83 replies to this topic

[msutton]

I hope nobody gets mad at me for posting a few times on the same theme.

I would like to know what everyones opinion is on pike lures for this time of year.

I only have a small selection of lures at the moment and I definitely want to avoid going out and buying lures which I will never use.

This lure thing is addictive!

So far I have:

1) Rapala ThinFin (firetiger and perch)
2) Storm 6" Wildeye shad in perch
3) Zebco 8" rattler shallow diver in firetiger
4) Minnow spoon in copper/bronze
5) Shakespeare Big S in silver/black
6) Mepps Aglia (Mega) No.7 in Firetiger
7) Abu tobu in perch 5"
8) Abu Hammer in silver and blue
9) Abu Uto in green/yellow

Is this a decent selection, any recommendations?

My next purchase is to be a cotton cordell rattlin' redfin. By all accounts an amazing lure although a bit light.

[Tim Kelly]

I'd get some more wildeyes, some 8" mag grubs and a few spoons, forget the plugs - they look pretty but aren't nearly as versatile.

[Tim Kelly]

Oh, and you DEFINITELY need some spinnerbaits!

[argyll]

Big lures fished slow and deep on the principal that fish wont move quickly and use energy unless its a good mouthful. Deep because thats where I expect to find them most of the time. Big spoons and big soft plastics (bulldawgs, super sandras and kalins) suit me, although I confess to enjoying wobbled deadbaits at this time of year.

[msutton]

Any particular patterns I should be on the look out for? I'm certainly going to look at some lucky strike spoons, they seem to be well received by many people. Also the spoons by Kuusamo seem good.

[argyll]

Big solid spoons are becoming hard to find. The Masterline Mr Muskie spoons are big but light gauge and that makes them less than aerodynamic in a breeze. The copper ones are becoming favourites though and I'm glad I have them. Andy Bellenie at LureShack sent me some big Gator spoons. These are heavy, cast and sink well on a medium jerkbait rig and have a nice slow speed roll to them. I promised myself this winter to spend some time making some big old fashioned copper Vincent spoons too. Bulldawgs/Super Sandras ? Choose the fast sinkers over the slow sinkers for winter particularly if you fish rivers. The springdawgs seem to do as well for me as their larger cousins. Not fussy about colour.

[msutton]

Can you guys help me out with the actual brands? I recognise the names of what you are suggesting but I can't find them on Harris. What brand are they all?

[argyll]

Best chance of finding all of these lures in one place is either

http://www.luremania.co.uk or http://www.lureshack.co.uk

Cheaper too.

Also to support this site take a look at http://www.tacklebargain.com You wont find all of the lures you need at tacklebargains but the bulldawg clones are very good value for money.

[Peter Waller]

You are more than welcome to post on pike & lure fishing till the cows come home, after all, you are talking real angling !!!

Best winter lures depends a bit on where you are fishing.

At this time of the year I move onto the rivers of the Norfolk Broads. If I could only have two lures it would be a soft bodied shad, you just can't beat a good shad. The other would be a chrome Shakespeare Big S!! Seriously unfashionable and totally underated but a great snack sized lure. The Ryobi Mugger is similar. I have had good fish on both and am totally confident in either. A bottom digging deep diver is also worth having so that makes three!

[ 23. November 2004, 06:46 PM: Message edited by: Peter Waller ]

[Dick Dastardly]

SPOONS
Kussumo Proffesor or Arboghast Doctor in various sizes and colours.
ABU Atom in the largest size
Any large (5"+) Copper Spoon.
ABU Toby in BGL colour and once again as big as possible.
LANDA Pikko 35gm.

RUBBERS
Bulldawgs in various sizes.
Super Sandras in large sizes.
Any make of Mag Grub in 6" or more

SHALLOW BAITS
Suick Thriller 7" as a starter in a nice easy to see colour so you can learn to work it properly!
Shallow invader.
Squirilly Burt.
Ace Hell Tail
Grandmas in various sizes.

SURFACE BAITS
Poes Jackpot,a great "Dog" style lure once again buy big!
Arboghast Muskie Jitterbug

MEDIUM DIVERS
Creek Chub Pikie in 6" solid.

DEEP DIVERS
Buchertail Depth Raiders 7"
Bagleys Bang-o B 6"

MULTI DEPTH JERK BAITS
Cobbs Count Down 8"
Fox Bullnose 8" (The only one of the full size Fox baits Ive found to work properly straight from the packet!)
Dolphin 8"
Windells Muskie Hunter

WEEDLESS
Johnson Silver Minnow Spoon
ABU Flamingo Giller
Mepps Timber Doodle (it only comes in small Bass sizes but with the split rubber tail it really is weedless and has caught me some big fish.

SPINNERBAITS
Always make my own so cant reccomend a make but have some in a variety of sizes.Unlike spoons and plugs where I prefer baits in the 5-8" size I have found the medium sized spinnerbaits to out fish the real big ones.Anyone who doubts this look at the Llangdedford results!

Ive got literally thousands of lures but if I only had the ones listed above I would be quite happy.Secret is to start with just a few and learn to work them properly! Some are much easier to use than others,a Bull Dawg for example is a lot easier than a Suick Thriller.

If I could only use one? then I would have to plump for a large Copper spoon! a toss up between a Pikko and a Doctor me thinks.Or maybe a big rubber!God it would be a hard choice! Hope I never have to make it!