Pike fishing can be a lot of of fun. Pike grow to be quite large for being a freshwater fish, upwards of 30 inches or more and teeth that are quarter of an inch long. Some weigh upwards of 30lbs. It makes you wonder why you’d even step foot in a Maine lake knowing these lunkers are lurking.
If you’re lucky enough to get one ruthless creatures on your line in the bitter cold it’s still a fight to land one on the ice. Because their teeth are so sharp there is always a risk of them breaking or cutting your line. It’s also a good idea to wear gloves to lift them out of the water. Like any fish, pike tend to flop around once they are out of the water and their razor sharp gills will cut your hands if you aren’t careful.
So what gets these monsters interested in latching on? What lures are the best for pike fishing? Is it lures that are shiny? Bait that is dead or alive? Or does it even matter what you use?
There are plenty of stories floating around but from our own experience, pike are not very picky. Heck, one even took a bite of a sounder when setting up traps first thing in the morning. That’s not to suggest you should use a sounder as a lure but it does provide evidence that they are motivated by MOVEMENT.
Since pike feed on bait fish in their natural habitat it makes sense to use live bait where you can. Be sure to check your local laws before doing so. Smelts, shiners, suckers, sometimes even small yellow perch will work as bait. Movement is what they’re looking for so jigging is always a great idea if you have to work with dead bait or you choose to use a lure.
Knowing that live (moving) bait is ideal for pike, you need a good quality leader for your traps that will hold up during the fight, not break or cut easily, withstand the tug and hold your bait effectively. After considering all of these things, we have perfected our design in our pike hooks. All of our pike leaders are made of high quality and high test material. Supplies vary but we have been know to even make kevlar leaders for pike. If you want to know more or are interested in a custom order feel free to drop us a line on our contact page.