Mississippi Pool 8 Pike Action 7/2/09

Thursday 7/2/09 the 25hp Merc was fired up and pushing the 14footer on its way to Gator country. The driver was red eyed and yawning from the lack of sleep the night before, different plans kept running through my head making sleep impossible. It still feels good to get all excited like a teen the night before

After yet another Wisconsin cold front the end off June but a warming spell on its way, I was hoping to find some top water pike action.

Armed with a steel leader, toads, frogs and super spooks and making commotion to beat the band on the surface never did create that big explosion a guy always trys to stay prepared for, but it did however reveal a couple Titans that just tried to kill the bait out of spite

The Gators were found , now it was time to find something they wanted to eat!

Taking Bob Boman’s advice and backing off the playing field has helped put some nice toothy’s in the boat for me this year, and it was the key to getting these finned wolves to crush a bait on this day. The cover being fished was thick pads in 1-3fow with clumps of weed running parallel on a shelf in 4-5fow. The boat was kept past the shelf in the side chute channel with 7-8fow of running water.

Staying a distance away from the work and tossing baits as far out towards the cover makes the perfect opportunity to fully work a bait back to the boat.

After working the edge of the cover back to the boat with a Husky Jerk and only one follow the next in line for the task at hand, a chartreuse spinner tipped with a Firetiger K crub, this girl wanted to show off the bait for you

A long flail with the spinner landing 2-3 feet into the pads, keeping the rod tip high and pulling the bait to the edge of the pads caused some good commotion in the cover. Once the bait was out of the pads a moderate retrieve turned the commotion from the pads into a wake just above the weeds The long cast gave me the advantaged, the pike was pulled from the cover and now that the killing machines attention has been captured, whats it going to take for the strike………..it was a retrieve, quick pull and pause

A good tug on the rod while retrieving made the hunter pick up pace while chasing the bait, then a dead pause made the hunter open wide and show his pearly whites

After putting this pattern together it worked for the rest of the day, long cast into the pads looking to move a fish, drop and run the bait just above the weeds with a wake behind the bait, tug and pause, wham

A number of hammer handles 24-30inches made it into the boat but every now and then, a bruiser would move out of the cover angry at the intruder

The best fish wanted so bad to be 40inches but she was just shy (My best this year), one 38, a couple at 36 and a few 34’s – 32’s also caused there to be dancing in the 14’ floater. Sorry about some of the pics (and lack of) but, holding a net over board with one pee o’d gnarled toothed pike in it while trying to set up a make shift tripod and camera makes for a tussle

The day started off with one tired not fully awake dude and turned him into one wired pumped up old man

Get out and enjoy the pike bite, it is hot right now. If it keeps warming up don’t forget the top water will kick off again

Good luck fishing people, and have a safe and fun 4th