My husband has been fishing for Canadian
Pike for over 25 years. I just started. So when I finally decided to start fishing, and I mean seriously fishing, I asked him what he thought the top five lures for Canadian
Pike really were. He gave me some examples and then, on my first fishing trip, I tested them out. I have to admit. Only one lure was really hot that first year…and many years after – The Orange Hammer!!! However, I caught
Pike on each of the following lures and I find that they are, indeed, my top picks for Canadian
Pike.
1. The Orange Hammer – (7/8 oz)
If I could only take one lure to Canada with me for some serious
Pike fishing, I would definately rely on the Orange Hammer. Now…keep in mind that this name has come from my family. If you go to Cabelas and ask for an Orange Hammer…they are going to look at you like you are crazy. This lure is in fact only sold Cabelas as the “hammered nickel and orange canadian casting spoon” and can be found at
http://www.cabelas.com/.
I, along with my family, swear by this lure, and I always have at least 7 in my tackle box at all times. Along with
Pike, this lure caught me well over 400
Walleye in Canada last year. It was amazing. Take my word for it.
This is also a lure that is not commonly acknowledged or used among
Pike Fisherman…as a matter of fact, we often get smug smiles when we suggest this lure…but then guess who really brings in the Master Anglers and TROPHY
PIKE….there has been more times than one that a Guide has asked my family what lure they were using when they caught their big
pike!!! Also, this lure has worked on every lake that it has been tried on. There has been no variation for success due to the location of the lake.
2. The Cabela’s Generic -(7/8 oz)
This lure is no longer available for purchase at Cabelas. Therefore, I am giving you an incredible secret right here on fisherbabe.com. This lure is so amazing that my family will not part with their limited stock of the original lure. My husband even refused to give me one of these sacred lures for a wedding present. This is how amazing and how limited in supply this lure is.
Therefore, I had to learn to paint my own. This spoon can be made by taking a regular red and white Cabelas Canadian Casting Spoon and painting it the colors that make up the Generic Colored Spoon. These colors are Orange and Chartreuse. I made about 5 of these last year and they were very easy to make.
I started by painting the lure a white base coat. After this paint dried completely, I then taped the curved pattern of the original (red and white spoon) onto the lure and proceeded to paint the green and orange where the red and white was. I know this sounds confusing. If you would like specific instructions on making this lure please email me or comment and I will be more specific. Also take a look at the picture and you can see how the paint was placed on the lure and the curve of the pattern.
It is important to get this paint right as it is the movement of the spoon along with the pattern that really makes this lure a success. I have other lures that are painted differently with the same colors that did not catch any fish. Therefore, the pattern and coloring is very important.
I can tell you many stories of how this lure has been the only hot lure on a fishing trip. My husband and his father swear by this lure and have said many times that it is their go-to lure for
Pike. It is also a lure that is not commonly known among other
Pike fisherman and Guides in Canada.
3. The Silver Minnow (weedless) -
The Silver Minnow is a go to lure for spots that really weedy. As you all may know, Pike like to lay in those shallow weedbeds to warm up in the spring. Therefore, when you fish during these times a weedless is often needed. This Silver Minnow is great for attraction because its silvery body is very noticeable in the sun and is very attractive. Also, it moves great through the weeds without getting caught.
This lure is based on a nearly 80 year old design and has been successful for that long in catching all kinds of fish. The lures 35 degree angle rocks the lure back and forth in a specific pattern that is unmatched for weedless lures. Its bright plating is very attractive to fish and its weedless design allows you to crank it through all kinds of cabbage!!!
4. Red Eyes – (1 oz)
This lure comes in weedless as well as the regular treble hook model. It gives a variation to the Silver Minnow lure if you find that it may not be working as well as you would like. The distictive red beaded eyes are something different than other lures and offer a variation to the normal casting spoon.
The bigger spoons are good for deeper sitting
pike in the late summer months. The colors that are good in this lure are the firetiger, the red and white, and the brass, however keep in mind that the lure colors that work well for this lure on one lake may not work as well on another.
5. The Lindy GatorBack Spoon -
This lure is different because dozens of diamond shaped, multi faceted ridges cover much of the 4 1/2 inches of this lure. The front of the lure is a smooth surface and has a big eye that gives the appearance of a baitfish. This lure is very good for either casting or trolling and has been successful in many of the lakes that it has been tried. The colors that are good for
Pike are Crimson Shad and Citrus Chub.
Please keep in mind that all of these lures have been used in Canada for
Pike Fishing. It depends on the lake that you are fishing as to which will work better for you. I suggest having all of these lures in your tackle box at any time if you are heading to Canada to fish. These lures have over 25 years of use behind them and will catch you a lot of
Pike. Although the orange hammer is by far my favorite (and a Lay family secret…SHHHH), I would bet my catch on any of the above lures.
Check back soon for a BIG picture of the Cabelas Generic. I promise to post it SOON!!!
Happy Fishing and Happy Lure Shopping ~
LIZZY aka The Fisherbabe
Sooooo…before my trip, I bought a new tacklebox. It is a Plano 9606 and it is AMAZING!!! Before I had one that included a flip top with insertable trays. However, it was very hard to see all my lures and to get to the lure I needed I had to pull all the trays out because I could never remember which lure was in what case. At one point, I was tripping over all those trays laid out in the boat. To say the least, I felt it was a mess.
We caught 4 Master sized fish the second day!!
