Multi-Species Perspectives –
W W
Mashup!
alleye and pike often overlap when it comes to where the live and the forage they eat. When these species are sharing the same area, it’s not uncommon to catch a walleye on one cast and a pike on the next. Catching a mix of these tenacious, toothy fish can be a lot of fun, so with this in mind here are some dual-purpose tactics for anglers keen to target walleye and pike simultaneously.
A Preamble On Preventing Bite-Offs With a mouth full of sharp teeth, northern pike can easily cut through light lines commonly used for walleye presentations. Pike bite-offs are a big gripe with anglers. Who likes losing lures, right? The simple solution is adding a leader to a walleye presentation when you’re in pike territory. I use a few different set-ups, depending on the scenario. When I’m primarily fishing for walleye in clear lakes where any pike catches involve small to medium sized northerns, I tie a 20- or 30-pound fluorocarbon leader to 15to 20-pound braid. If I’m trolling crankbaits for walleye, I use a 40-pound fluorocarbon leader with a swivel and snap on each end.
By: Tim Allard
It’s uncommon for a 5-pound pike to chew through a fresh fluorocarbon, but it’s critical to be regularly checking for damage and tying on a new leader at the first sign of trouble. This setup works for jigs, bladebaits, Rapala Jigging Raps, and swimbaits fished on medium- to medium-heavy rods. On waters where there are higher odds of encountering larger pike or frequent northern catches, I use wire leaders. Pre-made leaders are easy to find at tackle stores, but I prefer using thin, knot-able single strand wire for most presentations with the exception of large pike baits.
Same day, same area, two species. The pike ate a Z-Man DarterZ trimmed down to 5” fish ed on a jig, the walleye ate a #7 Rapala Jigging Rap.
My experience is mainly with 18and 25-pound Knot 2 Kinky. This nickel-titanium wire is bite-proof, kink resistant, easy to tie, stretches about 10%, and is ultra-thin, so you don’t have to worry about refusals from line-shy fish. American Wire’s Surflon Supreme is another popular tieable wire option.
When I’m casting upsized plastics and hard-baits on medium-heavy or heavy rods for big pike, I use stronger fluorocarbon in clear water and wire leaders in murky conditions. These leaders are overkill for walleye, but the hardware doesn’t impact landing those fish and, more importantly, are intended to ensure large pike make it in the boat.
Cross-Over Baits: Jigs & Swimbaits
Fishing islands is a good strategy. This spot produced a pike casting and then several walleye trolling later in the evening.
There are many bait options for those wanting to maximize walleye and pike catches on any given day. Jigs rank high on my list as walleye are often bottom-oriented. Pike also relate to the floor or, at the very least, are aware of forage scurrying along bottom. A bucktail jig is a great pick. A quality bucktail will take plenty of abuse from toothy pike and walleye. Ruggedness also makes bucktail
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Just Fishing . 32
Spring 2023