Beginner Pike Lures 2024
BuffaloBass716 reply :
I usually target bass but I keep hearing about people catching some decent pike in the creek that I fish often. I know pike will often hit bass lures and such but are there any good pike baits that would work well for a spinning rod set up. I guy I talked to said he caught a few on a inline spinner in fire tiger color, so possible some small inline spinners are an option.
I started bass fishing last year and love it but I've never caught a Northern Pike yet. Most guys on here catch them on accident or break off there line...haha, I just want to catch one while targeting them.
Any other pike fishing tips you add are great too! Its one of my fishing goals this year. Catch and land any size pike!
Gaerith reply :
I mainly catch them on a jerkbait, such as a smithwick rogue. Spinners, both normal and inline, work well too. Anything that mimics a minnow is great.
One thing that Northerns like to do is slam into their prey and stun them, then swoop back in and eat em. This is why I use and suggest treble baits. They will sometimes hook themselves on the outside of their mouth/gill when they do that. Otherwise, if they do just bite it they hook themselves. I have had them pick up my jig trailer and tear it up, same with the skirt on spinners.
Crestliner2008 reply :
Go with any spinnerbait. Get the largest that you can manage on the tackle you have. Chartreuse is a good color, but they'll hit anything - IF you know there are some decent pike in the waters you are fishing. Just know this, if you get a pike on a spinnerbait, the odds are pretty good that it's going screw up that bait big time! 
Any plugs are good as well. One of my all time favorites is the "Swim Wizz" or a "Believer". These plugs, made in a 6" size, should be manageable on spinning equipment. They are dynamite pike lures.
Jolly Green reply :
Another vote for spinnerbaits, both kinds, and I like some red somewhere in the color scheme. Lipless cranks are great too; I fish 1/4 oz. Super Spots on spinning gear all the time, best colors for me are fire tiger, red craw, and anything in the chrome family. I often use a wire leader with lipless cranks because the bass don't care in dirty water and the pike will sometimes completely inhale them.
Have long needle nose pliers or other hook-removal device handy, and mind your grip, pike are slippery.
A-Jay reply :
Don't leave the dock without a couple of spoons. Slightly over-sized for bass will do nicely.
The classis red & white as well as the "5 of diamonds" patterns have accounted for many a pike.
These are definitely in the Oldie but Goodie class.
Some type of leader and a "Jaw Spreader" will make the whole experience much more pleasant.
Good Luck
A-Jay
MarkH024 reply :
You could just come to Wisconsin or MN and you'll catch enough in one day to never really want to again. Don't get me wrong, catching fish is fun but when you're specifically targeting bass and you keep getting hammered by 18-24" pike it drives you bananas after a while. Catching big pike is a lot of fun, finding the big girls is a bit trickier. That is unless you're in the upper Saskatchewan fishing pristine lakes that see 2 or 3 fisherman a year. Up there you can catch multiple 40's in a day! A trip I'd like to take some day.
Honestly anything you throw for bass is going to catch Pike. Spinnerbaits, Crankbaits, buzzbaits, spooks....you name it, the water wolves will devour it. Hollow belly swimbaits get annihilated by pike too.
Felix77 reply :
My go-to lures for Pike are Spinnerbaits and Red Eye Shads fished fast. My team won the last two pike tournaments for our league using those.
5dollarsplash reply :
Like Mark said, just come to WI and throw anything. Seriously, they will hit it. I don't think theres a lure in my rotation that hasn't caught pike at some point.
If specifically going for them I'd pick a spinnerbait, not inline, in white, chartreuse, maybe a hint of red.
Another to give a shot is a lipless crank like Felix mentioned. Wide wobble with a quick retrieve, preferably in a perch or firetiger pattern around my parts does well.
WIGuide reply :
As stated here we catch them in WI all the time and they'll hit just about anything. I'd recommend using a spinnerbait though. You can use it without a leader with little chance of getting cut off. Also, using a willow leaf will up your chances a little bit because of the added flash. Color wise chartreuse is always a good place to start. Try targeting shallow weed beds and I don't think it will be long before you hook into one.
Scott F reply :
If you are in pike waters and don't want to lose your baits, invest in some steel leaders with quality snaps and swivels. Even small pike can do a lot of damage to baits, line, and terminal tackle. Be very careful of their teeth!. Get a set of jaw spreaders and a long handle needle nose pliers. A net is a good idea and a cut proof glove is another wise investment. I don't like the gloves myself but I've caught a lot of pike and have a lot of experience handling them. The best way to hold them is by the back of the head. With larger fish, you can slip your fingers in under the gill cover, but not too far. It's like razors if your fingers hit their gills. I love catching pike. You just have to be ready for them.
slonezp reply :
Another vote for heading to Wisconsin. I get more on swimjigs than anything else. I have caught them regularly on jigs, senkos, spinnerbaits, but they will hit d**n near anything
Dwight Hottle reply :
Inline spinnerbaits & spoons. They hold up well & will catch bass as well.
Number 5 blue fox vibrax in firetiger will catch pike better than any other lure made. It is a killer. Trust me. When the stock hook gets dull cut it off & put a split ring on with a new hook.
slonezp reply :
On 1/25/2014 at 12:12 AM, Dwight Hottle said:Inline spinnerbaits & spoons. They hold up well & will catch bass as well.
Number 5 blue fox vibrax in firetiger will catch pike better than any other lure made. It is a killer. Trust me. When the stock hook gets dull cut it off & put a split ring on with a new hook.
When I was a kid I caught tons of pike on the Vibrax in a plain stainless color. Some upwards of 15lbs.
SirSnookalot reply :
I don't find pike to be a deterrent, bigger fish and a bigger fight, which is my preference. No pike or musky here in Florida, but I was weened on them in Michigan. As far as a spinning rod, no problem as long as the rod handles the lure. Didn't use b/c much in Michigan and in Florida it's all spinning for 40-50" toothy critters.
Dwight Hottle reply :
On 1/25/2014 at 12:22 AM, slonezp said:When I was a kid I caught tons of pike on the Vibrax in a plain stainless color. Some upwards of 15lbs.
We have used them extensively in Canada on weekly pike trips. We have caught pike up to 25lbs on them. For numbers they flat out rock. 100 + fish per day.
I always told my pike buddies that if you could only take one lure to survive in the Canadian wilderness that would be our choice.
webertime reply :
Red and White Chatterbaits, BIG ones.
Red Eye Shad
Big Spinnerbaits
Big "walk the dog" baits (super spooks)
Ratherbfishing reply :
As is nearly always the case in fishing WHERE is as important, or more so, than WHAT but pike, being an aggressive predator will go after just about anything. I like lures that cover a lot of water. Spinnerbaits, in-line spinners, swimming plugs (like 5 1/4 inch Rapalas), large lipless crankbaits, and spoons fit the bill pretty nicely. Get durable baits, though, unless you like replacing them often. And steel leaders which are at least 8 inches long.
BuffaloBass716 reply :
Thanks for all the replies!
Not_Here reply :
not much to add thats not already been said except, BURN'EM BABY!! no not burn the pike, the baits...pike looooooooooooooooove baits burned...don't be afraid to really rip stuff about as fast as you can without the bait fouling out, pike are built for speed by design...its fun as hell burning something and having a pike just hammer it....
but ya we get our fill of them up here...booyah makes a spinner called the booyah pikee, heavy duty gauge wire on them suckers...
Bluebasser86 reply :
Not that I get to fish for them often but I've caught a ton of pike on a Terminator inline spinner, 5/8 silver/black I believe. It's nice because it doesn't bend up after every fish like most inlines do since it's titanium. They seem to love spinnerbaits and chatterbaits as well.
Alpha Male reply :
6" rapala. blue on top and silver/chrome on the bottom. I have caught a lot of them on that one
ww2farmer reply :
The best pike lure, is the bass lure your killing them on right now, and your down to your last one.........and TW is out of stock, and none can be found locally. They will be all over that.
HeavyDluxe reply :
What Farmer said in the post above, for sure.
re: burning the baits - I was fishing from shore once and started a fast retrieve of a bait because I knew I was out of the zone where the bass had been biting. As it got close to the dock, I noticed a massive pike darting up behind it. Scared me half to death and, in a moment of shock, I stopped the retrieve. The pike slammed on the brakes, too, and watched the bait stall and start to sink. Then the fish abruptly turned back and powered off into the weeds.
If it ain't movin', they won't want it. Now, pickerel are a whole different story. 
Good luck... Pike are a heckuva lot of fun to hook into, if you're willing to accept they may steal a bass lure or two along the way.
Jmrichardson2011 reply :
Pike have long been my second favorite predatory fish, would probably be the first if they didn't tear through lures so fast. I reeled one in that weighed about 10lbs, fought like it weight double. The inline spinner I was using hasn't run straight since.
I have now moved to the St. Louis area and am thinking I have to switch from pike to catfish.
slonezp reply :
On 1/31/2014 at 7:36 AM, ww2farmer said:The best pike lure, is the bass lure your killing them on right now, and your down to your last one.........and TW is out of stock, and none can be found locally. They will be all over that.
Which is why I buy swimjigs 50 at a time.
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
Fast moving baits with some flash are good bets. I'm surprised no one mentioned lipless cranks. Gold w/ black back rattle-trap used to slay'em on Champlain.
Siebert Outdoors reply :
I've always had real good luck with Spinnerbaits. I've got all the other stuff but it seems like the spinnerbait is best for me.
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