The Hunt For Big Fish with Larry Dahlberg

Larry,

What's your usual go-to lures for early season muskies and pike???

Or anyone else care to share their ideas...?

I fish mostly in PA, and haven't caught a whole lot pike over 30 inches, but in the course of fishing for smallmouth over the last few years, I have noticed that Pike take quite a fancy to plain white spinnerbaits with tandem willow leaf blades, usually in the 1/2 to 3/4 ounce range. This works especially well for smallmouth, and I have found Pike as well, at night. Especially when you get near lights around marinas, boat launches, or near any inflowing creeks, rivers, and streams. Another unexpected catch for me has been Walleye, usually in the early spring. I've caught my largest Walleye around a certain boat launch late at night under the lights on a 1/2 ounce white spinnerbait. I know it isn't the most popular lure out there for Pike, but it has produced decent results for me.

Take Care
Brian

Spring time and my early season lures are.

Gliders like Hellhounds and Hoosiers.
Mag Dawgs and 9" Suzy Suckers.
10" Red October Tubes rigged like Gliders.
After the water hits 55 to 58 topwater bite starts. Weagles and Whopper Ploppers.
Double 8's

Tight Lines

Was curious if anyone else has tried these lures. I had really good luck with them last fall. Had my doubts, but there must be something to the uv concept. Just wandering if they have worked for other anglers.

Depends on water temp, whether it's inclining or declining, whether they are pre or post and if post just how far past. What forage they are keying in on and most importantly perhaps just where they are at in their "daily" cycle. also of course what type of environment.
Might use some kind of jig/creature or small subsurface wideglide (use light leader w/o snaps or swivels so it suspends) in redhorse color.
I use a twist melt connection to lure and double uni on the other end. Might use a whiggley. High odds of whopper plopper, and would have someone in boat tossing mid-size inline bucktails, minnow lure, glider, 3/4 oz trap...Really experiment with speed.
best
L

Early season here in Minnesota can be really cold, but after things warm up a bit like around Memorial day usually, I like the old Dardevle spoon retrieved slowly. I think it must have gotten its good reputation fishing at that time of year, and it is well deserved.

Before that, I gravitate toward live bait. Maybe that's because it works, but it's also because I just like the way pike hit a fish swimming under a bobber. It's one of the most satisfying moments in fishing when a humongous bobber suddenly goes kersploosh! And disappears fast.