Best Lures for Northern Pike

* This page contains affiliate links. The Great Lakes Fisherman may earn a commission on items purchased through these links. For more on this, please click here.

One of the most exciting fish to catch in the northern regions of the US and certainly in Canada is the northern pike. They are one of the most explosive when attacking a moving bait, especially when water temps are above 70 degrees. And while they’ll hit nearly every bait in your tackle box, some work better than others. In this article, I’ll reveal what I believe to be the best three baits for northern pike.

#3: The Jerk Bait

Pike get jacked up at the sight of anything squirming or struggling. To them, it’s a sign that something is injured or is dying and has lost its ability to swim and escape. To them, this means an easy meal. And one of the best artificial baits that can mimic this process, is the jerk bait.

A jerk bait is most effectively fished, as its name suggests, by “jerking” it through the water. Typically, a pause is included between “jerks” to give the bait the illusion of struggle. The baits come in floating, sinking and suspending (neutral buoyancy) varieties. While there are many of these on the market, my personal favorite is the Husky Jerk, made by Rapala.

For pike, I prefer one of the larger varieties (size 12 or 14). This is because pike are fearless and the larger size will give you the best chance at landing a trophy fish. For color patterns, the world is your oyster, but a traditional gold is a great color to start with.

#2: The Five of Diamonds

Probably the most traditional pike bait on the market is the Dardevle spoon. And while these are available in a variety of color patterns, none are more infamous and legendary than the five of diamonds. The combination of red and yellow, especially in waters high in tannins (tea-colored water), seems to drive pike crazy. This makes it a very popular color in many northern lakes of the upper Midwest and Canada.

#1: Bucktail Spinners

In my experience, no other bait out fishes bucktails for pike. These can be fished effectively for northern pike, no matter where they roam. And while many of them can be effective, there are two that i have personally had the most success with.

The one I like to use when fish waters with really big pike (30″+) is a large (8″) black bucktail with orange blades. Orange is a great color in shallow water that catches a pike’s attention. And once they start to chase, the wiggling and pulsing black skirt is nearly irresistible.

The other bucktail spinner I like to use for places where are the pike aren’t as big, is the Mepp’s spinner pictured below. This spinner has caught more pike for me than any other lure in the waters of Ontario. The little red tag sticking out of the tail is key. The blade color can depend of the water. Gold is great in tannin-stained water, especially on sunny days. But a silver/chrome blade can be a great one as well.

Give one of these baits a try the next time you chase northerns and your sure not to be disappointed.