Yoiur Favorite Soft Plastics For Pike?

[mainbutter]

I know that since this is the good ol' U S of A, most people here (especially in the soft plastics section) are probably bass fishermen.

I'm not a bass fishermen. Sometimes I target them, but certainly not with the frequency I target toothier fish.

I've often looked past soft plastics for pike. I fish a lot of spinners, bucktails, and crankbaits for the most part. You know, standard pike lures.

One of the reasons I've taken up pouring my own plastics is to follow through with a new years resolution to make better use of plastics for pike fishing.

I'm currently pouring swimbaits and senkos. Does anyone have any suggestions for what else I might want to look at for targeting pike? I'm going to be making my own mini bulldawg-type lure within the next few months as well, probably something between the micro dawg and spring dawg in size.

**Apparently I can't edit my typo in the title, doh.

Edited January 25, 2010 by mainbutter

[Piscivorous Pike]

As you might get the impression, pike are my passion.

Yes, I recently had the best success ever in a soft jerk bait. Been several years in the evolution, changing and observing. My original pike killer that got me going to soft plastics is Town Creek 5 inch jerk bait that has a very flimsy thin long tail shaft.

Took 42 pike in a few days last November.

The color for my area is hot pink. I also use green over hot pink. Over the years I found it to be the best, that can vary by location though.

The lure is a 7" Fin S that I cut the tail off, added 2 inches of body from a Mr. Twister sluggo copy and put the tail back on. I use Bear 's degassed Calhoun plastic for this, it is very soft.

I fish this with a twitch retrieve, or bring it back slowly while using a long fast rod and vibrating the rod tip. This makes the tail undulate up and down like a whale. Over the last decade In-Fisherman staff have shown up and down movement to be more productive than side to side in swim baits for Esox species, hence I copied that and it works. Very important to the erratic action is I never hook it like a swim bait or worm, always nose hook it. I add a steel spring into the nose to support the hook better. Even dragging 9" behind the hook the pike inhale the whole thing, even small pike!

My first product and pictures are in this post:

TU taught me this, its long, pics too.

and my latest picture and mold for that is here:

My best Mold ! (my best design that is)

Here is a picture schematic of my new FRANKEN MINNOW I now fish:

Edited January 26, 2010 by Piscivorous Pike

[Piscivorous Pike]

Rats, I got caught by the time out editor too!

My latest November trip was fished with the 9 inch Franken Minnow.

The schematic is a thumbnail that will enlarge when clicked on.

Edited January 26, 2010 by Piscivorous Pike

[Tubeman]

Been working on a new body for a shallow Shadzilla. We added a fin with an opening to slip in the 8/0 VMC keel weighted hook. I t weighs about 5.25 oz just under 10" long and it swims true at any speed !

[Tubeman]

Here's a school of them

[Piscivorous Pike]

I would love to try that perch pattern!! I got some of the Hippo swim baits with a similiar perch pattern and it worked fairly well. When I would get a short strike or follow on my Franken Minnow I would throw that and get a hookup.

That now means for the next season I will be trying a throw back rod to follow up missed fish.

I hope I am not stepping on protocol here and asking, hope not a trade secret but what type of paint does one use to paint up a swim bait like that? Paint for soft plastic?

[Tubeman]

Yes its Lure Craft's Color tech paint for plastic. I also use powder pigments, hi light powders and dual color powders in the clear base. You can also add plastisol colorants to the clear base, but you'll need to add some retarder as the colorants decrease the drying time. This is all done by airbrush.