Casting and Trolling

Some very successful angling methods are trolling or casting with shallow-running plugs, flashy spoons with feathers, or bucktails, or with spinner-minnow combinations. There are anglers that insist that casting for pike provides the very best angling thrill.

In shallow water, around the time of spawning, the best presentation is a lift-and-drop casting technique using a spoon. Since you're casting to weed cover, cast to the tops of emerging weeds on flats and points, letting your spoon flutter in and out towards the fish and retrieving slowly. Other options include a small straight-shaft spinner, a jig dressed with plastics, or a jerk bait. Fish them slowly. In the case of jigs, don't be afraid to let them sit on bottom for a few seconds. In the case of jerk baits, rip them out of weeds as you would when fishing muskie.

Some people prefer trolling in shallow water. Specialist fishermen may have a solution to the problem of weeds in shallow areas. They have made some changes to the deep-water trolling technique so that it can be used in shallow-water fishing. You can troll effectively for pike using short (sometimes no more than six feet behind your boat) wire line (20to 30-pound-test monel), a wire line reel, and short, stiff trolling rods that come with a roller nose or spring to prevent line wear. The wire line carries the lure deeper into water where the bigger fish are usually found. At the same time, wire will cut through weeds rather than tangle in them. (Figure 6-4.)

Troll at four to eight miles per hour, depending on conditions, in order to trigger a strike. In general, for active fish present a lure close to the surface, moving horizontally and quickly. For inactive fish use a deeper and vertical presentation. If backtrolling, place your lure down near the shoals or drop-offs associated with weed growth. In all trolling methods, though, remember that boat control is important as is the right kind of lure. With proper techniques you'll be able to rip through the weeds with relative ease.

There are some deep-running plugs that are especially well suited to this technique. They are large, longnosed, hard-plastic plugs designed for muskie fishing. By attaching your line to the tip of the lure's diving vane you can make the plug run cleaner through the weeds. This type of plug also has a distinct action which is advantageous to the angler -- when weeds foul it, there is a change of action which can be sensed by the angler. Whichever lure or bait you use in trolling, though, stay close to the edge of the rushes or weedbeds and use a fairly short line.

When casting with spoons, cast your spoons to the edge of the weeds or into the slow water near a ledge. Don't worry about hitting the water with a loud slap. Their appearance and action are sufficient to attract the pike's attention. Spoons are always your staple lure, whether casting or trolling, and whether you're working shallow or deep water.

Here's a technique to try when fishing in non-wilderness areas. Where storm sewers from cities enter rivers or bays, large pike will frequently hang around in the area. The grates that cover the storm sewers often harbor muskrats and other creatures the pike regards as prey. Cast a deep-diving plug towards the grate. There may be a large pike there, willing to accept a smaller offering than the meal it had in mind.

I've often wondered if there's even a simpler method to pike fishing. If we accept the fact that a pike's meal is about one-third of its body weight, then we should be able to catch a 40-pound trophy by following a few easy steps: choose a soft-finned fish from ten to 14 pounds, rig it with treble hooks, put a sliding sinker on the line to keep the fish from floating around, drop the bait in water with a clean bottom near a weedbed, and go back to shore to relax and wait for the fish to strike. If the tackle stands up to the ensuing battle, you're all set. This method, if proven effective, would surely become the lazy or tired angler's dream! European anglers are masters of sophisticated live and dead bait rigs using light lines and tiny hooks rigged in huge baitfish. North Americans have a long way to go to reach their degree of sophistication.

Some comments about playing a pike would be appropriate here. But first, let's dispel the myth about how pike fight. All those photographs you've seen of pike clearing the water, shaking their heads, or tailwalking brutally with a plug dangling from their jaws can be taken with a grain of salt. A few of them, no doubt, are honest illustrations. But most pike will not give you the play of a muskie. There's excitement to be had in pike fishing but it's a different kind. Nine out of ten pike you hook will come in like a log, drifting sideways to you in the water until they see the boat or the shoreline. Usually, if there's going to be a battle worth remembering, it will happen at this close range. Pike will dive under the boat, sound for the depths, and attempt to hide in the weeds until they foul your line, or roll until your line catches on their gill plates and breaks.

Sometimes, the most exciting part of a fight with a big pike comes when you try to bring it in the boat. The fish that didn't have much life in the water can suddenly become a ball of fire when it has open tackle boxes to knock over, people to throw off balance, and a sudden desire to go back in the water.

So, how do you get a kick out of pike fishing? Try big surface lures that will entice the pike up top for the strike. They'll hit hard, sometimes even clearing water to come down on your lure. Or watch your lure as it is retrieved. Sometimes a pike will follow it in and sit there watching. Put your rod tip into the water and make your lure do figure eights near the pike. Watching a pike strike under those circumstances can be thrilling. Even better, go after big fish with light tackle. If you match the strength of your equipment not to the size of the fish, but to the fish's willingness to fight, then you can really enjoy a battle with a big one.

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