Ok so we have all picked out a lake with a health pike population and weed filled (hopefully) warmer bays.

Next step for me will be just how big of a bait will I be throwing saturday afternoon? I doubt I will be bringing the Double Cowgirls and the like but I am undecided on whats going to work.

How big are you going??

I've had some of my best luck going w/ stickbaits early spring-I'll be casting/pullin some Husky jerk-baits w/ firline hoping to bump into eyes/smallies and pike.
redhooks

If I get out the first thing I will throw at em is an X-rap. Both a white and a brown/gold/orange.

I will be throwing white spinnerbait to start, worked last year to locate them. Will most likely fish live bait, med. suckers after fish are located or in proven spots from last year.

I'm taking the approach of starting shallow and moving out 'til I find fish. The M action crank set-up will be a stickbait like a Rogue or Thunderstick. The MH crank set-up will be a HJ, or similar suspending minnow bait, or an X-Rap. Right now a 2lb pike will be a very welcome sight!

Probably have one with a spoon bait like a Johnson Silver Minnow, you can bring them thru pretty slow and let 'em flutter. A nice trailer slows it down too....

All else fails, I'll troll cranks around the walleye guys, pike are "water wolves", right?

If i go pike fishing, i havn't decided if i will fish walleye or not. I will start trowing a rap mag 18 on the breaks outside of the spawning areas. if that doesnt produce i will move to the shallower areas. I have found in preveous years the little pike will be in the shallow areas with a few larger ones mixed in. I will try locatind the "big girls" first.

Agreed! After looking at the latest weather forcast this evening since my last post it might call for pulling Lindy Rigs for 'eyes under the bimini top!

I'm thinking a #5 jointed or maybe as big as a #9 slow rolled...yes I'm talking Shad raps. The three S's of spring. Slow, Small and Shallow. Remember this time of the year pike are feeding on small baitfish and they are a bit tired and sick from the whole week of romance they just went through. Somewhat like after you get sick, you don't go eat an entire pizza right of the bat ya start out with soda crackers or soup and work your way up slowly.

I'll start out with throwing an x-rap in iether brown/gold and/or perch, and might get out a size 11 origonal rap and might throw a few spinnerbaits as well.

Ahh they were just working up a appetite.

I won't be going too big on saturday, probably the size you'd usually use for bass mid summer.

I've been out in WI on the WI river which is open year round here for pike and other waters that just opened up in WI, me and my fishing partners have been usig something like size 3 mepps inlines and medium sized jerkbaits and like mentioned above more of a "walleye sized" jointed shad raps, and the biggest has been 32" on the jointed shad rap. I'll see about streamers on the fly this weekend maybe too.

Some of my best pike days have come from a simple jig and minnow. But I am definately going to bring the arsenal with on Sunday, I know, sunday not saturday. Gotta work!....