Bait For Big Pike!

[Bob Apple]

I am going fishing in the first part of June at Bluffy Lake. I want to catch a big pike, any suggestions on bait! or location on a lake!?

[wildminnow]

Well this might sound funny but i heard a bait for going after the really big ones are a live squirell, now I'm not sure if this is legal, but I have heard it works every time

[Bob Apple]

Where do you hook them!?

 

No Really, what kind of bait is good, I have spoons work sometime!

[bigbuck]

In some of those northern lakes, I have seen that small walleye work well (Choronzey's show a few weeks back up by Ignace, Ontario), he had 6 or 7 BIG pike on while he was reeling in some small walley's.

[Bob Apple]

Now not that I am a rule freak, but is it legal?

[bigbuck]

I'm pretty sure it's not legal to bait your hook with a walleye but if a pike comes up and makes a mess of your walleye while you're reeling it in, what are you supposed to do???

[tonyb]

Absolutely not, you can't use gamefish for bait, including Yellow perch. (Except in Lake Ontario I think you can use Yellow Perch for bait, not 100% sure)

 

It doesn't mean the fish follow the rules...I've seen Pike strike at sunfish/perch/walleye/other pike/bass while they are being reeled in. Similarly, I have seen a walleye strike a bass while it was being reeled in.

 

Tony

Edited April 5, 2007 by tonyb

[kennyman]

Absolutely not, you can't use gamefish for bait, including Yellow perch. (Except in Lake Ontario I think you can use Yellow Perch for bait, not 100% sure)

 

It doesn't mean the fish follow the rules...I've seen Pike strike at sunfish/perch/walleye/other pike/bass while they are being reeled in. Similarly, I have seen a walleye strike a bass while it was being reeled in.

 

Tony

Quote from the MNR site "In the Great Lakes, the St. Clair, Detroit, Niagara, St. Lawrence and St. Marys rivers, Lake George, Lake St. Francis and Munuscong Lake, alewife and yellow perch may also be used as bait.". I wouldn't be using a walleye though. If a monster gator hits while you're reeling a walleye in I'm sure it's a gray area, but if you get caught repeatedly throwing the walleye back,there might be trouble. Good luck. Post pics!

[wildminnow]

yes I'm quite certain that using a walleye for bait is highly illegal and personaly cant imagine anyone doing that. If you cant catch one legally maybe you should not be fishing to begin with

[kennyman]

Oops,forgot to add this. Being as you're not asking about a "Great Lake" here are your live bait choices from the MNR site again. Quote "In most areas of Ontario, only the following fish may be used as bait:

 

Minnow family (except carp, goldfish, cutlips minnow, redside dace, lake chubsucker, and gravel chub).

Mudminnows, white sucker, sticklebacks, darters (except eastern sand darter),

trout-perch and sculpins.

Lake herring.

Crayfish.Leeches, worms, northern leopard frogs may be used as bait.

 

NOTE: Salamanders may NOT be used as bait in Ontario. Artificial salamander lures may be used

[express168]

To answer your question about good pike baits, my best performers have been large suspending Husky Jerks in perch or firetiger pattern, the tried and true red devil and 5 of diamonds spoons, and large bucktail mepps spinners. A live minnow has also caught me plenty of pike as well while fishing for perch or walleye.Good Luck and don't forget to post pictures.

[GbayGiant]

Sit at the mouth of an opening shallow bay, or creek channel with a 8-10 sucker minnow on a bobber or dead smelt with a bobber on a quick-strick rig, it accounts for some huge pike up here and doesn't get any easier, it's basically just a waiting game though.

[OhioFisherman]

I don`t know the lake or area, just guessing by June the spawn will be over? A Johnson Silver minnow , the biggest one with a pork frog or rubber trailer is a good lure for swimming thru lily pads or over weed beds, Dardevles, Red Eye spoons, bigger hard baits like a 7 inch Rapala, suicks, magnum Rattle Traps, most of the small muskie or larger bass lures might work. A bigger bass jig with a pork O trailer or bigger size pork frog.

 

Bait will work also, just guessing bait stores may be few and far between up there and getting big chubs or suckers might be a problem? A big chub or sucker will work, you can set them up with a quick strike rig, under a slip float, and I have seen guys troll them. A 40+ inch pike has no problem with an 8 inch chub or bigger live bait.

 

Small coves with deeper water on the entrance, or a flat with a deep edge are good spots to try, a weedy point. If it`s your first time there ask the camp owner for some place to try, and cover some water. Baitfish in an area are a good sign.

[ryanheritage]

Chipmunks work good too...lol I have seen one get smashed by a pike... But this time of year I think anything odd and big will induce a big pike strike. They are low on fats and want a big easy meal. Try a slow retrieve to make it look like its struggling to swim. Check the laws but what works good is some big frozen herring or anchovies. I know it sounds weird but anything frozen thats considered oily will leave a nice scent trail. and the oil will make it seem like a high fat easy meal.

[FinS]

if there is an abundance of herring in the lake then fish with herring

they are legal in most places and they work wonders cast and retrieve very very slow (stealth) works well in the spring in the northern lakes

the same as big sucker minnows GL

Edited April 5, 2007 by FinS

[bassmaster4]

wire spinner baits red and black skirt silver blades worked great for me

[Bob Apple]

I am sure this is a dumb question? But I was told that the only game fish in the lake were Pike, walleyes, and yellow perch, is herring a game fish?

[GbayGiant]

is herring a game fish?

 

It's a bait fish, but you can catch them as game if you want, game is just a term for popular fish. Any large 6-10" minnow will work fine, or go to the grocery store and by dead bait, works good to sometimes better, smelts or anything will work, freeze them with salt and use them whenever you want.

 

Some lakes don't allow suckers or any species that is foreign to the lake so just check and make sure if your using live bait.

[lunkerbasshunter]

trolling with spoons tipped with shiners have worked for me.

 

I have also had success using sucker minnows. dead or alive they have produced.

 

Cheers!

[canadian_copper]

i dont know if its legal but when fishing trout last yr i ran into a guy!!! he asked if the suckers were running yet?

i said yes lots of them!!! so he fished just down from me and bagged about 15 suckers!!! i asked him"are you gonna eat those??"

no he said he uses them to catch monster pike!!!

says they love them!!! he fillets half the fish and uses the meat fillet on a hook under a float i assume!!!

 

no idea if its true but just passing the story on!!!lol

[GbayGiant]

For sure people do that Copper. I would love to do it here for musky, but the suckers are gone by early summer. Instead I buy 18" suckers at the bait shop for $5 a piece in the fall.

[ryanheritage]

HEY CC!,,,

 

Since your a trout guy.... Sucker belly *the real fatty part... Is great laker bait. Tip a real heavy jig head with some sucker belly and jig it off bottom in deep lakes... It works like no other... I know everyone has their tricks but sucker belly for laker is a killer... I picked it up from a fishing show years and years ago..

 

But back to pike... Pike always look for the biggest easy meal avail. Another tip for fishing pike with big minnows. Is to cut the tail off... It will make the minnow struggle and send scent into the water. The struggle will attract preadator fish along with the blood scent. Don't cut too much off just where it starts to become fin.

[Clampet]

Sit at the mouth of an opening shallow bay, or creek channel with a 8-10 sucker minnow on a bobber or dead smelt with a bobber on a quick-strick rig, it accounts for some huge pike up here and doesn't get any easier, it's basically just a waiting game though.

 

That's the ticket!

[dsn]

When my bro and I fish for monster pike at Lake Dalrymple we bought 12 foot suckers and used a quick strike rig and a monster float. We got 15+ pounders there. The bigger the minnow the bigger the fish.

[GbayGiant]

we bought 12 foot suckers

 

12 foot suckers, or 12, 1 foot suckers ? lol.