Hello. My name is Kyle. I have an addiction to Pike and Muskie fishing. People tell me that the first step is admitting it, but I literally cannot get enough time on the water each year to fish for both species. They offer an aggressive nature, vicious boat-side strikes, blistering runs, and huge jumps. These fish have fast become my favorites to target and will more than likely stay at the top of the pile for quite some time.
Pike and Muskie Fishing Equipment
In my opinion, Pike and Muskie fishing requires equipment that is usually not necessary when fishing for other species. A brief rundown on this equipment can be found below:
Rods, Reels, Lines, and Leaders
I'm a little bit different in that I fish with spinning gear for Pike and Muskie. A lot of guys use casting gear especially for Muskies. Most of the time I use 7-foot rods in varying powers. For lakes and rivers where I am expecting big fish, I use heavy power, fast action rods with large modified front grips. These rods are good for casting good sized baits. They are also heavy enough to leverage large fish out of heavy cover. I use lighter rods when I am using smaller lures and when the weather is colder. A good reel with a smooth drag is a huge benefit when trying to land a large fish. I typically have been using the same line and leaders for both Pike and Muskie. I use heavy 70lb main line which gives me the confidence to cast into heavy cover without worrying about breaking off and can handle ANY fish I happen to come across. For muskies I usually use 100 pound Fluorocarbon leaders. I use smaller, hand-tied 80lb fluorocarbon leaders for smaller lures and when the heavier leader will kill the action of the lure. These heavy Fluorocarbon leaders act as a bite guard and keep fish from cutting your line. It is necessary however to check these leaders after each fish to make sure they have not damaged the leader in any way. They will typically not be damaged, but change them out immediately if you notice anything unusual.
Fish Grips
For kayak fishing, I feel like a good pair of fish grips is an indispensable tool. My first pair was broken and lost when trying to deal with a big Muskie. I would recommend buying a nice pair of grips straight out of the gate if you are going to fish for Pike and Muskies. The grips should be made of metal and have a rotating head so that when the fish thrashes the grips move with them. This will keep large fish from tearing themselves up when they go nuts after being landed. From first-hand experience, grips that do not rotate can and will tear up a fishes mouth very badly. A pair of rotating grips will leave a small hole barely larger than what a hook would make. This pair of Lucid Grips also has a spring in it to weigh fish (which I haven't used) but I have found it is nice to have simply as a shock absorber. When a large fish starts thrashing, this spring will really help you hold on much better. The grips should also have a solid wrist strap to keep it secure. I also lash these grips to my kayak with a length of parachute cord so that no matter what happens I will not lose them.
Miscellaneous Tools
You should also carry the following tools: a good set of long nosed pliers to aid in hook removal, a pair of spreaders to open the mouth of a deeply hooked fish, and a pair of quality bolt cutters for cutting hooks in the event that they cannot be removed from a fish or you need to remove hooks from yourself. All of these are essential to have on hand just in case. I've only had a few fish where I needed the spreaders and bolt cutters, but trust me, when you need them you and the fish both will be glad that you have them.
Muskellunge (Esox Masquinongy)
I've heard of Muskies being called the fish of 1,000 or even 10,000 casts. How many casts I've made is anyone's guess, but if there is one thing I've found to be true when hunting Muskies it's this: it's not a matter of luck, it's just a matter of time. I guarantee you that if you go to lakes that have Muskies, do the right things in the right places, and put in some time, you will catch them. There is no magical formula for catching them other than being on the water and honing your skills. Patience can go a long way towards having success. There will be days where you may be doing everything right and still never even see a fish. Also, being prepared with the right gear for Musky fishing can also greatly up your odds of successfully landing these fish.
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| 40" Indiana Muskie - May 1st 2016 |
Muskie Fishing Tips
Muskie fishing from a kayak certainly has it's challenges. I've learned a lot from being on the water and had to learn a lot of lessons the hard way. Here are a few tips I have for you to up your chances of landing one of these fish:
1) Stand up and fish from your kayak - In my opinion, learning to stand and fish from your kayak is an essential part of kayak fishing. In most boats, it takes time to learn and can only be perfected by being on the water and spending time out of your seat. For me, the most unexpected part of Musky fishing is how often fish will follow your lure to the boat. Being in a standing position will allow you to spot them sooner and react better to their presence. It is also much easier to perform a figure-8 and other boatside lure maneuvers when you are further away from the water.
2) Stick with a few lures and give them enough time to work - I know there are a lot of tackle junkies out there, but if you want to be successful I suggest only taking a handful of lures. If you are just starting to fish for Muskies ask a guide, store owner, or seasoned Muskie angler for a few lure recommendations. Get a few lures, really learn how to work them well, and give them enough time to work when on the water. Don't feel like you constantly need to change lures to have a chance at success.
3) Never give up on the figure-8 - If you have a fish follow to the boat, keep your lure moving until you are absolutely sure that the fish is gone. I have had several instances where fish that I thought were gone reappeared after 7-10 times around a figure-8 and caught several fish after what seemed like an eternity of them chasing a lure while boatside.
4) Revisit areas where you have had follows - Whether on subsequent trips or just later on in the same day, revisiting areas where you have previously had follows will certainly up your chances of success. Just like any other fish, Muskies like specific places on each lake and will frequent those places more than others. In addition, just giving a fish a second look at a lure or giving it a look at a new lure will provoke strikes.
Northern Pike (Esox Lucius)
I love fishing for Northern Pike in Indiana! Many of the rivers in the northern part of the state, including the St. Joe, Pigeon, Fawn, Elkhart, Yellow, and Tippecanoe, are blessed with good numbers of this predator. Some of our natural lakes also have good populations of this fish including Clear, Hamilton, Wawasee, and James to name a few. Pike are fun to target because they are aggressive, more than willing to smash a lure or fly, usually give a good fight, grow to large sizes, and are plentiful in rivers and lakes where they are present. Most of the fish caught will be between 20 and 30 inches but there are plenty of giants out there just waiting to be caught!
The following report will show you just how many trophy Pike are present in Indiana and will give you a good starting point on where to look for these fish:
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| 37" Indiana Pike - December 5th 2015 |
During the summer, I fish for Pike almost exclusively with big double bladed spinner baits. While anything with a lot of flash, vibration, etc will do well when they are in an aggressive mood, the spinner is by far the most effective lure I have found for them. Even with a trailer hook, spinner baits ride through the water hook point up so they rarely if ever get snagged. This allows me to fish some of the thickest cover possible including fishing over the top of laydowns and thick weeds. They also move a lot of water and generate a ton of flash and vibration. All this commotion will draw some amazing strikes!
During the spring, fall, and even winter, I fish for Pike using a variety of jerk baits including the Rapala X-Rap and various glide baits. This slower presentation will often draw a lot more strikes than fishing faster moving lures. All of these lures should be moved and then allowed to stop and suspend. The fish will hit the lure nearly every time on the pause. This is where the smaller Fluorocarbon leaders without snaps and swivels can be used effectively. The lighter weight of these leaders will allow the lure to suspend in the water and look much more natural than if you were using a heavier leader.
Like Muskies, bigger Pike seem to be more than happy to follow a lure all the way to the boat at times without striking. With that in mind, make sure you are doing some sort of move with your lure at the boat to trigger these fish. Usually moving your lure in a large L shape right at the boat will trigger a following Pike. I have caught several fish right at the boat using this tactic. It's always worth a shot if you see a following fish!
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