...for serious pike and predator anglers!
How, when and where, to fish different types of lure.
Crawler fishing is undoubtedly the most exiting form of lure fishing - surface takes are devastating! Crawler fishing is very much a summer thing. Depending on weather conditions it can be viable right up to December - late September though is usually when takes start to die off. Night crawling for pike and chub can be heart stopping stuff!
Update 2007: Due to climatic change ( i.e. a rise in air and water temps ), these past couple of years pike have started taking top-water lures right up to late November - and possibly through December.
In this feature I will be discussing the many different lures available, and how, when and where, to fish them. I will also be showing some of my own, highly productive, handcrafted lures.
My favorite shop brought crawler is the Arbogast Joined Jitterbug. Over the years I have caught many hundreds of double figure pike on the JJ (large version). As for twenty pound pike on the JJ, I've lost count! Pike, chub and perch, and various other predatory fish, will take a top-water crawler. Personally speaking, I do not think there is a better top-water lure than the Jointed Jitterbug - apart, that is, from my own handcrafted jitterbugs (pictured above right). In my experience, I have found Crazy Crawlers to be very unreliable - their wings often getting stuck closed - or getting ripped off by the first pike that strikes.
The ideal places for top-water crawler fishing, are shallow weedy areas - ranging from 1-8ft deep. ‘Slowly retrieved’ along the edge of a reed bed or fallen tree, they can produce devastating takes. Retrieved along the edge of moored boats can also produce mega takes. If you’ve not tried top-water crawling fishing before, give it a go - you wont regret it!
Chuggers can be productive at any time of the year. Shallow water areas, in the 1-8ft range, are the best places to fish chugger plugs. There are many types of chugger plug. The Heddon Lucky 13 (pictured right) being one of the best I have ever used. Another chugger I like to use for calling pike out from dense weed beds, is the ‘Hula Popper’ (below right).
The Arbogast Hula Popper (pictured right), if used with a high tensile rod and braided line, can be made to pop so loud you would think the lure is ten times its actual size; which is only 4in - which includes its missing rear rubber skirt. The only type of chugger plug that is unlikely to produce during the winter months, is the chugger plug that does not dive beneath the water’s surface. The best way to retrieve a 'diving' chugger plug, is to cast it out, pop it, then send it diving.
Every now and again let it ascend to the surface, keeping it moving slowly forwards all the time, then pop it and send it diving again. Only pop it about every 10 yards - popped too much can put following pike off. Another good productive chugger plug is the Bomber Popper - which has rattles in. Chugger plugs are great for pike - although any predatory fish is likely to have a ‘pop’ at one.
Propbaits can be very productive during the summer months. Propbaits are particularly good for calling pike out from structure - like, for example, weed beds, lily beds, fallen trees, and so on. One of my favorite top-water propbaits, is my version of the Ozark Mountain Ripper (pictured right). Note: Some propbaits tend to catch more anglers than they do fish!
The ‘Buzz ‘N’ Frog’ is one lure that tends to catch more anglers than it does fish. I have caught pike on it, but it has never proved itself to be as successful as other propbaits that I use - e.g. the Ozark Mountain Ripper. As I say to anybody though, every lure has its day. If you enjoy using a lure, however productive or unproductive it may be, than continue to use it - don't let the likes of me put you off a lure you enjoy using. Now on to topwater Stickbaits. When all the afore mentioned top-water lures fail to tempt pike - for some reason, stickbaits can trigger pike to strike.
Stickbaits, as I just said, can be very productive when all other top-water lures fail to produce. The reason for that, in my experience, is that when pike are not in a vibratory hunting mood, the more subtle approach, which a stickbait offers, seems to work absolute wonders. I have caught pike to over twenty pounds on stickbaits - i.e. when all other types of top-water lure have failed to move a single pish for me!
The Heddon Zara Mouse is another very productive stickbait (seen right) - although some might argue and say it’s not a true stickbait. Whatever you term it, it is a good lure for stimulating and triggering pike. Retrieved over lily/weed beds, it takes some beating. The only down side to this lure is its poor hooking stats. A double upturned stinger hook helps greatly with regard hooking statistics.
Without doubt, this has been the best top-water pike stimulating lure that I have ever used - although, due to poor hooking stats, it has caught me far less pike than the Jointed Jitterbug. It is a great lure for getting lethargic pike to move and strike. The Zara Mouse is ideal for fishing holes in dense weed. The rattle version is by far the better lure.
Other productive top-water lures that are well worth a mention, are rubber mice, the rubber Ghost, and the Heddon Moss Boss (pictured right). My good friend Tony Myhill caught his first top-water 20lb pike on a Moss Boss. It is the most versatile top-water lure that I have ever used. The nice thing about this lure is that it can be sunk and drawn beneath the water’s surface. A summer must!
Minnow Plugs can be very productive any time of the year. Minnow plugs come in deep and shallow versions. Unlike crankbaits, which are fat in body, minnow plugs are slim. They come in straight and jointed models. I particularly like minnows that have a silver type finish - like the one pictured right. I have caught pike over 20lb on minnow plugs.
Crankbaits are productive all year round. They come in floating and sinking models. The key to successful crankbait fishing, is to sink or crank your crankbait down to the bottom before you start to erratically retrieve it. Buoyant crankbaits can be retrieved high in the water by slowing the retrieve speed right down. Pike will come up and smash ‘em like they do top-water lures. There is absolutely thousands to choose from - ranging anything from 25mm to 250mm in length.
Rubber Tailed Plugs: I have had great success on my handcrafted rubber tailed plugs - like the one pictured right. The tail is made by cutting a rubber fish up and pinning it into the rear slot. Silver Hammerite paint works wonders.
Pop On The Top: This has been one of my most productive summer lures. Its vibratory action brings pike up from the depths, makes 'em attack from weed beds and fallen trees, and a whole lot of other places that you would not expect to get pike zooming out from. The lure is very loud when popped on the top. It can also dive if required. Note the two trace attachment points. The rear flashing silver blades drive following pike wild.
Vibrating Plugs are great for calling up small pike, perch and chub. Various sea fish will also hit these very loud plugs. The noise some vibrating plugs emit is quite unbelievable. I had many a day when I struggled to catch on diving plugs - i.e. until I purchased my first vibrating plug. I can remember many times when I have taken one small pike after another on these lures. They are good lures for producing takes just as darkness starts to set in. When fishing deep water, let them sink to the bottom before twitching ‘em back.
Jerkbaits can be very productive at certain times of the year. I have found the first cold snap of winter to be a particularly good time for fishing jerkbaits. My best catch on jerkbaits has been forty pike in an afternoon. Nowadays, I like to make my own jerkbaits - as I much prefer to fish small-medium size jerkbaits. The reason for making my own jerkbaits, is the weighting. I perfectly weighted jerkbait can work wonders.
The nice thing about scaling jerkbaits down in size, to about 4-6in long, is that the hooks can also be greatly reduced in size. There's no two ways about it, big jerkbaits, equipped with big hooks, can cause extensive damage to pike and muskies. Fact: I have continued to have as much success, if not more, with small jerkbaits, as I did using large - the large jerkbaits being equipped with smaller hooks than the factory fitted ones they came with. Personally, I feel that jerkbait manufactures are very irresponsible when it comes to hardware. If jerkbaits were tuned better in the factory, they would not need big hooks to act as keel weights.
Buzzbaits: If pike are in an aggressive hungry state, this is 'the lure' to stimulate them and make 'em strike. There are many different versions of this lure - some have double blades, some have tri blades, and some have quad blades - some even have one double blade mounted next to the other - which creates a commotion and wake loud enough to wake sleeping beauty! These unusual looking lures can even be retrieved under the surface.
Spinnerbaits: Some love ‘em - some hate ‘em! Do they catch fish? Yes! They will tempt pike, perch and chub. With regard sea fish, e.g. bass, I know of places where they would definitely get results - for example, the old gun forts on the River Themes, UK. There are simply hundreds of different spinnerbait models available - in many variants. Personally, I prefer the smaller models to the large as they tend to tangle far less as they helicopter down in the water. They're great for retrieving through weed beds.
Spoons can be very productive at any time of the year. They tend to produce best when pike, perch and chub etc, are active and hungry - and the water fairly clear. Spoons come in all shapes, sizes and colours. Personally, I like to use silver and brass spoons. Pike to over 30lb have been landed on my own handcrafted spoons. Weedless spoons, like my handcrafted one pictured right, are great for working in and around fish holding features - like weed beds, lily beds, fallen trees etc.
Flies equipped with one single hook can land pike of all sizes - so why, I ask you, are most jerkbaits equipped with such large hooks. The biggest pike landed by one of my clients on a fly, stands at 28lb. Fly fishing can be very productive if you pay a little thought to location. During the summer and winter months, pike, perch, chub, and various other semi predatory fish, will readily take a tied fly. I have caught bream, roach, rudd, carp, tench, chub, perch, pike, trout and various other species while fly fishing.
Try it! - but be warned - you may become hooked on it!
Spinners are great for tempting pike, perch, zander, chuib, grayling, trout, and salmon. Even bream and carp have been know to take a small spinner. As for sea fish that would take a spinner, there are just too many to mention. There are hundreds and hundreds of different models available. The only fault with spinners and spoons, is line twist. A quality anti kink vane is well worth investing in - better still, make one.
CB Anti Kink Vane
Buy or make yourself a plastic anti kink vane.
Cut a cork ball in half and glue one half to each side of the vane - as seen on right.
The wire forming is fairly simple.
Ball bearing swivels each end of the anti kink vane are a must - and will totally eliminate line twist.