Big pike and muskies prefer long, thin baits. Here’s the skinny on why and how you should fish them

Giant fish devour fusiform swimbaits such as the Warhammer

FRESH OPTIONS

I’m betting by now the same light that went on for me is now turning on for you, too. Namely, when it comes to lure selection, the fusiform shape is better for attracting and triggering big toothy critters, rather than the prevailing preference for so-called bigger baits. And it opens up an exciting new frontier.

For the past few years, for example, I’ve been creating my own super-slender, 15-inch-long tube jigs that closely resemble the giant hot dog-shaped pike Glade discovered in the stomachs of the fish he sampled. I simply take two 10-inch Waterwolf tube jigs and cut the tail off one and the nose off the other, then bind them together using Mend-it soft-bait glue. I believe I’ve never caught more and bigger fish slinging this spindly creation, which I call the “Miss Twiggy Tube.” The same goes with tying on the longest, leanest swimbaits I can find, such as skinny 14-inch Warhammers from Toddy Tickle Baits.

Yes, these baits are big, but much more importantly, they are longer and much slimmer than traditional toothy critter baits—precisely what Glade’s memorable-sized muskies and pike seem to be craving. I am betting, too, that in the weeks, months and years to come, we’ll see many more lure makers jump on the long-and-skinny bandwagon.

In the years to come, we’ll see many more lure makers jump on the long-and-skinny bandwagon

I’ll leave you with one last reason why I’ve already jumped on the bandwagon. Late last November, I was throwing one of my Miss Twiggy Tubes on a spot where muskies intercept schools of ciscoes and whitefish coming ashore to spawn. I parked the boat in about 20 feet of water—it was 80 feet deep immediately behind me— and pitched the spindly tube up on to the shoal that topped out in about eight feet of water. I snapped it once, let it suspend and slowly flutter down, then popped it again to make it look like an emaciated cisco on its deathbed.

Suddenly, a giant muskie engulfed the bait, and I set as hard as I could. As the fish dove toward the deep water, I tapped the spot-lock function on my electric trolling motor to hold me in place, then grabbed the net and moved to the stern, where it’s closer to the water and easier to land a big fish when fishing alone. I kneeled down on the back casting platform, and with my right arm slowly raised the rod and pulled the fish toward the giant net I held in my outstretched left arm.

The moment the fish felt the net’s cold steel rim touch its jaw, however, it thrashed violently and flung the hook free. If that wasn’t bad enough, it then finned effortlessly on the surface, not 10 feet away, and looked me straight in the eye as it flicked its tail and disappeared. It was the biggest muskie I’ve ever hooked and lost. Now you know where I’ll be this November, pitching a long, slender lure.