Lure fishing is an effective and exciting way to target pike, especially during the winter months. By employing a few simple tactics and using the right gear, you can significantly increase your chances of success. By keeping busy, ringing the changes and staying enthusiastic, there are few better ways to catch pike and when a fish hits your lure, there are very few experiences in angling that can compare to it.
Don't give up too soon
Pike can be finicky, but with patience and persistence, you'll eventually connect with a fish. You can't expect to get a strike every cast, but by staying motivated and covering large areas of water you will catch pike even on days when its seems impossible. As with all styles of angling, the harder you try, the better your results will be be and this is even more true with lure fishing!
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Big isn't always best
While larger lures can work, their larger size can lead to greater chances of the pike shaking the hooks free, smaller lures are often far more effective, particularly when pike are feeding on fry. It is important to keep changing your lures, it is amazing how quickly you can get a take after changing a lure in a spot you thought was devoid of pike.
OUR GUIDE TO RIGGING SOFT PLASTIC LURES WILL HELP YOU GET THE BEST OUT OF THEM.
Choose the Right Colours
Opt for white-silver patterns for good visibility, this colour flashes and reflect light really well in clear water conditions, ideal for shallow reservoirs or exploring canals, opt for darker colours in more turbid or deeper water conditions as pike tend to strike from below so a darker silhouette is more visible.
BE SURE TO CHOOSE THE BEST LURE FISHING ROD TO SUIT THE TYPES OF LURES YOU ARE USING.
Focus on Technique
Learn how to use your chosen lure properly. Understand its action and what its trying to imitate, prey fish, sick or injured fish, experiment with different retrieves and presentations to improve your success. When action is slow, it is imperative you don't become lazy with your retrieve, keep motivated and impart as much action into your lure as you can a this will lead to more strikes.
SELECTING THE BEST LURES FOR PIKE FISHING ARE ESSENTIAL TO LURING A PREDATOR TO STRIKE.
Gear up correctly
Use an 8ft-long, 30g-100g rated lure rod, a quality front drag reel with 30-40lb braid, and lure traces. Carry long-nosed pliers and cutters. An adequately sized net and unhooking mat for safe fish handling. If you haven't fished for pike before, it is always best to go with someone experienced in handling them to help show you the ropes.
