Ok, lets get some chatter going. Spring Fever is hittin' hard!

[bobber_down_1979]

So I picked up some new lures recently that I can't wait to get wet over opener. I tend to be going with bigger lures the more I realize that big pike love them. Most are "small" musky lures. Here are a few I plan to try for the first time this year. Maybe you have some experience with them, or want to post some of your new stuff up.

1-Suzy Sucker Soft Plastic Smim-bait with a sucker minnow shape.

2-Glidin' Rap 12

3-Inhaler Bucktail. Nothin' crazy, but the trailor spinner is what got me.

4-Madussa by Choas Tackle

5-Creek Chub Top-Water with knuckle head

[cbrooks]

I can't wait for open water. There's a local place I hit usually in middle Apirl from shore thats really good. I like Raddogs ,Mepps lure, Suicks, and Oreno. I'm gonna try a Johnson Silver minnow this year with a twistee tail added. Heard there good.

[wahoo]

I have found there is almost no lure too big for large pike. How many times have you caught a very small pike, 8 inches, on a spoon 1/2 the size of the fish or more.

We fish a pretty good lake in Northern Manitoba. I am amazed how many 5 lb fish we get on 12 inch or more lures.

I think your lures picks are good. And in far north lakes where pike are hanging in reeds on mud bottom in spring try the biggest "worm" type bait you have fished slow along the bottom.

[solbes]

Don't forget to toss those X-raps (size 10 or larger) up shallow. Jerk and pause with plenty of pause. It's really fun on opener after my walleye patience wears thin. Catches plenty of small pike with the occasional bonus med/large one, but you get lots of action.

If I was strictly targeting big ones, I have lures for those too. But I must have the wrong ones because they very rarely get bit. Might have to try some of the suggestions above.

[wahoo]

Spring varies depending on how far north you are. we typically hit North Manitoba in late May right after the seasons opens and more than once have been greeted by ice that we can usually get through. 2 years ago we were there the first week in June and there were some nice ice sheets even then. The Pike have typically just finished spawning and are a bit lazy. You can float through weedy bays on clear days in 2-6 feet of water and see "puffs" of mud as they swim off. We find a regular retrieve catches more, and smaller, fish. but slowing down with even a large spoon will get the big ones interest. That is why we we went to large plastic worm, sluggos, etc. so we can just sort of move them slowly.

Our biggest, however, over 25 years ago, came on large dead whitefish or ciscos just floating lazily over the bottom. The ice had literally just "gone out" 2 days prior (still floating pieces of ice around) and we caught 7 huge Pike in 2 hours. The one I now have mounted in my office came that day--46 inches, 26 lbs. We released the others (barbless quick strike rigs) and all were over 20 lbs with one we figured around 30 plus. (It was about the time "In fisherman" mag published a book on Pike and the "Dead Bait Phenom" was being written about --so it was our first time trying it.)

I haven't, since then, ever kept a pike over about 6 lbs.

I have also fished there in August and even September, but, then, I agree the large plugs work, but fishing is tougher.

[Nick Kuhn]

They sure do love glidin raps and Suicks. Half the fish I catch on them though look like they couldn't even swallow the lure I catch them on though.

[Chris Barlage]

I am with you guys. It is going to feel great to get the boat in the water again. Maybe I will be able to get at it before may. I sits behind a great big pile of snow right now

[bobber_down_1979]

Yes this snow is a ball-buster. With the way things were going I was planning on pulling my boat out of storage from the backyard by next weekend. Now it is going to take more time for melting and for letting the ground dry up a bit. I need to get my motor fixed too. Lower unit bearing going out. When I drained the lower unit lube, it smelled like it was burnt. Stunk up my whole garage last fall.

[FlyPiker]

Glad to hear I'm not the only one itching to get on the water. I've made a couple plans to take my wife out panfishing as soon as the ice is off the lakes... maybe those lakes are ones I want to scout out for opener. LOL, the excuses I make up to get out of the house, someday she's going to call me out on it but for now, I'm taking her out for sunnies

[kyleharty]

I think you made good choices, I love the Glidin' Rap, great action and the pike really like it. Haven't used the Suzy Sucker or Medussa but both are good baits and I'm sure they'll work. Bucktails are always a good bet; the key for me has been finding the right speed, oftentimes they like it really fast, during the summer at least.

I use almost exclusively muskie lures for summer pike, if you're on a big fish spot don't hesitate to use the big stuff. I didn't see any significant decrease in numbers going from "pike" size stuff to normal muskie baits and the average and top size increased. Double 10's, 10" Suicks, a Doc WTD topwater, and Mag Dawg size plastics were my mainstays last year. I'll be spending a little time throwing pounders and 13's for pike this summer; we'll see if numbers go down but I'll gladly trade some sub 36's for a few more 40+ fish. I have to believe a high 30's low 40's pike will hit a pounder without thinking twice.