Is this Typical? Hit the live Decoy and Take Off?

[TroutYammer]

I am new to spearing....got my first three this weekend. All three charged my live decoy and took off with the bait...so I grabbed the line and dragged the decoy back into my viewing area and deployed the spear when the fish returned for the bait. Is this typical for a northern pike to charge the bait and take off or do they usually come in slower?

It was pretty awesome to see a pike at work...glad I'm not a decoy minnow.

[Spike76]

I've been spearing for about fifty years and each one can come in different. I think the lack of snow cover on the lakes could be possible for this aggressiveness in the northerns. It could also be from them not having teeth now. I went through two decoy minnows on Friday and Saturday, because every northern but one attacked the live decoy.

[brakedancer]

yeah isn't that a rush...I call live decoys my early warning device..sometimes by watching the decoy you can tell if there is a northern just out of your sight...but the times they do actually slam your decoy just pull it back in and get ready because alot of times they slither in to take another look..and then you can make your choice..

[bassNspear]

Welcome to spearing, sure is a blast out there.

I have had it happen either way! Really depends on the lake. I think alot of the aggressiveness has to do with how much oxygen is in the lake. We were just on Winnie, and I would say that over half of the fish I seen in 3 days, didn’t go for the live decoy, they came into the fake decoy.

[Archerysniper]

+1 BNS the ones I saw pounded the fake decoys up there,the big one was falling in love with the the teaser spoon. I have had really good luck with the mini teaser this year they come in nice and slow and just stare at it giving you plenty of time to make your choice.