Trolling for Pike?

[Bulletproof]

Alright all you die hard pike guys, what do you think are the best baits to troll for pike with? Sizes, brands, etc....

Also do you look for fish at certain depths?

Trolling speed?

Just curious.

[MrBluegill]

alrihgt heres my fav. 3/4 oz red and white daredevel troling around 4mph in 15 fow!!! should work pretty good and i think most guys will aggree!:)

[dtg]

I'm still trying to find out what motivates the pike here in MI. Up in Ontario, our tried and true favorite is no longer being produced.....the Rapala weedles spoon in Fire Tiger, Gold, gold/brgt orange, or Flourescent red all REALLY piss 'em off. Basically, anything that is ultra shiny or throws a glow(flrct red) in the water is the ticket up there.

I've tried to do the same tactics on a nice sized pike sitting on the bottom of Wabasis and that thing didn't even flinch, I think that lake's population of pike are stoned or something!!!!

[ALLEYES]

I have caught more pike on Rapala's than on any other bait. Husky jerk #12 and #14 and f11 and f13's. The deep husky's work well too. Waterfoul and I caught em the other day on HJ 14 in Tennessee shiner color.

[Little Roober]

red and white long A bombers.

[bigsablemike]

long a bombers. another thing that has worked well for me is a blue and black rubber skirt bass jig w/weedgaurd,put a 4-6 inch sluggo type bait on the hook and jig that baby about 2-3 ft of bottom in 10 -20 feet they seem to really like it,smallies on lsc also. oyea cast it out about 30 ft and drift while you yank it up,slack line on fall.

[Wishin_Fish]

For some reason I can only catch pike by accident. Mostly while casting for bass with dark colored spinner baits. Or while harbor patrol for salmon on Muskegon lake. I've been successful with spinnerbaits, stickbaits, spoons, and J-plugs for pike. They sure are fun to catch when I can catch them.

Bill

[ESOX]

Black bucktail, Creek Chub Pikie, big Rapalas. Location, depth vary widely depending upon time of year.

[steelers fan]

rapala f-18 in perch or black/silver

[mykass]

Hey bullet proof why do you want to troll we all know around here you ripp em on orange bucktails especially during the tournament;)

[n.pike]

1 1/4 oz johnson minnow, gold or silver with a buckskin trailer. 2nd choice would be perch rapala.

[Can't Touch This]

alrihgt heres my fav. 3/4 oz red and white daredevel troling around 4mph in 15 fow!!! should work pretty good and i think most guys will aggree!:)

Ha, that is my dad's favorite too, that and his 20 year old deep diving jointed rapala.

I really like to SLOW troll a small-medium sized perch colored shad rap, that is DEADLY, at least in the deeper rockier areas, they tend to pick up a lot of weeds. We also like the good ole floating Rap, and the huksy jerk of course, the Tennessee Shad colored.

Then when the weeds come in, switch over to spinner baits and top waters and no more trolling, at least in the best areas. That is why early-mid spring is the BEST time to get the pike, at least in the Detroit River, since the season is open year round.

[steelbandit]

as far as baits you can't go wrong with huskey jerks ,, rapalas kill the pike always. the old red and white daredevils kill'em as well but thats nothing new. i've caught them on on every thing from crawler harnesses, spinnerbaits,stickbaits,topwater,bionic minnows,mepps inline spinners, every thing, the question you asked has a ton of replys, what it boils down to trolling wise though is what time of year you are trolling for them, water clearity to pick your colors, time of day, high skys , or overcast, and as far as trolling speed it all depends on the water temp, warmer water you should go with a faster troll, colder with a slower one, it's just one big learning experience, me personaly i get them on verious baits and methods, and don't have a personal fav. hell the last one i caught i was gill fishing and one hit the gill i was realing in and let go about 6 feet from the side of the boat i realed in the gill tossed the rod down picked up my baitcaster with a hank parker spinner bait on it and nailed him on the 8th about 10 feet away from the boat.

[waterfoul]

I have caught more pike on Rapala's than on any other bait. Husky jerk #12 and #14 and f11 and f13's. The deep husky's work well too. Waterfoul and I caught em the other day on HJ 14 in Tennessee shiner color.

Actually Steve, I was throwing the 24 carrot gold plated super secret Husky Jerk #14! LOL!! I threw it again Friday morning/afternoon with the same results... a couple pike and one bass. But we were on the big pond fishing deeper water than you and I fished. Had to try it...

As for where to find them this time of year... on the breaks where weed beds are starting to form... around structure... we even saw a couple on Friday up in shallow water... 2' or less... one had to go 35" or so. The biggest one I got on Friday I got out of 20+ FOW while crossing the main lake... letting the rapala troll behind the boat 75'... so go figure! They can be anywhere!!

[PIKERPETE]

Jointed Shad raps have been hot this spring. Perch Pattern doing good. I like trolling 1/2 Panther Martins Yellow Silver or Black and Gold. You could add 3" grubtails yellow or white to the Panthers. Other great choice is the double bladed Spinnerbait willow or Indiana Blades White, Chartruese or combo of both colors. Also troll Silver Minnow tipped with Grubtail. That is my go to choices for trolling Pike. Biggesst Pike caught trollin 46.5" 26 pound caught on the J-11 jointed firetiger. Rapalas always seem to work also! Good luck slammin the Pike.

[bucknuts33]

My favorite trolling lure has to be a Grandma lure(6" or 9"). Worked at 4-5 mph. Next is the Cabelas Real Image swimbait.Perch or black tail work really well. Tore them up last fall on Hamlin and Wamplers with this. Good luck
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