NEW TO YOUR SITE

Post by **wanabee fisherman** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 11:57 am

Hello everyone i would just like to say thanks for having me on your forum from what i have seen you all share a wealth of knowledge and i am sure i will learn many tricks of the trades from you. I live in the GTA and i usually get out of town atleast once or twice in the summer renting cottages, last summer i caught my first 2 small lake trout and 2 decent sized smallmouth in haliburton. I am hoping the ice will be out aroud the islands so i can try for my first pike before the season closes march 31st. Does anyone have any info on what bait or lures i should use for the pike i am hearing that they love big bait because they dont like wasting energy on small baits .

Post by **OBD** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 12:14 pm

Hey there! Welcome to the site! Hope you enjoy your stay

Post by **Cast-A-Way** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 12:31 pm

Welcome aboard Wanabee !!

Post by **slop** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 12:33 pm

Welcome wannabee

I used to fish the islands and the spit quite a bit when i lived in T.O. A husky jerk fished slow and steady could'nt possibly hurt. As water temps rise, a more erratic retrieve should get their attention. The good 'ol MEPP'S spinner in #3-4-5 blade sizes could use a good washing too. You could get real fancy smancy with all kinds of plastics too, but not neccessary....although alot cheaper if you forgot to tie a leader on.

Good luck!

Post by **wanabee fisherman** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 12:44 pm

Thanks for the welcome and info guys . Alot of great reading on this forum .

Post by **GetTheNet!!!** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 12:52 pm

Welcome aboard Wannabee, always nice to add another fishermen to the mix.

Post by **wolfe** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:03 pm

Hey Wannabee...good to have you on board.

I had some good success with a Bomber Long A for pike in the spring. You can really alternate the retrieve, based on how aggressive or sluggish the fish might be based on water temp's, etc..

Make sure you've got a nice pair of needle-nosed pliers if you plan to be fishing for pike, especially if you're using treble hooks.

Good luck.

W.

Post by **Kpin** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 3:04 pm

Welcome aboard W/fisherman! As I've welcomed many in the same way....I'm quite confident you'll enjoy your surroundings and the wealth of knowledge. I however possess none and spend most my time being a smartass.

Bah, I blame it on genetics. Have to blame it on something, don't I?

(Your assumptions are correct. Seems larger fish don't want to expend energy unneccesarily, so a larger bait for a larger predator is a sound rule of thumb. You'll get less hits but your overall snag ratio will net you the bigger boys).

Post by **wanabee fisherman** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 3:20 pm

Thanks again for the welcome everyone , I hope you dont get sick of my dumb questions. Should i get a mouth spreader ? . What weight leader and length should i use?.

Post by **Jair** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 4:24 am

Welcome Wanabe,

30 lb leaders should be strong enough, 9"-18" will usually do for lenghth.

Look for the "ball bearing" swivel leaders....helps w/t the twisting.

If the fish are bigger don't be afraid to pick up a couple of 50-60 lbers.

Cheers

Post by **Bobber** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 8:43 am

Wannabe_fisherman,

Welcome to Fish-Hawk.Net and thanks for introducing yourself. Feel free to ask as many questions as you'd like. I'm sure someone here will be able to handle them for you, and I'm sure you'll get many different oppinions at times.

I"m not sure what Islands you are referring to, but if it's close to the GTA, I don't know if I'd get too excited about the ice being out by March 31, but then again, who knows depending on current and such around these islands if it exists. In any case, spreaders are optional, but if you're fishing Pike, be sure to have a pair of needlenose pliers or something to avoid putting your fingers in their mouths where at all possible.

I generally find that Pike are savages most times. They'll hit large or small baits, the trick of course if to figure out what action will cause them to strike. Spinners, flashers, erradict cranks, or sometimes just a jig and grub may get you a hit. A 12" leader should be plenty, but you can go longer if you'd like. I recommend snap swivels and ball bearings like Penn5 said.

Hope that helps a bit. Let us know how you make out.
Cheers,

Post by **Jebby** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 9:27 am

welcome:)

for pike i like flatfish personally yellow has done me best,.... also can try deadbait if all else fails

Post by **wanabee fisherman** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 11:25 am

Thanks again for the welcome and info guys .

Post by **Coyote** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 2:47 pm

welcome aboard wannabee fisherman, white spinnerbaits for pike.

Post by **Wallyboss** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 2:58 pm

Welcome Wanabee, Lots of great info here.