Spoon Fishing For Pike and Muskie

Spoons are great for beginner , because it is nearly impossible to
fish them the wrong way . You can use a fast , slow or stop-and-go retreive , and jig them in deep water .

Thick-metal spoons are best for casting , but thinner ones have a wider wobble and are ideal for trolling . In heavy cover , use a weedless spoon .

Attach your spoon to a braided-wire leader .

Jerkbait Fishing For Pike And Muskie

There are dozens of different styles of jerkbaits , but they all fall into two categories . Divers go downward when you jerk , gliders dart side-to-side . Divers run deeper than gliders , but both types of baits , can be made to run deeper by adding weights (internally or externally ) or by wrapping solder around the hook .
You should use a short , stiff rod for jerkbait fishing . Because if you use a long rod , the tip will hit the water on the downward stroke . Attach the bait with a stiff wire leader.

Jerkbaits have no action other than that which you provide . Pike and muskie love the struggling baitfish action of these big wooden plugs .

Using Subsurface Plugs For Pike And Muskie

Since fish is such a big part of pike and muskies diets . Subsurface are a very effective bait to use . Because of their open hook design ,these baits should be mainly used in sparse cover or open waters . If your fishing in weeds select a bait that runs just above the weed tops .When fishing in open waters the bait should periodically touch the bottom .

When fishing for pike and muskie you should rely mainly on three kinds of subsurface plugs . Minnowbaits , with their narrow lip and slim body , have a tight , natural- looking wobble .

Crankbaits have a wider lip or flattened head that gives them a wider wobble . Vibrating plugs have a attachment eye on their flattened back ,which gives them the fastest , tightest wiggle .

Any of these plugs can be fished by casting or trolling . A stop-and-go retrieve usually draws the most strikes . Use a thin , braided-wire leader with a round-nosed snap for attaching subsurface plugs . A heavy wire leader can restrict the plugs side-to-side action .

You must use a wire leader , because of the pike and muskies sharp teeth .

Topwater Fishing For Pike And Muskie

Topwater baits used for pike or muskie fishing are similar to those used for bass fishing , only they are a lot bigger . Their are four basic types of lures used for topwater fishing for pike and muskie ,they are propbaits ,buzzbaits , crawlers ,and stickbaits .

Propbaits have a propeller on one or both ends . On some baits , the whole head or tail serves as the propeller. A slow steady retrieve usually works best with these baits .
Buzzbaits come in two different models ,they are the in-line model , and the safety-pin model . You should retrieve them rapidly , which makes them a good choice when your trying to find fish .
Crawlers , with their cupped face or arms , swim with a wide wobble and make a loud gurgling sound . They are most effective with a slow retrieve .
Stickbaits are weighted in the tail , so they have a highly erratic , side-to-side motion when retrieved with a series of sharp downward jerks. Although their action is attractive to pike and muskie ,they have a hard time zeroing on the darting bait .

Topwater baits are not a good choice in cool water . When water temperatures are below 60 degrees , choose a subsurface bait. Topwater baits are great for night fishing muskie , the more noise or splash the lure produces , the better .

Using Soft Plastics For Smallmouth

You can buy soft plastic baits that are almost perfect imitations of smallmouths favorite foods . These baits can be Texas-rigged for fishing in heavy cover , or Carolina-rigged for fishing clear bottoms . A few good choices are crayfish , lizards ,and leeches . Although you will get plenty of strikes on plastic worms as well . The preferred sizes of worms are from 4 to 6 inches long .

In recent years , tube baits have emerged as one of the top smallmouth lures . Their slim profile and wiggling tentacles seem to be just what the fish want . You can put it on a jig head for fishing deep waters , or fish it unweighted on a weedless HP hook .

Using Plugs For Smallmouth

A good smallmouth angler should carry a good supply of crankbaits , minnowbaits ,and vibrating plugs . With these baits , you can cover a lot of water quickly to locate active fish .

Plugs used for smallmouth are usually two or three inches long . Crayfish colors (browns and oranges )are most popular ,shiner colors are equally effective.

Minnowbaits with their tighter wiggle , work better than crankbaits when the water is cool. They are also a great choice at spawning time , fish them on the surface with a twitch-and-pause retrieve .

Vibrating plugs and crankbaits are great for fishing in the summer time and they are a better choice for fishing deep structure .

Then after the bite slows down you can switch to a slower bait , like a jig to work the area more thoroughly.

Jigging For Smallmouth Bass

The lead-head jig is one of the best smallmouth baits ever . You can drag it along the bottom to mimic a minow or crayfish , because of their upturned hook , it is less likely to snag . They are a great universal bait , because they can be tipped with rubber skirts , soft plastics ,or live bait (such as a leech , minnow ,or night crawler ) .

Another great smallmouth technique is vertical jigging . Vertical jigging can be done using a variety of jigging lures , including jigging spoons , vibrating blades ,and tailspinners .Vertical jigging is a simple technique , but there's a trick to it . Give your rod a quick snap to lift the bait , then follow the line back down with your rod tip , keeping the line slightly taut ,but not tight . Nine times out of ten , the bass will grab the bait as its sinking and ,if your line is not taut ,you won't feel a thing . When you feel a tap , bump or anything out of the ordinary , set the hook .