favorite soft plastics for pike?

[mainbutter]

I'm starting to make some homemade soft plastics, but I'm pretty unfamiliar with using soft plastics for pike. I was wondering if people could point me in the direction of styles that have been productive for them.

Thanks

[Shawn Kellett]

It's tough to beat a jig'n'reeper tail. 6-8" lizards are good too.

[DeBo101]

Had good luck with all sorts of plastics for pike. I am very fond of the berkley 5" swim shad. Either the older style or the new hand pours. Fish these on a 1/2 or 3/4oz on the jigs with 4/0 or 5/0 hooks. 1/2oz heads are better for 4-8 FOW and 3/4 is good for that 8-12+ FOW. Keep them moving but make sure to hesitate the bait occasionaly. Great bait around weed lines and the such. If you watch or read in-fisherman you have heard about this system. I'm not a pro nor do I play one on TV but this system flat WORKS.

I would think you could get away with an assembled leader (ie swivel, wire, snap). I fish these with a 25lb seaguar flourocarbon leader attached to the mainline with back to back uniknots. I usually fish this combo for walleyes and bass but it takes plenty of pike (One bite off while fishing for other species and the number of pike landed in the last 3 years on this set up is well into the 100's). If pike are the main target I would use the tieable wire like tyger leader and the such, or keep the components small on the leader. Don't want to kill the action.

Also done well with the 5in kalins grubs but I prefer the paddle tails. Couple more good paddle tails are the Bass Pro Shops boss bait fish and lunker city salt shakers.