Pike Help

[2FUNKY]

^ Yup

[plugboots]

Oh yeah, the leader doesn't need to be long, but I just cut back whatever leader I have on there to 6 to 7 feet? Then tie on the wire or 40 lb and cast. If it's not turning over, learn to cast, or maybe try a thicker leader.

[2FUNKY]

My go to pike set up is 5’ of T-14 to 3’ 30lb maxima to 8-10 of 40lb Flouro. Casts like a dream and gets to that perfect depth of 3-5’. Deeper if you let it sink a while then slow strip.

[Mr. Mike]

hmm, based on what I got in my current supplies, I think I'll just tie up a couple of leaders with about 2.5 feet each of 40, 30, and 20 (all fluoro) and then just add the 8 inches or so of 40 lb flouro at the end for the bite tippet. Then I'll take a few feet of 40 with me to supplement the bite tippet as necessary. How's that sound?

Because I'm paddling (and carrying on portages) everything I take with me, I'm going more minimal than usual. Or at least trying to.

[plugboots]

That should work fine. Bring some poppers and smaller rubber legs things for smallmouth bass (maybe even smaller streamers for walleye too.


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[Flyoverland Captive]

so your leader is just a length of 40 lb flouro? How long? I'm going to Boundary Waters for a canoe camping trip the first week of September and planning to take the 8 weight and some tarpon flies and give this shit a whirl.

What part of the BW? What lake are you putting in at?

[bushman]

Bring a head net and lots of bug dope. It basically rained every day in mayjunejuly.

[Mr. Mike]

What part of the BW? What lake are you putting in at?

Putting in on Moose and heading north from there up towards Prairie Portage and then the plan (subject to the outfitter steering us elsewhere) is to head over to the Knife Lake system. You have any input?

[Mr. Mike]

Bring a head net and lots of bug dope. It basically rained every day in mayjunejuly.

thanks. will break out the head net. It's been a few years, so I'll need to do some digging. I might have to spring for a new one.

[Flyoverland Captive]

Putting in on Moose and heading north from there up towards Prairie Portage and then the plan (subject to the outfitter steering us elsewhere) is to head over to the Knife Lake system. You have any input?

Nope; I haven't been to the Ely side in 35 years. I usually go in on Bearskin/Duncan/Rose, on the Gunflint Trail side (east).

[ak_powder_monkey]

I use a 6 weight glass rod and carry a variety of dalberg divers with wire weed guards. Because if you can't catch pike on the surface they aren't worth catching. People for some reason think you want a 9 wt. I'm not sure why just tie with synthetics, and know how to cast. I use 30 pound maxima for a bite guard and clip the end every few fish, have only ever had one bite off.

Pike are awesome.

[goosedown]

the 40 pound flouro route seems to be working for guys here and it may work fine. I guided pike for pike in northern Canada and every guide that i know uses wire. I used surflon but the 30 pound rio works too. double surgeons to connect the wire to the leader. to connect the fly make an overhand knot in the wire leaving a tag end of roughly 4 inches. be sure to only tighten the over hand knot slightly so you can put the tag end back through. slide the fly on the tag end so the fly sits close to the open knot. then put the tag end back through your open over hand knot and tie another overhand knot. the two knots will cinch down and but up to each other making a non slip loop.

avoid snap swivels. extra weight makes your fly sink. when you have a fish following and you stop stripping you want the fly to hang in front of the fish for as long as possible. snap swivels sink the fly which in this case isn’t ideal.

for lines we fished a floater almost all the time. the heaviest i would ever fish was an intermediate. if it’s late season hopefully they’re in the weeds and the floater should be fine as you want to be fishing above the weeds. if you want to go deeper put on a heavy fly and count down.

lastly,small flies are just fine.

none of the above is gospel and there are a million ways to catch fish. that’s just what worked for me. if you have more questions about pike on the fly im stoked to answer.

[Harry]

muskie

Muskie

musky

musky

Jumping into this thread because I know a thing or two about musky fishing. I grew up in northern Wisconsin in the heart of musky country. First off, there is a huge difference between a pike and a musky. Muskys literally eat pike for breakfast. On a fly we use bass poppers with an 11 weight road. Wire leader is mandatory. No way are you landing a musky without wire.

For pike, a 6 weight is fine. Wire optional, but definitely recommended. Bass poppers FTW.

Sign near my Mom's house:

[Buster Highmen]

Hayward? Minocqua/Woodruff ? Eagle River?

[Harry]

Just south of Hayward on the Chippewa Flowage.

[Buster Highmen]

My parents had a place just outside Mercer on a lake with a robust musky population. Fished a lot up there.

Raced @ Mt. Telemark a few times.

[Harry]

Shit, we are practically neighbors. I only get back there once or twice a year. My Mom is 91 though, so I have been trying to get back there more often if I can.