02-13-2009, 03:16 PM
Glad i could help LH2! The only payment i require is for you to let me know how you do. Just remember the sooner you can get there after the ice melts the better.
I did leave one important thing out. Although im not sure if this applies to just the lake i fish on or not. I don't use really big lures for pike. I tend to stay in the 3 to 4 inch size. The reason being is when i first started to fish for these guys i was throwing big 6 and 8 inch plugs, big spoons, and bucktail spinners and all i got was skunked. Then one day i said to hell with this and i started to fish for bass and put on a smaller X-rap about 3 or 4 inches. BAM!!! first cast you will never guess what i caught!!! a pike. Keep in mind i was fish the same spot for about 3 hours with bigger lures. So i decided to keep that lure tied on and i got a few more pike in the next hour or so. Well then i decided to experiment a little. I tied on a small trout spoon about 1 1/2" long and put on some small split shots about 12" in front of it to get it down so it would just tickle the top of the dead weeds. Well after about 4 or five casts BAM!!! another pike. The same thing worked for small inline bass spinners. Every avid pike angler i talk to from out of state tell me im nuts but i seen it so i believe it. I have not figured out why the pike on my water prefers smaller bait. I have tried larger and smaller baits all through the spring and summer only to find the small baits work way better, 10 to 1.
I guess what im getting at here is do not be afraid to use really small baits for these guys if you are not getting any hits on your bigger stuff. O yeah there is a down fall to fishing with small baits, well two of them actually. 1 ya got to get your hand closer to the teeth, ya tend to get bloody lol. 2 bring extra hooks, like the eagle claw 2X work good. fish over 25 or 30 inches tend to bend those little hooks badly lol. Which also means try to use a rod with a little give in the tip so there is not as much stress on the hook. All in all that does make the fight alot more fun, but it can get nerve racking when you got a 35+ incher on the end of a 1 1/2" trout spoon lol.
All i got to say is good luck and hold on!
[signature]
I did leave one important thing out. Although im not sure if this applies to just the lake i fish on or not. I don't use really big lures for pike. I tend to stay in the 3 to 4 inch size. The reason being is when i first started to fish for these guys i was throwing big 6 and 8 inch plugs, big spoons, and bucktail spinners and all i got was skunked. Then one day i said to hell with this and i started to fish for bass and put on a smaller X-rap about 3 or 4 inches. BAM!!! first cast you will never guess what i caught!!! a pike. Keep in mind i was fish the same spot for about 3 hours with bigger lures. So i decided to keep that lure tied on and i got a few more pike in the next hour or so. Well then i decided to experiment a little. I tied on a small trout spoon about 1 1/2" long and put on some small split shots about 12" in front of it to get it down so it would just tickle the top of the dead weeds. Well after about 4 or five casts BAM!!! another pike. The same thing worked for small inline bass spinners. Every avid pike angler i talk to from out of state tell me im nuts but i seen it so i believe it. I have not figured out why the pike on my water prefers smaller bait. I have tried larger and smaller baits all through the spring and summer only to find the small baits work way better, 10 to 1.
I guess what im getting at here is do not be afraid to use really small baits for these guys if you are not getting any hits on your bigger stuff. O yeah there is a down fall to fishing with small baits, well two of them actually. 1 ya got to get your hand closer to the teeth, ya tend to get bloody lol. 2 bring extra hooks, like the eagle claw 2X work good. fish over 25 or 30 inches tend to bend those little hooks badly lol. Which also means try to use a rod with a little give in the tip so there is not as much stress on the hook. All in all that does make the fight alot more fun, but it can get nerve racking when you got a 35+ incher on the end of a 1 1/2" trout spoon lol.
All i got to say is good luck and hold on!
[signature]