It’s always exciting to experiment with a new technique, and so it went, my partners and I experimenting for the majority of the day, on and off for the next two weeks with various ways and means of catching pike on floats.

One of the true benefits of fishing side by side with other keen anglers is learning from one another, as we worked our way through a wide range of float, jig, and retrieve types in search of the best combination. Throughout our trials, fixed floats consistently outperformed slipfloats. While the difference is likely subtle, we reasoned that the swimming path of a jig fished under a fixed float kept the jig closer to bottom and imparted a more gradual swimming motion than slipfloats, which cause a more drastic up-and-down action.

Pike also showed a preference for a more aggressive jerk-and-pause retrieve over slower pulls or even a slow, steady retrieve. Rip the float forward 2 or 3 feet then let it rest for 5 to 10 seconds, and repeat. When the water was calm, each forward motion left a trail of bubbles on the surface. We reasoned that the action of the float grabbed the attention of the fish and prompted them to cruise over for a closer inspection.

Pike hit a range of jig styles, but bucktail jigs are particularly effective, due partly to their durability. For an extra level of pike-proofedness, add a heavy dose of epoxy to the thread portion of the jig. Tying 40- to 60-pound Maxima fluorocarbon leader directly to the jigs prevented bite-offs and held the jig tight enough to keep it horizontal as it hung beneath the float. Experiment with lure depth but think in terms of how far your lure is off bottom, rather than the distance between the lure and the float. In natural bays the water depth varies, so adjust the lead length to the right depth as you move from one area to the next. Areas around marinas are often maintained by dredging, so the depth may be more or less the same throughout.

Whether as an intermediate option between jerkbaits and deadbait, or simply the new curveball to pitch at those wary gators, the float-and-fly technique could be one of your favorites for springtime pike. n

*Lonnie King is a fishery biologist, multispecies angler and writer from Ottawa, Ontario.