The lures pictured above are the standard size Daredevil.
This lure is a prov-en big pike lure in The Key River area & all of Canada.
The next size down is also good but not as long or heavy.
Many fishermen use the next size down for bass in Georgian Bay & some even use it for yellow pickerel.
The yellow one works better in cloudy or murky water like you will often find in The Key River itself & the red & white one works better in clear water out in the bays past Key Harbour Lodge.
I use a Swedish casting reel & heavy six & one half foot to seven foot rod with long fighting butt & heavy wire leader of forty pound test six to twelve inches long.
Twenty pound line works best as this is a very heavy lure that you can cast a mile even in the wind.
All you have to do is cast it way out in the deep weeded pike bays & reel it back in & do not be surprised if the pike grabs it when it hits the water.
The red & white standard size Daredevils resemble the ciscoes just like the seven inch black & silver Rapala & that is why big pike in Georgian Bay go after them in a minute if you encounter them when they come out of deep water to feed.
I have watched fishermen in the walleye spawning grounds catch one big pike after another on Daredevils all day long without leaving the same spot.
Pike fishing is best when there is a breeze on the water that comes from the south.
I have found that pike hit best around three P.M. in the good holes I am familiar with & they ususally only feed for fifteen minutes to half an hour or so.
Big pike have a really big mouth & anything that gets in their way is toast & it does not take them long to get their fill.
If they see a Daredevil when they are feeding they will go after it & when they grab it you will know.
You can also get pike trolling with Daredevils but the big Rapalas work better for trolling most of the time unless there are to many weeds in the area.
One of the problems with trolling for pike with big Rapalas they have three sharp treble hooks that get all tangled up in your net when you haul the fish into the boat & big pike can damage & waste Rapalas in a minute & they are very expensive & not near as durable as the Daredevils.
I have Daredevils in my tackle box I bought thirty five years ago & they still catch pike even though the paint is all scratched off.
The Daredevil will catch big pike & plenty of them if you catch them up on their feed in & around the shallows off deep water.
All you have to do is find them & learn where they come to feed each day & cast for them in that area which is usually shallow areas filled with broken rocks or boulders that adjoins deep water 35 feet or more.
The Big Pike of The Georgian Bay spend most of their time down deep where they are hard to catch so you have to be there when they come up to feed except in early spring & late fall when they move into the shallows & weed beds where the water is to warm for them at other times of the year.
The bamboo weeds that stick out of the water near shoals & deep holes are always good places to find really big pike especially if there is broken rock or boulders in the water.
It is entirely possible to catch a forty pound pike in The Key River Area Of The Georgian Bay.
The largest pike I ever caught was thirty three pounds & I have taken many in the twenty plus pound range casting Daredevils or trolling seven inch Rapalas for pickerel.
You will find them almost everywhere in the area so be prepared to hook into one at any time & set the hook hard.
Big spinner baits work very well at times especially in early spring or late fall when the water is cold & they want a slower moving bait.
Mepps spinning lures & Rooster Tails in the larger sizes are also very good casting lures for pike in the Key River area but twist to much for trolling, foul on weeds & run to shallow for trolling the big pike bays out around the shoals near the big water.
What was good in Georgian Bay forty years ago is still good now & nothing else is better.
If you want to have more fun with pike or muskie walk the dog with a Zara Spook or toss Creek Chub Injured Minnows on the surface.
If you do not think big pike are there just catch a live perch & throw him out on a big bobber hooked behind his dorsal fin & see what happens.
If you leave your pole sit make sure you rope it down.
Check to see if that is legal first.
If not use a large sucker minnow or any kind of live fish that is legal.
Checkout my blog roll in the upper right hand column for more information on Northern Pike.
The Georgian Bay Fishing Camp would be a good place for you to stay if really big pike is your thing & these people know where they are & how to get them.
I have seen a picture of a 39LB pike caught in Georgian Bay at Key Harbour Lodge.
- Big Georgian Bay Pike 28 Pounds
