Large Bait, Large Walleye/Pike Discussion

[Warmbreeze]

This is primary concerning pike and walleye. I have read many places that pike eat food up to 40% of their own size and walleye similarly. This means a 30 lb pike would be eating 10+ lb fish for food.
In your own experiences, have the largest walleye and pike you have caught followed this trend? I do realize at any good opportunity any size fish will eat a tiny meal. If one were to target just large trophy fish would it be more worth while to use large bait? Trolling around a 15" plus 10 pound lure/bait. I wonder if more monsters would be caught if more people specifically targetted them. This could mean fishing 16 hours for a single fish...not many people are willing to do that. I believe many trophies are caught my fluke, and more could be caught if more people targeted them.

Even for walleye, what lure/bait would best replicate a 2-4 lb whitefish or perch for specifically targetting large ones.

Normally I only use Rapalas and spoons as hardbait and leeches/nightcrawlers and dead minnows as softbait. I recently tried Berkely Gulp leeches and they suprised me to how well they worked. The only thing is for the grubs/minnows/baitfish they are soo small and minimal color selection. Anyone have any other ideas to scented softbait larger than 4 inches?

I wanted to start a discussion on some theory behind the big ones but may have made this too broad. If so Ill break up thread into a few smaller topics over next while. Look forward to hearing theories.

[Chris84]

Yes, the larger the bait, the better your chances of a larger pike. However, I have seen many small pike hit a lure almost as big as them. They are very territorial.

Conversely, I have seen large pike hit small spoons. So really its about weighing quantity vs size. If you want more fish, use smaller lures. You will still have a chance at catching a large pike, but if you want large pike, use a large lure, but you will likely catch less fish. Also all of this is dependant on the lake too, taking into consideration the ratio of large to small fish.

I'm thinking though, that you might have a tough time with a 10lb lure.

Chris

[C & C]

Caught my 2 biggest pike this summer (19lbs 2oz and 22lbs) on a meeps syclops (maybe 4in in length) and a shallow diver (again maybe 4in long).

I did try a large muskie lure and i only caught baby pike on it that were roughly the same size as the lure (8 inches).

i did use a Blue Fox spoon inthe perch pattern but nothing over 10lbs on it.

My wife caught a 30in walleye this year on a random blue/silver i had from the coast that she though was pretty.

For me it seems if they are hungery and the lure (any lure really) passes by them they eat it.

[chriscosta]

We fished a hole on a tiny river one evening and got alotta small walleye and after dark we got a nine pound walleye with a parker minnow but... It had a walleye in it that was easily 15 inches long so idk what to say but I have gotten many huge pike on my giant storm kickin minnows and on the side note many small pike as well bite that thing so my guess is ya bigger bait bigger fish but it can go both ways I bet location and water temp/time of year make the difference

[Kokanee9]

I think your chances are better when you combine a regular lure in an area where large fish are known to be. You have a higher percentage rate of landing a large one out of all the fish you get.

[dragon]

Pike and walleye are very much opportunistic hunters. They will eat anything that they think they can catch if they are hungry.
Having said that, location on a water body, weather patterns, and whether or not there is actually any trophy fish in the lake play important roles as well.

[cube]

One of the factors that you might like to keep in mind before using large lures; what are the size of the forage fish in the water body in question.
Eg. If you are fishing Hasse lake where there might be only pike and 3 inch three-spine sticklebacks, that are only a couple of inches in length, you might find little action on your large presentations as the pike would not be used to seeing/feeding on large forage. Go to a different lake that has White Fish, Suckers, or Burbot and you might well find a very different response to your large presentations.

Kind of a match the hatch if you will.

I’m not sure about others but I have not had much success fishing lures beyond 3-4 inches for Walleye. Have caught a few on 6 inch lures but not many.

Great topic I look forward to the responses others.

[chriscosta]

Id like to try n throw some of them silvery fish some guys been pullin from the pembina on a hook and back in the pembina now that the big walleyes are out

[fishinggeek]

Bigger is always better.

[huntsfurfish]

"Match the hatch"

[BeeGuy]

go big or go home

a 10lb lure might be overkill

a 10lb bait I might consider in the appropriate waterbody/ocean

Usually when someone says, "What are you going to catch on that?", I figure I'm on the right track.