Pond Boss Forums FISH & FISHING Show off your catch Little Pike?

Hello All:
I'll be up at the pike infested waters of dad's pond pretty much all next week. I'm planning a trip to cabellas to prepare for my pike-hunt (last time it was all rat-l-traps, the week before memorial day, dad says they stopped hitting the trap, though. Not hook-trained on them, all the pike caught have been removed). Remember we're talking about young pike, no monsters here. 20" tops.

I've hit it with spoons to no avail. So what's next? Good lure choices? they do like the storm brand swimbaits, particularly the LMB coloration. So i've got that one covered. Looking for more options, though, there will be 6 anglers out on the water, plus the kids, whenever they show up. So the more variety that we can cover the lake with the better. so far 13 pike removed, want to make it into the 30's by the end of the weekend.

Thanks in advance!!
-SB

Dynamite? Oh. Wait. Did I say that out loud? Or was I supposed to say nitrocellulose based material?

ZING!!

It would be a good method, i agree, but i think maybe the HOA might have some qualms about the boom-sticks.

Just do a careful reading of the HOA regulations. There's just GOT to be an exception in there somewhere!

A swim bait looking like Yellow Perch is not a bad idea.

Spray it down with some YUM.

HOA:
"It says right here 'the use of explosives in pursuit of fish or wildlife is not permitted on the grounds'!!!"
Me:
You see....it depends what you think the meaning of 'is' is.

-SB

we don't have any YP in the lake, so it wouldn't be one of thier regular food sources, but i do have a few of those, it's officially on the list. I did try one of the storm brand BG's, got nothin out of it.

Will pick up a bottle of yum, though. Good call.

Try some in-line spinners, both with and without bucktails. When I was younger I had good luck with Mepps Anglia #2 or #3's, without bucktails. Good luck finding them now tho! Ball bearing swivels are mandatory 'cause the spinners really twist the line!

Anything that flashes will take pike. I've had a lot of experience with hammer handles in my off time during college fisheries days in Alpena, Michigan.

Just stay upwind of the YUM when you spray it!

I think i might custom-make a few lures, just to supplement my tackle box (I usually rely on the rat-l-trap...if it's not working, well my skill as a fisherman just dried up!)

I think i'll tie some yellow and chartreuse fur onto some giant jigheads...do they make a massive roadrunner?

Also some new spinners. I got a bucket full of core, swivels, clevices and spoons at a garage sale a few years back, only made 2 or 3 buzzbaits so far. As long as i am making giant bucktails i might as well put a few of them together as well.

If everything that flashes catches pike, what the h-e-double hockeys and i doing wrong with the spoons!!?? grrrrr. I hate being terrible at catching fish.

-Skinny

And what is the concensus on wire leaders? The pike are just getting big enough now to bite through the line....Dad called me up the other day to say he lost a swimbait and a rubber craw.

I've never used them, of course i have a few. Some people seem to say that it effects the action in a very negative way, some think they are too visible in the water. The ones i have are silver 20# (very thin compared to others, from what i can tell) with a ball bearing and a swivel clip. I've seen them with black wire, though, as well as ones with only one bearing (like the swivel clip end will be the only rotating part, etc)

Thoughts? is there going to be a difference between the black or silver wire? Should i just screw the wire and go with braid, and hope not to lose a $7 rapala? The water is ridiculously clear in this lake, like it just came out of the tap.

Thanks in advance again
-Skinny

I would use fluorocarbon leaders. You can just get some fluorocarbon line in the 30-40 pound range and use about 6-10" of it as a leader, no swivel or snap.

can't a pike bite right through fluorocarbon?

Plenty of people use 100 lb. fluorocarbon leaders for trophy Musky. I didn't believe it either at first, but they've worked for me.

ROCK ON!!

Now there is a tip i can take to the pond. Never would have thunk it.

Ok...so the shopping list so far
Yum (to be sprayed downwind )
Fluorocarbon leaders (or leader material, if i can figure out how to tie knots with it)

I've actually landed pike on 4 lb. test and know others that have too. 9 times out of 10 they will cut the leader but for some reason sometimes they don't.

I've been catching them so far just on braid. You have to inspect the line after each one, and you'll see it is frayed a bit, but they never saw all the way through it. Seems to work.

I use 100 lb fluorocarbon for fishing for musky. It works, but usually have to tie a new leader after each musky caught. For the small pike and pickerel, I use 20 lb fluorocarbon leaders. 12" is usually more than enough and I have caught many chain pickerel up to 27" on 20 fluorocarbon without losing one yet to them cutting through it. However, just like with the 100 lb for musky, you typically have to retie the leader. I usually buy 25-50 yard spools of it. They will last you a long time and make many leaders. I typically pre tie 10 leaders so I can switch them out without much down time.

Yes, they do make huge roadrunners. I have seen them mostly used for striped bass fishing, but I suspect there is no reason you couldn't use them for pike. But at 20", I don't think you need to use huge tackle... I like to use the Johnson Silver Minnow spoon a lot for fishing weedy areas for pickerel and smaller pike. It is weedless and you can run it through the thick crap without it getting hung up. Another lure I like is the Mepp's Timberdoodle. It too is weedless and can go through nasty thick stuff without hanging up. I've also had a lot of luck use the Berkley Gulp! Alive Jerk Shad. Rig them with a wide gap worm hook in the 2/0 range. Use no weight or a insert weight, like the one made by Lunker City. Stick the weight near the fat rear part of the Jerk Shad. When rigged like this, the bait has a crazy action and again, it completely weedless. You can cut the insert weight smaller or larger depending on how fast of a sink rate you want for fishing deeper water areas.

Good luck...

the huge roadrunner was just to keep the BG and BC off of it and let the Pike have a chance at it.

That silver minnow spoon looks good, i like it. I've never caught a dang thing on the spoons that i have, though. But i'll give it a whirl. We'll see what happens.

Thanks, CJ
-Skinny

It's interesting how many regional variations there are in Musky fishing. Wisconsin guys like long (12"-18") fluorocarbon leaders, Minnesotans prefer shorter titanium, the Ohio guys apparently use steel.

alright - one more trip to the store is planned, but here is what i've got so far:
20lb fluorocarbon for leaders
johnson silver minnow
Yum spray (shad "flavor")
and i picked up an esox crankbait that looks awesomely detailed at cabellas. who knows...worth a shot.


plus i looked through my in-line spinners, and sharpened up my rat-l-trap hooks.

any other suggestions? I will be putting 3-4" BG on a big bobber in front of the weed beds too.

Do you have material to make stinger hooks? Sometimes they help with fish that aren't big enough to grab the whole live bait fish the first time.

Buy some live golden shiners in the 4" range and put them under a float hooked through their backs. If your goal is to simply remove lots of 20" pike, that's what I'd do...