Much like 2022, 2023 was a year of big pike! We set a ridiculous goal of catching 20 pike over 40" this season and if it weren't for a few mental mistakes we could have hit this goal. In total we boated 14 pike at or over 40", another 16 in the 37-40" range, and lost 4 at the boat that would have likely beat the 40" mark. Check out our top lures for each season below.
Spring
Suspending Jerkbaits
The suspending jerkbait is a spring time staple, 2023 was no different. The first 6 pike over 40" this season came on suspending jerkbaits! This year we caught them on a variety of colours. The husky jerk or strike king jerkbait never came off our lines this spring and was by far the best spring pike lure this season for both numbers and size. Lures used included:
Strike King KVD J300 Sugar Daddy
Rapala Husky Jerk HJ14 Black/Gold, Blue/Silver
Early Summer
Bucktail Single Blade Custom
As the water warms pike metabolism goes into overdrive. This season the water didn't warm to its normal levels and so some pike were able to stick around the shallows and transition zones extra long. While covering water quickly we were able to generate a ton of big strikes with single blade bucktails. Despite our preference to throw swimbaits like the shadzilla jr this bite was non-existant! The lure used was a custom heavy weight bucktail with a single blade for retrieving at extra fast speeds.
Fall
Various
In 2023 the summer to fall transition lingered and then water temperatures dropped suddenly. It seemed like the fish were waiting to move shallow for the fall feed and then skipped right over it moving back to deeper water. This behaviour required constant adaptation to figure out where the fish were and get them in the boat. 40" class fish were caught on bucktails, spinnerbaits, swimbaits, and jig/minnows while casting & trolling. Due to the constant changing of techniques it is difficult to narrow down top baits but these are what we had used:
Ace Baits Monster Spinnerbait
IC9 Bucktail
VMC Sleek Jig
Zman DarterZ
Shadzilla Deep
----------------------------------------------
To experience a day of fishing on the water with us be sure to check out our YouTube channel at the link below.
New Wave Fishing Academy is here to teach you all we know and everything we continue to learn about fishing. Check out our fishing courses at the link below: https://www.newwavefishingacademy.com/learn-to-fish-ontario
If you or someone you know is looking to get into fishing or you just want to become a more successful angler be sure to check out our "Zero To Hero Fishing Masterclass" for courses on everything fishing! The masterclass is built to help you learn how to find and catch fish like the pro's by providing all the information you need and a clear development path! Don't miss out check it out now at www.newwavefishingacademy.com/zero-to-hero
Have you ever wondered why lures don't come with instructions and wanted to know how to fish them? Look no further than our "How To Fish" series where you will learn what each bait is, how to use it, when and where it excels over other baits, our preferred setup to use it on, and the common mistakes anglers make when using it. www.newwavefishingacademy.com/how-to-fish
Check out the results of our fishing students and teachers to see what you can accomplish with New Wave Fishing Academy: https://www.newwavefishingacademy.com/best-fishing-ontario