SWIMBAITS
WHEN TO FISH 'EM: Swimbaits work best from early summer through to late fall around hard rock structures. They're also amazingly productive along reed- and weedlines.

WHERE AND HOW: Swimbaits may be the easiest lures to fish because there's no wrong way to present them. By varying the speed of your retrieve, you can fish them shallow, deep or anywhere in between. Rig a Saltwater Swim Shad or Monster Mino Spadetail on a 3/4- to one-ounce, rubber-skirted, bass-style jig head with the hook exiting the back of the lure and it will catch fish. Even better, run the hook out the middle of one side of the swimbait. The WildEye Swim Shad, on the other hand, is pre-rigged with a leadhead already moulded inside.


Whichever swimbait you use, cast it out, keep your rod tip pointed up and reel in line at a moderately quick speed, pausing briefly every five to 10 seconds. Usually, you'll feel the pike hit when the lure hesitates and falls-unless you're using a Suspending WildEye Swim Shad. When you retrieve this unique casting lure, it wobbles like a regular swimbait, but when you stop reeling, it suspends and slowly floats to the surface. It's a superb choice for stop-and-go presentations and any time you need to work a lure up and over a piece of structure or cover.

PYZER'S PICKS (click here for photo): [A] Storm WildEye Swim Shad, [B] Old Bayside Monster Mino Spade­tail, [C] Suspending WildEye Swim Shad (7-inch), [D] Berkley PowerBait Saltwater Swim Shad.

SPOONS
WHEN TO FISH 'EM: In midsummer, weedless spoons such as the Silver Minnow excel in and around cover. Traditional spoons produce best from early summer until late fall in main-lake areas, especially around rocky structures.

WHERE AND HOW: The Silver Minnow is amazingly weedless for such a heavy spoon. It's also strikingly versatile from a speed point of view. When pike are aggressive, retrieve it quickly through the weed tops. Pause when you reach an opening and let the lure flutter down briefly. When the fish are neutral or negative, however, swim it through the weeds at a more modest speed, keeping it about halfway between bottom and the surface.

Troll the bigger, heavier, traditional spoons in big lakes and reservoirs noted for giant gators. Each spoon style has a different action, so experiment constantly to determine what the pike want. The Red & White colour pattern is a classic, as is the Yellow & Red, but I typically favour pure silver and gold finishes for their unmatched flash and baitfish-imitating qualities. The new Williams Sal-T Series, which incorporates a two-colour hackle, is awesome pike medicine.

PYZER'S PICKS (click to enlarge): [A] Williams Sal-T Series, [B] Williams Wabler, [C] Johnson Silver Minnow, [D] Len Thompson Yellow & Red, [E] Len Thompson Red & White, [F] Williams Whitefish.