My favorite species is the pike. They grow fast and large, they readily take lures more than other fish and they are good fighters. I have caught 4 pike. My first pike I caught in the Ottawa River. I was casting a fairly large Canadian Tire red & white spoon. Then, on my third cast, i felt considerable weight on my line. "Just a weed." i said. Then, I saw it jump in the air. I paniqued. After a 15 minute fight, I caught a big 5 and half pounder. My biggest fish. The second pike I caught was this summer. I was using a X-1 Rocket (small) and it had a gold finish. Within a few casts, I had a nice 1 pounder on the end. The third pike I caught was in a weedy calm area of the creek. It was about 6 feet deep at most ad Martin, my fihing buddy had already pulled in two pike with a canadian wiggler. I used a powerbait 5 inch jerk shad with no weights and a VMC carolina hook hrough it. As it dropped, a pike came out and bit it. When I pulled it into the canoe, he bit the line and I was only using a snap-swivel not a leader. Severe battle scars, most likely rom othe rpike were on all the fish we caught that day. The 4th piek I caught was the same day. I was using a small piece of sucker meat. I had been trying to snag the pike all day, without sucess, and that time, I actually snaged him. When I saw how ugly this fish really was, I began to wonder. Its guts were coming out of its gills, it had batttle scars more abundant than teeth. But, thats what happens when you`re a small pike eh? Another good story is when I was on the kemptville creek. The sun had not risen, and it ws late August. I cast out a Pop-R to a nearby area pop, pop pop and then a swirl. Only to find that it would pop up again a second later. 2 casts later, the same pike, I am certain swirled it and he was on! Without a leader, pike fishing is difficult. I could see I was not reeling in any line so, I tightened down the drag on my baitcaster and then as I began to reel in, he made a dart and off he went with my lure. A few hours later, I found my pop-R in a clump of weeds.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pike | 7.3 | 12.6 | 16.7 | 20.3 | 23.2 | 26.4 | 29.1 | 31.7 | 33.7 | 36.4 | 39.0 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pike | 9.6 | 13.8 | 16.6 | 19.3 | 21.7 | 24.4 | 27.3 | 30.8 | 33.5 | 36.5 |
Recommended Pike lures :
As usual, Henry Wasczuk and Italo Labignan recommend the following,
Let's talk about spoons for pike..
Three color patterns come to mind when fishing with spoons for pike, the five of diamonds, the daredevle and the firetiger. The five of diamonds pattern is best used in murkier water and is very popular up north. The daredevle (red& white) has probably bagged more pike than any other lure. This pattern is best used in clear water. Lastly, the firetiger is best used in murky water. The best sizes for pike vary from 3/4 oz to 3 1/4 oz.
The Fish'n Canada show recommends Riverside or Berkeley slugs in silver
The Hunting & Fishing library recommends : (for Muskies too)
My personal recommedantions for pike are like so, the Red & White devil bait is the most popular pike bait in the world. It has caught its share of pike. Still, this color is best for clearer waters. The 5 of diamonds spoon is also popular but, this is for stained water or for northern waters. The firetiger spoon is for murky water. Also, when going after smaler pike, consider the x-1 rocket in the finish of the local forage. The 5 inch or 6 inch berkley slugs are also a good choice, especially in spring. A Pop-R is a great weed and early morning lure. Still, be cautious around pike, they have an aggressive territorial defense and therefore, somewhat easy to catch. Release quickly and if possible, bend your barbs out. Thanks