The jig-and-softbait options I’ve been tinkering with for almost a decade have proven irresistibly attractive to pike. They cast well, hook fish well, and it’s easy to handle fish once you catch them because the lures have just one hook—so it’s easy on fish, too. I fish them from mid-spring until freeze-up, typically alongside an array of crankbaits—another story.

As a backdrop to everything said here about lure presentation, remember that getting lures to the appropriate depth is the first priority in fishing. Then they must be moving at the right speed. The right profile and working action are almost as important as speed. The lure’s visual appearance as it moves through the water is vital. Vibration also plays an important role, not only in appearance but also in ”the feeling” that surrounds a lure. Color can be the final factor in putting it all together.

J-mac Combos

The J-mac jig remains a fundamental part of my system for pike. The jig is available in 5/8-, 11⁄4-, and 11⁄2-ounce sizes. The lightest jig works best unless pike are in heavy weedgrowth, which can be the case once they move from the shallows to spots at the mouths of bays, or into weedgrowth on deeper flats in those bays.

When I target muskies and pike, I usually couple the jig with a 6-inch shad-bodied plastic, rigged flat on the jig. The body wasn’t designed to be flat yet it works best that way. The plastic is much more pliable like that and provides more action. It also helps the jig to run shallower on a straight retrieve and to glide more slowly and smoothly on the fall. Rigged correctly, this combo swims in subtle crankbait fashion. Until last year the best shad body that I’ve found is the Lunker City Shaker. I’ve now added the Big Hammer to my list of favorites.

On waters where I’m after only pike, I add a curlytail to the J-mac instead of a shad body. A 4-inch curlytail is too small and an 8-inch curlytail too large. The Berkley Gulp! Saltwater 6-inch Grub is a good one. I also use 6-inch plastic grubs from Fisherman’s Factory. Trim these back to about 5 inches before slipping them on the hook.

Working the J-mac Combos

J-mac and Shaker—Think of this combo as a crankbait or a bucktail spinner. Cast it out and retrieve it slow and steady to get started. Rigged as I’ve suggested, it swims like a shallow-running stickbait or a light bucktail spinner. Pike love it fished like this. The bulk added by the skirt helps to keep the combo running shallower and allows it to be fished more slowly. Hesitating the jig at times during the retrieve sometimes triggers following fish.

If I see a fish, I try to bring the bait on a straight, slow swim at an angle that makes the jig easily visible to the fish. Sneaking something up on pike usually spooks them, so don’t bring a combo directly past a pike from behind. A quartering angle from behind and just off to the side can work.

Trying to tempt lethargic fish that won’t respond to a straight retrieve by tipping this combo along the bottom past their faces usually doesn’t work. The combo’s too big fished like that—better to go with one of the smaller options.