I only have $25

[mepps]

As far as I'm concerned, you only need 2 lures you'll find in those stores: #5 Mepps (Black Fury or Aglia) and a Clown X-Rap. There are all sorts for lures that will work, but those two have caught me more TO pike then any other!

 

 

Started making my own lures for TO a while back with extra wight for shore casting...

 

 

Heres a solid black fury TO pike

Edited March 11, 2010 by mepps

[Ben_Daniels]

I was eyeballing that acid trip spinner on your website Clive, now i want it even more lol

 

-Ben

[Mykester]

 

Cordell Redfin, $5

Way looser wobble than a Rapala, and they'll last longer than one fish.

 

For bonus points inject 4cc's of water, instant suspending budget bait.

Killer off the pierheads for spring trout as well.

 

wrong word that thing is sexy... where get?

[fish_fishburn]

Get yourself a good float and some live bait rigs and float fish/slow troll with big 10 inch dead suckers. Thats if you want to catch Big Northerns. I have been fishing Northerns for 40 years and I haven't found anything thats works as good as this set up. I get the dead suckers from my local bait shop for 3 bucks a dozen verses 12 bucks per dozen for live ones, and to be honest with you the dead ones produce more fish. Just my honest opinion.

[mepps]

Thanks Ben - its one of my all time favs!

[CLofchik]

wrong word that thing is sexy... where get?

 

They're getting harder to find because everybody is going towards the Rippl'n Redfin.

I prefer the straight one, only place I've found them reliably has been Bass Pro.

[Harrison]

As far as I'm concerned, you only need 2 lures you'll find in those stores: #5 Mepps (Black Fury or Aglia) and a Clown X-Rap. There are all sorts for lures that will work, but those two have caught me more TO pike then any other!

 

I agree 100%

 

#5 mepps - 3 colours - my favs

 

1. Brass Blade - sunny

2. Flourescent green blade - sunny/overcast.

3. Black blade - overcast

 

Should be around $25 bucks. All ya need IMO.

 

Good Luck

Phil

[adempsey]

Don't bother with CT if you're trying to save money.

 

Lebaron has better prices for sure. The Blue Fox spoons are $2-3 each in the 1oz+ sizes. Never used them, but they look good to me and I picked a few of the Orange/Gold ones recently to try. They also have some cheap ($2) bass sized spinner/buzz baits that may be ok. Not sure if they would last more than 1 or 2 pike though. They even have some really cheap Daredevle knockoffs for 55 cents.

 

Good time to go to BPS as well since the sale is now on. Some nice Storm lures for $3 each, including some of the large 10" Thundersticks as well as some smaller 6-7" ones. Johnson's silver minnows are also on sale.

[Mykester]

How would you retrieve the mepps? Fast to entice them to strike or keep it slow?

[Syn]

Try to find a pattern that works and stick with it until you're not catching. The fish will be in different moods.

 

Fan casting the area. Feathering the spinnerbait on landing (ok thats more a bass thing). Steady retrieve, slower deeper retrieve, burning it on top, pulsing it, jerking it side to side then letting it fall then retrieve. You can do so many variations. Mix it up and find what works for the day. Once I was reeling what I thought was fast, next cast I reeled even faster like a mad man and caught a pike. Usually I find I do best pulsing it, especially if its got marabou, making it look alive.