Pike & Muskie

Gear & Tackle
Similar in both nature and
appearance, northern pike and
muskellunge are among the
largest, most aggressive
freshwater
fish in America. Pike can
reach
upwards of 20 pounds, while
muskies can tip the scales at
30.
Stout tackle is the obvious
choice-
heavy baitcasting rods from
6' to 8', Ambassadeur reels filled with Trilene XL
or FireLine in 14# to 30#
test. Also essential is a stiff wire leader ahead of the
bait, which prevents these
toothy giants from biting through the line.

Lures & Presentation
Think big. Topwaters, buzz
baits, stickbaits, crankbaits, bucktail spinners, big
spoons and hair jigs all have
their place in your arsenal. Be prepared to fish
everything from thick,
shallow weeds to deep rocks. Casting, trolling and
jigging are all effective,
most often dictated by time of year and water
temperature. Rule of thumb:
cast shallow, jig deep, troll both.

How to Locate
For both species, work
shallow (2' to 10') warm water bays in spring; deeper
(18' to 25') main-lake
weedlines and rock reefs in summer and fall. Moving
water, such as an incoming
stream or narrows, is nearly always attractive to
pike and muskie, as is close
access to deep water.

Effective Baits
Big fish look for big bait,
often up to a quarter of their own length. Active fish
attack flashy, fast-moving
lures, while neutral fish need a bit of coaxing with
slower presentations and
scented baits. Large sucker minnows on a jig or
spinnerbait are popular for
working weedlines. Dead bait such as large smelt
under a large float is a
tried-and-true shallow water presentation. Berkley
PowerBait grubs, lizards,
craws, shad and frogs are ideal for use as trailers
on a variety of big fish
lures. Liquid Power Bait also works well, encouraging
following fish to strike.