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Posts: 654
Location: MPLS, MN | First off my favorite early season pike lure is a husky jerk. It seems I usually throw some spoons but not many spinnerbaits early in the season {before the muskie season starts.} But when i throw spinnerbaits for bass or skis I take alot of pike. This year for opener I thought I would give my spinnerbaits a better shot. Does anyone have luck with this for Pike early. More success with spoons? Other lures you like to throw for early season pike?? |
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Posts: 1137
Location: Holly, MI | If there is flodded weeds and brush my favorite is the Tony Accetta "Pet" spoon. It is a saltwater spoon with a single fixed hook on the top of the spoon. It will even free fall, wobbling, with the hook remaining up. We were casting these into thick brush that was in about 4-5 feet of water (flodded) in Quebec for Monster pike. The spoon almost never hung up, we would gently pull it out until it was just free of the brush and let it fall before the retrieve. The pike were well in the brush and this way we could present a lure as close to the edge as possible every time. Sometimes it would make its way to the water within the brush and get hit as soon as it made contact with the water.
I do throw a lot of spinnerbaits for Pike as well however. If you can cast 'em (light spinning outfit) the trolling spoons we use for Salmon are awesome too. They are quite light and have lots of flutter and flash with their silver plating but don't cast very far. |
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| why not combine the two???
cut the hook on your spinner bait and bend it into a closed eye.
add a split ring through the new eye and attach a spoon.
(alternately just add the split ring to the spinner's hook with a tight rubber band to hold in place so it doesn't slide off the hook)
swap out the spoon's treble hook for an oversized single hook with a weedguard and let 'er fly.
you can run that combo through _anything_.
you get the spinner's quick flash plus the slow wobble of the spoon.
downside = hooking %, but that's the downside of every weedfree setup. |
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| Obfuscate, I do really well in the MPLS area early in the year with white spinnerbaits for pike. I got some nice spinnerbaits from FLA-MINN lures this winter that I can't wait to let fly. I second your love of the husky jerk early in the year. I seem to do the best with the clown color. Do you have any luck with the down deep husky jerk? |
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Posts: 13
| I fish the western subs of minneapolis and for some reason for me spoons seem to weed out some of the smaller pike that I'm constantly catching on huskie jerks. I don't use spinners much but maybe I should start. |
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Posts: 2
| I spend two weeks every year in Georgian Bay. I plan to use spinner baits this year for the first time. In the past, the 5 of diamonds has always been the best pike producer for all members of my fishing party. Spoons in gener always seemed to out produce all other baits used. Another hot item are yellow 1 oz. jigs with a pork trailer (Uncle Josh Bass/Muskie strip) in red color.
Last year however I started playing with the Musky Innovations Bull Dawg and Reaper tails (1oz black jig head). I cought the biggest fish I ever have with those 2 baits in Motor Oil color. I caught many over 40 inches. One was 44". I have never had fish hit so hard as when I used the Bull Dawg and reaper tail. |
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Posts: 1137
Location: Holly, MI | All white spinnerbaits have produced the best for me for spring, unless it is a dark day then I'll swich to dark spinnerbaits. I add a double or quad grub tail in white also. For downsizing if you want to throw 1/2 or 3/4 oz you have to fix the eye. The "R" bend will straighten out with a fish of any size but it is easy to grab the eye with your pliers and take the blade arm for one quick lap around the bottom wire then back to straight up for a closed eye. It is hard to find smaller spinnerbaits with a closed eye. |
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| Spoons with twister tails produce better in slop and heavy weeds, while spinnerbaits work in most other situations involving structure and less dense weeds. I only fish for for pike and walleye one week a year, but I spent my youth chasing early season water wolves with great success using these strategies. Good luck!  |
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Posts: 3913
| white spinnerbaits and twitching a 6" firetiger jake or firetiger huskyjerk
a big firetiger johnson spoon w/ a white twin twistertail is my favorite fall bait for pike (and huge bass), close to shore in heavy weeds
midsummer - can't beat trolling Rapala RistoRaps just above the thermocline off the breaks |
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Posts: 185
Location: Pound, WI | I have caught many pike casting both Cleo's and #4 Mepps. I don't mind losing them as much as as my muskie tackle!
I think I'll head out after some of those pike this weekend.
Brian
Edited by ostdc 4/27/2004 11:28 AM
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Posts: 654
Location: MPLS, MN | Thanks for all the replies.
DJS - I don't use the deep jerks much. My favs are : Clown-Firetiger-Gold-Silver |
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Posts: 16
Location: Bellveue,Ohio | On the subject of spoons for pike, I use a spoon made by erie dearie. I been using them for about three years and I do great on pike abd musky. I caught some of my biggest pike on them in canada and alot more in northen Wi. I use the same spoons in lake erie for walleye. I don't know if you can but them in Wi. if you can't email me or call. I have 8 diffrent colors and they all come with the blood red treble hook.
[email protected]. ph#(419)-483-5813
Lupe Rodriguez
Pro-Cure bait scent |
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Posts: 13
| Do bigger baits attract bigger fish? Do you think bigger fish pass up smaller baits?
I get tired of catching hammerhandles and have not caught any nice size pike, but I know they are out there. |
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| Big Bait - Big fish: a theory I believe in. Now, that does not mean you will not cathc big fish on small baits. The majority of the time, big fish, big bait theory is right on.
Throw a big white spinner bait with a twister tail in the spring and hold on! Or, get a sucker and watch the line peel! |
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Posts: 162
Location: Madison, WI | Does anybody use the Lindy Gator Spoons...besides Babe Winkleman?
Pat
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Posts: 32935
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | jimus,
Location is a huge factor when fishing really big Pike. If you are where they are regularly throwing a spinnerbait that is 'Bass' sized or larger, you will catch nice fish.
I sometimes actually target big Wabigoon Pike with smaller cranks, because I can get those where the big baits won't without hanging up, and if I do lose one it's $3 instead of $12. I do very well. |
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