pike fishermen. The classic red and white or yellow five of diamonds color scheme are proven to be the best pike color combination for Canada pike fishing.
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.
What colors are northern pike attracted to?
Pike are visual feeders, and tend to be attracted to bright colors. Use high-visibility colors like white, chartreuse, and bright orange. They also respond well to baits that put off lots of vibration or sound.
What pound test should I use for pike?
What Pound Test for Monofilament Line? The ideal breaking strain for monofilament mainline when pike fishing would be 15lb. This pound test is strong enough for really big pike and at the same time flexible enough to not impact your bait presentation and movement.
What lb mono line for pike?
15lb
Strong mainline
Both braid and mono are ideal for pike fishing so long as they are up to the job. If you intend fishing with a mono mainline then opt for a line of 12lb or even 15lb breaking strain, and if you’re intending to use braid, go for a 30lb breaking strain.
Do steel leaders scare fish?
Do Wire Leaders Scare Fish? As many leaders are coated or come in dark, low visibility colors, they do not seem to scare the fish you target.
Can northern pike bite through fluorocarbon line?
Fluorocarbon is more abrasion resistant than monofilament and braids, so it has a better chance in contact with razor pike teeth. Most scientific sources also consider it much less visible to fish than monofilament and, especially, braid under water.
What size fly leader for pike?
To connect your wire leader to your pike fly setup, you first need to attach a fluorocarbon leader. We recommend a 20-30 lb fluorocarbon leader of about 5 – 6ft in length.
What time of day are pike most active?
Pike in the morning are more active than usual. Early morning right before the sun rises is an excellent time to target hungry pike. You can either find them in open or shallow water hunting down their first meal of the day.
How old is a 40 inch pike?
Fish Age-Size and Male/Female Ratio Chart
| Fish Age | Length | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | 39″-99cm | 18lb |
| 20 | 40″-101cm | 21lb |
| 21 | 41.5″-105cm | 23lb |
| 22 | 43″-109cm | 25lb |
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.
Is a medium rod good for pike?
A medium-heavy/Fast action rod allows you to place your spoon with ease while giving you the ability to control larger pike. For those that want more response and have a rod that is also satisfactory for fishing walleye as well as pike, a medium/Fast action rod would be best.
How long should a pike rod be?
A great pike fishing rod is usually 8-9 ft long and has a fast action with medium or medium-heavy power. This gives you good leverage and hooking ability when the pike strikes. Depending on the size of lures you intend to use, the casting weight of the rod may vary.
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.
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