Roiling, boiling, water-flying, slashing, green-tinted, teeth-flashing strikes. What triggers them in nature? Baitfish in death throes. Baitfish feeding, or being otherwise distracted. Baitfish in panic mode. Baitfish in catatonic mode. All fall into the category of things that trigger predatory responses in big toothy critters. And, in terms of lures and mimicry, all of them come in one package.
Suspending baits are gradually being recognized as one of the primary tackle-box food groups for pike. And, as suspending baits gradually grow larger, muskie fishermen are beginning to recognize them for what they are—great early-season baits and perfect “throw-back” options for followers that turn near the boat.
The newest player on this stage is the Rapala SXR14, largest of the X-Rap family of slashbaits and already a proven muskie catcher and a must-have, big-pike bait. It has the same erratic tendencies of the smaller X-Raps, but its 51⁄2-inch, 11⁄2-ounce frame pushes more water, produces bigger flash, and displays a larger profile, making it a premier early-season option for muskies.
The largest Smithwick Suspending Rattlin’ Rogue (ASRDC1200) is the same length but weighs two-thirds less (1/2 ounce). The big Rogue is less aggressive than the SXR14, and requires more energy input to achieve erratic action, which is fine. Use it when you might use the Rapala HJ14 Husky Jerk— in colder water. Less erratic baits like these are perfect during postspawn, after cold fronts, and any time pike seem lazy.
The Lucky Craft Pointer 128 is the only other slashbait really large enough to qualify with the magnum versions already mentioned. Pointers are high-action baits that swing to the side with the least amount of energy applied. This bait can practically twitch right out of its own paint without moving forward much more than a foot. Large baits are seldom this erratic.
The Pointer 128 is a glider. When it turns to the side on a walk-the-dog retrieve, it continues to glide in that direction, if allowed to. After snapping the rod tip down, feed a foot of slack line to the retrieve by keeping the tip low and extending it toward the bait. With any suspending bait, watch it beside the boat before pitching it out there. See if it glides, see if it walks properly, pull it fast to see if it tracks straight, and generally watch what it does when you snap the rod tip down. If the lure won’t run straight at a fast clip, tune it until it does. Otherwise, it probably won’t walk right. (If a bait runs off to its right at high speed, point the nose of the bait toward you and push the eye slightly to your right, or toward the left side of the lure’s face. If it runs left, do the opposite. A perfectly tuned bait operates much better when asked to walk through a series of fast, hard snaps.)
Slashbaits vary widely in action from company-to-company and lure-to-lure. Lip placement, center of gravity, lip design, body shape, weight, and the composition of the bait combine to determine action. Rapala Husky Jerks and Smithwick Suspending Rogues, for instance, are not high-action baits. Like all suspending baits on the market, you can make these two walk-the-dog, but it requires a little more work on your part. With a Lucky Craft Pointer 128, an XCalibur XC4 or an X-Rap, smaller movements of the rod tip are magnified to a greater degree.
