This question comes from Luke Dorrington who asked: With the massive amount of lures out there what would be a good selection to buy to cover most pike fishing situations?
Thanks for the question Luke. It has really set me thinking.
There are so many unique fishing situations and so many different lures that you could ask a thousand different people and get a thousand different answers. And they would all have merit.
- I will use my own lure fishing experience and personal bias to give you a selection of five lures that will fit the following five scenarios:
- Surface
- Shallow
- Deep
- Weed
- Fast
Surface: Salmo Slider
The Salmo Slider is a jerkbait lure with a hard body that comes in floating and slow sinking varieties.
Salmo Sliders come in a variety of patterns, my favourites are Real Perch, Green Tiger and Real Shiner. They have a large eye, a short dumpy body, and a nice smooth finish.
The floating Sliders are an excellent surface lure that have tempted plenty of pike for me. Fish them with a short stiff rod so you can make them dart around.
Read my review of the Salmo Slider
Shallow: Savage Gear 4 Play Herring Swim and Jerk
I love the Savage Gear 4 Play lures, and my favourite is the slow sinking, lipless, Herring Swim and Jerk.
They are excellent when fished in either shallow water or the the upper layers of deeper water. Let them slowly sink before gently teasing them in with gentle taps on the rod tip. The longer and slower, the deeper they swim.
There are loads of patterns to select from. Choose patterns that give you confidence. My preference is for the silver, roach like colours.
View Savage Gear 4 Play Herring Lures on Amazon
Deep: Spoons
When lure fishing deeper waters that are often very large, I like to attach a copper or silver spoon.
Give them a big cast, count them down, then give them plenty of action on the way in.
Spoons like to flutter so you need to raise the rod high into the air, then let them sink down again as you wind in the slack.
When winding in the slack slowly lower the rod tip again ready for the next lift. You don’t want to lose contact with the lure by dropping the rod tip too quickly.
View Copper and Silver Spoon Lures on Amazon
Weed: Spinnerbait
Lure fishing around weed can be a nightmare. Crankbaits and softbaits head straight for weed. Nothing frustrates me more than reeling in a ball of weed every cast.
Spinnerbaits are not perfect; I don’t think any lure is. They can, however, be fished through weedy areas as they are less likely to snag up.
They are shaped like a triangle and pulled through the water like an arrow head. The hook is a single, upturned point that forms from the bottom half of the triangle.
This design reduces the chances of snagging. You will still get weed catching on the skirt and nose but it won’t be as bad as on lures with trebles.
I like to use bright coloured skirts, with bright yellow and chartreuse my favourites.
View Spinnerbait Lures on Amazon
Fast: Sandeel
Sandeel lures might have been designed with sea fishing in mind, but no one told the pike!
I bought a couple of cheap sandeel lures in light green and a pale sand colour from a sea fishing shop in Weymouth. They have been a smart investment.
Their streamlined rubber bodies cast well and can be thrown into some hazardous areas that you would not put a more expensive lure. The single hook pointing to the sky allows them to be dragged along the bottom with little risk of losing them.
They come into their own in fast flowing weir pools, where I had some success when all other lures failed. The turbulent waters in fast rivers can mess up the action of more refined lures.
Give them a bit of speed and watch the pike chase them down.
Top Tips:
- Give pike a chance to spot your surface and floating lures, wait 30 seconds before you start the retrieve
- Let your lures rest for a few seconds on the way in and before you lift them out of the water.
- Try a few retrieves as fast as you can wind in. You will be surprised to find that pike can strike a lot quicker than you can wind
- Remember there is no rush to get your lure out of the water. Pike can’t take it when its in your hands.
I hope this gives you some ideas for the next time you go piking.
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