Quote:
Originally Posted by WayneChristie
I was fishing pike one spring, every one was shoulder checking the spoon I was using. I put an orange double tail on the treble and after that they all hit the hook mouth first. even just letting it sink they hit the tail.
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Agree 100% - Over the years I have noticed many pike will "run the bait" particularly when retrieved or trolled - they swim up fast, bump to with their heads or body then turn back on it once the bait is "stunned" to eat it.
If you don't drop your rod tip (simulating a falling or rising wounded/stunned bait) they swim away - but if you dip the rod and give them a second they will come back mouth first and inhale it.
If the bait keeps swimming like nothing happened - they swim off.
so .... Any time I'm trolling an we are getting the bang bang "bite" then nothing, I know this is what's happening. Then it's time to pick the rod up and the moment you have the bang bang, dip the rod and give it some slack for a second pass hook up. If I don't get a follow up bite in a second or two, and the boat is still moving forward, I give the bait a couple pumps before the slack comes out of the line completely and sometimes that will trigger a big strike.
Pretty neat behavior - I wonder why they do that - maybe they are not sure what it is? want to "test" the bait? very interesting.
Here's one a friend got last year "pumping" the short strikes and got this nice one to turn back around and commit - was his personal best - nice pike.
