Does anybody have any advice concerning fall northern pike fishing with the shadzilla lure? Any help would be appreciated.

Just do a search.......I have posted fairly extensively concerning the Shadzillas. I am not sure if anybody else has taken the plunge. They are definitely a "whack-em" lure for big pike but they absolutely require specialized equipment. The full sized Shadzillas run upwards of 8oz and light Muskie tackle would be preferred.

They also require specialized equipment to remove the lure from the fish. Shadzillas sport two 8/0 razor sharp treble hooks spaced far apart.......add in another single 8/0 single hook riding atop the lure increases the risk of wearing one.........attach to a 40+ inch green torpedo at the side of a canoe and it's a disaster in the making. It's why I have a solid rod holder and 10' leaders of 60 lb fluorocarbon and tow the brutes to shore and get out of my canoe to deal with them. Tools include 9" needle nose pliers, lindy fish glove, and a boga grip.

You should strongly consider the Shadzilla jr. Still a big lure but sports a single treble and single top hook directly above. Much easier and safer set up to deal with and will still move big fish.

Read up on my previous posts. They are a sure bet for a trophy pike IMO as they will kick their tail to get this bigger offering. Don't skimp on the line strength.......I like 65 or 80lb braid and long, heavy fluorocarbon leaders with 60lb being about right. Use the FG knot to attach braid to leader and a 3 turn gryp knot (tied with a tie fast tool) for the fluorocarbon. You can also do a search of the Tie fast tool to acquaint yourself with the various nuances of the tool. It excels over more common fishing knots in many instances in as much as the loops encircle the running line........better physics.

Yeah I should have stated shadzilla Jr. Thanks for the help.

Rick

Go for it........you won't regret it. You could get by with the Jr. with a stout bass flipping stick and a bait caster. I still like heavier braid as much for ease of use as anything else. I am not proficient enough with braid to be casting heavy lures with even 30lb braid on bait casting gear and would expect to backlash and bury the stuff. Expect to break out the scissors when that happens. I seldom get serious braid backlashes out. On smaller bait casters I would use 65lb power pro. Bigger equipment I go up to 80lb and can confidently cast without problems and fight big fish even in the weeds with confidence.

I also believe the Jr would be a great big walleye lure and would fully expect to connect with outsize walleye especially in the fall when baitfish are larger or at night when that big paddle tail puts out a lot of vibration.

Still read up on what I have posted concerning the full size shadzillas as the info still applies. Dont forget the super glue or Mend it to repair your lures. They will get shredded and glue definitely puts you back in the game. The actual paddle tail holds up very well and so far I have not had one nipped off. Be aware of the internal wire harness and make sure it is straight and not bent after catching a fish.

Let me know how you do. I want you to catch the pike of your life ;-)

Master tangler, as per your advice I did catch a large northern pike Tuesday night on Lake 3. 44 in female very large around.

This Northern was caught 7 at night on Lake three southern end with a Zara spook, 8 lb trilene XL no leader. Netted the old girl and in the boat with in about 2 minutes. I had to stick the pole under the boat as she headed straight under the boat for deeper water twice. All the hooks on the lure were bent about half way to straight . The trilane knot heald.
.

We did catch quite a few Northerns with the shadzilla trolling. And we found a 3 & a half pound largemouth on Lake 3 with the super Shad rap in perch color. Thanks for all the help to everyone. Oh and you might find this interesting my brother caught a 22 inch walleye off one of the islands on Lake 3 with a red Daredevil spoon.

drrick: "We did catch quite a few Northerns with the shadzilla trolling. And we found a 3 & a half pound largemouth on Lake 3 with the super Shad rap in perch color. Thanks for all the help to everyone. Oh and you might find this interesting my brother caught a 22 inch walleye off one of the islands on Lake 3 with a red Daredevil spoon."

Beautiful fish Bud! It sounds like you had a great day on the water. Its always fun catching them on topwater.

Hey drrick

I read your post with quite a bit of bitter sweet. So glad for you.......I smiled at your good fortune. Sounds like you had a great trip. Weather was good? My August trip had went south in a big way and I am still a bit sad about it.

You are on your way. Keep applying and refining your presentations for even more success down the road. You were careful when dealing with the fish? Particularly the Shadzilla lures and pike. Northerns are deceptive critters and just when you think they ready they take off like a rocket. I wore a treble hook from a rather smallish pike after speed trolling with a Magnum Rapala. Nailed me right in the meaty part of my palm. My partner turned white when he saw it. Fortunately the fish had jumped off. I bent the barb down with channel locks and slid the hook through. Lucky!

The Super shad rap is a "super" lure. While it may not get numbers it can be surprisingly effective at times for a wide variety of fish (including big walleye).

You are wise to take note of the effectiveness of the spoon. A highly underutilized option when the water is cool. Sometimes spoons excel when all other offerings fail. Just have to set them up so they dont twist up your line. Medium sized spoons with a single Siwash salmon hook with a curly tail trailer threaded on the shank of the hook is a good way to upsize a spoon while still being able to use fairly light tackle.