<h2>Buying Guide: Pike Lures</h2><p>Pike are aggressive predators and hard-fighting opponents. They are at home in almost any water and are among the most popular target fish for predator anglers - and for good reason.</p><p>This section covers some fundamentals of pike fishing, followed by a breakdown of pike lures and their applications.</p><p><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0548/9197/0669/files/The-Pig-Shad-23cm-Jeppan.jpg" alt="Hechtköder" height="300" width="300"></p><h3>Where Do I Find Pike?</h3><p>Like almost every animal, a pike's life revolves mainly around two things: feeding and reproduction. These two factors largely dictate where the fish will be holding at any given time.</p><p><strong>The following features make for a good pike spot:</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Cover:</strong> Pike typically ambush passing prey but are equally keen to avoid becoming a meal for larger fish themselves. You will find them under overhanging bushes and trees, in lily pad beds and among reed beds. Aquatic vegetation gives pike a constant supply of baitfish as well as ideal spawning habitat, making such areas worth visiting all year round - particularly in smaller, shallower lakes. Where these spots in larger waters also have direct access to deeper open water, they become magnets for big pike.</li><li><strong>Edges and humps:</strong> Pike always find baitfish around underwater humps and along drop-offs, so they regularly hold at the foot or the top of these features. GPS tracking studies on pike in lakes have shown that fish do leave these areas periodically, but consistently return to them for extended periods.</li><li><strong>Water temperature:</strong> Pike prefer cooler water, yet as cold-blooded animals they are naturally dependent on a certain water temperature. In <strong>spring</strong>, shallow bays that warm up first are prime areas. You should also fish close to weed, as pike linger around these spots for some time after spawning. In <strong>summer</strong>, when water temperatures approach 20°C, the deeper and darker zones are more productive. Drop-offs situated 20-30 m out from reed beds are also well worth targeting in late summer and early <strong>autumn</strong>. <strong>Later in the year</strong>, as the water cools significantly, pike increasingly seek out larger baitfish and move into deeper open water areas.</li><li><strong>Wind:</strong> Windy conditions generally suit pike fishing. Spots where wind pushes water, suspended matter and baitfish onto the bank are usually productive, though in the height of summer you should lean towards fishing the sheltered, leeward side of the lake, where the water tends to be cooler.</li></ul><h3>Which Lures Should I Use?</h3><p>A good pike lure should either generate strong water pressure - particularly useful when searching for fish or fishing in <strong>coloured water</strong> - or carry a clear, distinct silhouette, since pike have excellent contrast vision. As with all predators, you should try to match the size and colour of the available baitfish as closely as possible when you know what is present. Pike are not fussy feeders, but they do sometimes lock on to specific lure sizes.</p><p>In spring you can catch good pike even on very small lures (3-4 inch), while summer is the time for variety in terms of lure size (up to around 18 cm) and action. In autumn and winter pike need to achieve the best possible energy return from each hunt, so slow-worked, larger lures (15-25 cm or bigger) are the better choice.</p><table><strong>Lure type</strong></td><td><strong>Application and tips</strong></td><td><strong>Tackle and rigging</strong></td><td><strong>Example</strong></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Soft lures, paddle tails</strong></td><td>Soft lures with a rolling action are an excellent choice; pike shads should not be too slim and need a decent lateral profile. They can be used all year round - work them through the relevant depth zone and vary your retrieve speed, building in pauses and stops.</td><td><p>Rods rated from 40 g casting weight and matching reels.</p><p>Jig heads and shallow rigs are the go-to options, but a Carolina rig also works well.</p></td><td><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0548/9197/0669/files/westin-shad-teez-official-roachxEzUntVhEiXfelzNHYKyz5TMLD.jpg" alt="Paddletails" height="200" width="200"></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Soft lures, low action</strong></td><td>Low-action soft lures have also earned their place in the pike angler's box. They are used mainly for vertical jigging or on a static rod from the boat.</td><td>Short rods with high casting weights; drop shot rig in winter.</td><td><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0548/9197/0669/files/7-Fin-S-Fish-Rainbow-Troutk6uPWipJmChuz.jpg" alt="Law-Action Gummifische" height="200" width="200"></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Spinner lures</strong></td><td>Spinner blades produce strong water pressure - exactly what pike respond to. In spring and summer, spinners and spinnerbaits are very effective, and jig spinners are a great way to locate fish. Spinnerbaits are fairly weedless and will often tempt inactive pike into a take.</td><td>Larger reels (from size 3000) with a high line pick-up and slightly softer rods make this style of fishing more comfortable.</td><td><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0548/9197/0669/files/river2sea-bling-spinnerbait-bluegillJyujqAg7LQbCz.jpg" alt="Spinnköder"></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Surface lures</strong></td><td>Spring and summer offer some of the most exciting pike fishing you can have on surface lures. Work them past structures or straight through the weed. Alongside frog imitations, injured-baitfish presentations on poppers or prop baits are also very effective.</td><td>Short rods are best suited for this style of fishing.</td><td><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0548/9197/0669/files/River2Sea-Double-Plopper-LoonSBQYUaLanxOGw.jpg" alt="Oberflächenköder" height="200" width="200"></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Plugs</strong></td><td>Plugs are ideal for <strong>trolling</strong> for pike. They also work well as casting lures when you want to target a specific depth zone. Work them with short pauses on the retrieve and in winter slow everything right down, allowing pauses of up to 3 seconds.</td><td></td><td><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0548/9197/0669/files/duo-spearhead-ryuki-95s-yamametkOo5rLdYLXU5.jpg" alt="Wobbler" height="200" width="200"></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Swimbaits</strong></td><td>Swimbaits are outstanding lures for cold water, for trolling or for targeting big pike specifically. You can present them ultra-slowly and they are the first choice for very clear water.</td><td>Heavy tackle is needed here - swimbaits typically start at around 80 g in their own weight.</td><td><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0548/9197/0669/files/Savage-Gear-3D-Roach-Lipster-130-PerchLXIHBQ6bVubBf.jpg" alt="Swimbaits"></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Jerkbaits</strong></td><td>Classic pike lures that have lost none of their fish-catching ability. Particularly in shallow bays and in colder water these <strong>lures</strong> are absolute weapons that produce savage strikes.</td><td>Stiff, short rods with high casting weights and a large reel are essential here. Robust baitcasting rods are especially well suited.</td><td><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0548/9197/0669/files/Savage-Gear-3D-Roach-Jerkster-115-RoachkStbiEWW0ELc0.jpg" alt="Jerkbaits" height="200" width="200"></td></tr></tbody></table><p><strong>Watch more about pike fishing here:</strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eh3wFmFG_JU" width="560" height="315" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>