Lures

Ok, I bought all of these lures. Now what do I use.

Brett

Now that is what I like to see!  A well used Doctor Spoon.

This lure was destroyed fishing the bays of Great Slave Lake.  In one morning session it caught 4 Pike over 41 inches with one fish pushing 44 inches and 23lbs.

Why did I choose this spoon for this bay?  Why did it work so well?    Read on!

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Conditions that helped me go with this spoon:  Mostly Sunny / Water Temp ~51 / Deep 6-12ft / Dark bottom / Early June / Water coloration – moderate.

Let’s breakdown my thought process.  Ok it is early Spring and the water is still cold.  The  bigger pike will be relating to bays.  The fish are going to be fairly sluggish post -spawn but the mostly sunny conditions means they will be actively feeding.  The dark bottom means the water temperature in the bay will be warmer and might have activated the fish to hit and chase hard baits to a degree.  The moderately stained water means I can add some flash but I don’t need to go all the way to very bright lures, so the Chartreuse stuff can stay in the bag.

Let’s summarize what I am thinking:

  • Early Season = Fish in bays
  • Mostly Sunny = Actively feeding Pike
  • Dark bottom = Warmer water = Fish will take slower moving hard baits
  • Water Color = Some flash is good

Different Pike Baits and why I choose a spoon:

  • Spinnerbaits – Fishes too fast and too much action for the cold water
  • Cranks – Fishes too fast
  • Swimbaits – Weighted would’ve been to fast but weightless might have been a good option
  • Spoons – Can be fished slower – works with water temperature (check) .  Creates a bit of flash for the water color (check).

Ok.  I settled on a spoon but which one:

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There are several kinds of spoons here.  You have the weedless variety which is not needed here due to minimal weeds.  You have Eppinger DareDevyles which fall faster and wobble a lot more.  I choose the Doctor spoon due to the lighter weight slower falling more subtle wobble.

Choosing the right lure for the right situation is one of my favorite parts of fishing and I love it when a plan comes together.  I hope this information helps you catch more fish!

Here are a couple of pictures from this one bay: