Summer Pike Jigging Strategies

Jigs catch pike year-round. Once summer arrives, it's time to start using larger jigs between 4- and 7 inches long as forage profile size increases. Two of my top pike rigs for summer are bucktails and swimbaits. Here are some tips on how to fish them.

The Benefit of Bucktail Jigs

The hair-tied bodies of quality bucktail jigs are extremely durable, so you don't have to fix or re-rig as you do with plastics when the action's hot. In the water hair jigs come alive, pulsating and waving in a tantalizing, lifelike dance. A common tactic to boost the profile and action of bucktails is adding a plastic trailer. Grubs, worms, and soft-jerkbaits are all good options.

A pike-sized bucktail jig tipped with a grub trailer.

Bucktails excel when fished over a canopy of vast weed flats. Prime conditions include when weeds are hit with waves. Pike feed on baitfish disoriented by the turmoil of the swaying weeds and increased water turbidity.

Presentation Tips for Bucktails

My most effective tactic is to rapidly jig the bucktail so it darts up-and-down above the weeds. The commotion caused by occasionally snagging the bait and then ripping it free often triggers bites. Working bucktails is pretty straightforward. Snap the rod from 9- to 11 o'clock so the jig shoots up and forward in the water. Then slowly lower your rod while simultaneously reeling in slack line to maintain feel of the jig. Repeat this rip-fall sequence back to the boat. Maintaining feel of your jig is important, not only to detect hits but to also sense when the bait begins to tick the weed tops, a signal to snap the rod again.

Weed Depth Secrets

To fish deep weeds, let baits sink briefly after entry. In shallower areas, prematurely stop the cast, engage the reel, and begin the retrieve immediately on impact. Let a lure come in too fast over shallow weeds and it will bury itself ruining the entire cast. You'll also need to experiment with different weights for jigging weeds. For shallow areas, 3/8-ounces is a good size jig. For deeper zones and faster presentations, I prefer 3/4-ounces. Going lighter can work if you want more hang-time during the fall.

When flats are a consistent depth, you'll quickly find a rhythm to keep the bait moving and not snag often. This fast-jigging presentation appeals to active pike. Hits mainly occur as the jig falls and are aggressive.

Jigging Swimbaits for Sand Bars and Rocky Flats

Another style of jig for covering water is a swimbait. This category of lures includes shad-shaped plastics with paddletails rigged on jig heads or plastic baits molded around weights and hooks. These lures feature appendages that put out a lot of movement and vibrations. Paddletails or thick, twist tails are the most popular.

Swimbaits perform well to work large expanses of water when searching for pike, such as sand bars or rocky flats. Count baits down to mid-depth or just above bottom. Then reel them in on a steady retrieve while pumping the rod to add life-like action. If fish are active, a swimming, horizontal approach is quite effective. If they're more neutral, use a more a vertical lift-fall approach. Experiment with the height of the lift and fall retrieve until pike tell you what they're interested in. Although not swimbaits, the skirt and trailer, pike-style jigs mentioned above perform well on swimming retrieves as well.

Recommended Summer Fishing Outfits

When fishing heavier weed areas and upsizing jigs, switch to heavy-power baitcast outfits. I like rods to be at least 7 feet. My bass flipping sticks often serve double duty for northern pike jigging. At 7-1/2 feet they deliver plenty of kick to my hook sets and lots of leverage for playing pike.

The author releases a northern pike taken off a weed edge.

It's also important to use a rod rated to cast the size of jigs you're using. As an example, fishing a 3/4-ounce bucktail with a medium-heavy spinning rod won't give as much casting accuracy as a heavier rod designed to handle the weight. What's more important though is an under-powered rod requires more energy to move a jig. Try rip jigging big bucktails or hopping heavy swimbaits all day with a light pole and you'll tire fast. A heavy-power rod transfers your energy efficiently so you can cast baits all day.

Lines and Leaders

I mainly use 50- to 60-pound-test superline when targeting pike. I don't find pike to be as line shy as other species. I also like the no-stretch feature of the line for solid hook sets into a northern's boney mouth. Always use leaders when fishing jigs. Pre-made, 12-inch, multi-strand wire or 60- to 80-pound fluorocarbon leaders are good options for most jig fishing situations. Look for leaders featuring locking snaps and quality ball-bearing swivels.

Jigs are adaptable to work the varying types of pike summer habitat. Keep your tackle box stocked with jigs and wet them often to catch more northerns this summer.