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So one of my 2009 resolutions is to catch a different species of fish, something I've never fished for or caught before. Enter Pikes. I'm on the outdooralabama website, and under pikes, it has Chain pickerel, which have been caught in every river except 2.
So can I get some tips, rigs, lure suggestions, and anything else helpful to maybe help me catch a pike this year?
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[indent]Where do you live ?
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Check out my post in this thread. Should help you out.
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=473432#p473432"]http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=473432#p473432[/url]
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Indeed it did help me BPG. I just need to act on it. I assume since you go as soon as the ice melts they are active in pretty cold water?
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Love colder water
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Then maybe I can catch one up here in North Alabama..I'm in the northwestern county in the state, the river I fish is the Tennessee. So maybe I can, maybe I can't.
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Yes they are very active in cold water! They are spawning right about now and they are finishing up right as the ice melts off. That is why it is important to get out there as soon as possible at ice off. They are very aggressive this time of year and will destroy and X-Rap.
You can catch them in the summer but you got to go deeper. Find a deep weed bed and run your lure just over the top or along the edge and you will produce some nice pike. But if you really wanna have a blast go when the water is cold you wont be sorry.
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line and setup suggestions? and also lure colors?
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As far as line and rod/reel setup it varies with every person you talk to about pike. I started with a spinning rod/reel but I will be using my baitcaster from now on. With a med/heavy 7'6" rod so I can throw pretty far.
I like to use the smallest braid possible for the weight of fish in that area. Go up 5 lbs from the average weight of the ones your seeing pulled from there. If not ten.
Having a leader is a must with the teeth on these fish! I use a single strand steel leader helps keeps my action right with my lures. Some use 60 lb mono. It just depends. But for your first few times I'd say use a steel leader then move to whatever you're comfy with.
Lure colors depend on what they are eating from that body of water. Try to match the color of the bait fish. For example my local pike feed on alot of walleye and perch, so I try to match those colors on most of my lures. Colors also depend on water clarity so keep that in mind also.
I know I didnt answer your questions all that much but I like to hear myself talking.
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Well you did help me. As far as what pike eat in my body of water, I haven't a clue. I don't even know if I'll catch one in my river, so I sure don't know what they eat. Never even seen one. the only baitfish I've seen around where I fish are minnows and shad.
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They will eat shad, bass, panfish, trout, frogs, snakes, you name it. They are opportunistic. If it looks good, they will try and eat it. Start with some large spinners in a river or whole minnows under a bobber.
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Sweet. I'm gonna have to give that a shot...
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