Top Water Pike Fishing

[AnglingSpiders]

All,

Looking to start doing some top water pike fishing. Seems to be a lot of videos with people using frogs. Any tips on proper top water lures and techniques?

[Mark Phillips]

All,

Looking to start doing some top water pike fishing. Seems to be a lot of videos with people using frogs. Any tips on proper top water lures and techniques?

If you post this on the lure forum, you'll get some good advice

[AnglingSpiders]

Will do, thanks!

[Kevin O'Keeffe]

I love topwater action. Challenged myself to get a 20 off the top between nov and march which has been tough!
Frogs... dont strike is the best advice.

Biggest change in my topwater lure fishing was when i fished along side Charlie Bettel years ago and saw how tediously slow he worked his lures, especially prop lures.
I took that away with me thinking it was just because he was fishing areas that where really pressured but it worked everywhere. You dont need to rip them back. Just enough action to cause a wake or the prop to just turn. The number of missed hits dropped drastically and catch rates went up too.

I have even had fish on sq Burts on the surface without even moving them. Admittedly it was a chance find after being on the phone and a 21lb'er smashed the lure ripping the rod under my arm round! since then i have had quite a few by design in a bit of a ripple as it flicks the tail over inc another 20 plusser.

Great way to fish. Loads of lures out there to try but simple prop baits are my faves.

Get at em before it gets too chilly for regular catches.

[AnglingSpiders]

Thanks Kevin. appreciate it

[Nick McGeorge]

In my humble opinion, there's no better way to catch them than off the top. You may not get the biggest fish but, the adrenalin burst with the explosion of the take, is to me, what fishing is all about... I agree with Kevin that slow can be the key - sometimes I barely retrieve but simply 'twitch' the lure on the same spot. Having said that, I do like a 'Walk The Dog' surface lure as you can get it dipping and bobbing as it 'walks' back in. Also never be afraid to fish it right back into the margins - you'd be surprised how often they'll follow and then only decide to take when they think it's going to disappear..!
I'm not entirely sure shape or pattern makes much difference. A mate of mine uses an old section of Pool Cue painted white with a red head, it's old knackered and chewed to bits but, hardly ever fails..! Lots of splash and they'll come from quite a way down to hit it. On a lot of the big glacial lakes, finding the weed beds is the key. Fishing over nice big weed beds about 4 to 8 feet down can be some of the best fun afloat.
Have fun and be prepared to love it...!!!

[KEEP]

brought several lures without any success until I purchased a heddon spook jr

you retrieve walk the dog style, but that gives you lots and lots of control

cast across river into reeds, at first you take it slow and erratic to wake the pike up and get them out of the reeds, then move into a standard retrieve with the occasional short pause

first time using it I caught 3 pike including my pb, SOOOOO much fun when they strike!!!!

[andrew_nagel]

For larger lures try Mouldy's Hawg Wobbler (slow speeds), Poes Giant Jackpot (medium speed taps/jerk retrieve), Bucher Top Raider (a bit quicker or in choppy conditions). If scaling down in size the Heddon Zara Spook (medium speed jerk), Crazy crawler (slower speed) and Torpedo (mix it up). The Heddon Lucky 13 is also a great catcher as is the Bass Oreno - work these slow to keep them on the surface or medium to quick to get them sub-surface.