Savage Gear backed Robbie Northman is based in Norfolk. Predominantly, specialising in lure fishing. Robbie uses an array of tactics to target Perch, Pike, Chub, Zander and some saltwater species. The 29-year-old bar manager from St Faiths has managed some quality Pike already this season and explains his favourite style of lure today.

Growing up on the Norfolk Broads I had an abundance of water to fish from a young age. Starting out pleasure fishing, it wasn’t long before I encountered perch and pike. Usually snatching smaller fish from my line. Naturally, I developed an interest in predator fishing and at the age of about 12 I set out to catch my first Pike. A few failed attempts later I encountered a tiny jack on a yellow curly tail grub. From that moment on I was hooked on the species. I wanted more!

The near edge. Before moving to far into the swim have a cast in the edge. Pike often lay in close.

As I grew older I started to fish for pike more seriously. I used an array of tactics to bank numerous fish between the 20 & 30lb mark. I soon found I preferred the mobility and excitement of lure fishing and wanted to solely focus on that, putting more time in to targeting other species too. I have always maintained a love for Pike fishing through autumn and winter.

Pike can be found in a range of venues from rivers to stillwaters, canals & drains. They are opportunistic predators that can adapt to a range of scenarios and thrive using an ambush hunting style.

Rivers are without a doubt my favourite type of venue. Often set in a natural environment with an endless plethora of features to target. The next bend, tree, pool, reed bed or urban structure provides excitement and motivation for the roving angler.

Stillwater fishing can be exciting and technical. Obvious bankside features such as reed beds, bays and trees hold fish. What lies beneath is just as important ledges, bars, weed growth and submerged objects can all hold fish and can be challenging to find. In some deeper waters depth is a factor to consider. At times Pike can be higher in the water column so changing the working depth of your lures can pick up bonus fish.

With all venues, timing can be the key. Big Pike can move and feed at different short intervals throughout the day and night. Although lure fishing can trigger an aggressive response from dormant Pike you often find peak periods throughout a session where fish actively feed. Discovering these patterns can help you fish in the right place at the right time.

Overhanging trees. A Pike could be laying in ambush under any one of these

The Tackle

Pike can really move when they want to, often displaying amazing speed & power. Despite appearing ferocious they are a delicate species. Correct tackle and handling is important to ensure their wellbeing.

This is the kit I use for pike fishing with medium to large lures.

The Rod

I prefer to carry a one size fits all style of rod when targeting pike to limit the equipment I carry.

Typically a rod in the 20-60g or up to 100g class covers most situations.

I use a Savage Gear Browser CCS, it’s a 7ft trigger grip rod with a 40-80g cast range but performs well outside of those ranges.

I have that paired with an Okuma Ceymar low profile baitcaster reel.

A larger baitcaster or a spinning reel option is just as suitable.

Strong braid is essential not only will it eliminate breakages it helps retrieve lures from snags. Usually you can straighten a hook on a straight pull.

The braid on my reel is 37.5lb Savage Gear Adrenaline 4 strand.

Trace materials

I use 30lb titanium wire for my traces. But 7 & 49 strand steel wires are perfect. Heavy breaking strains of fluorocarbon usually in 1.2mm diameter (100lb+) and up, meet the requirements for pike fishing.

I like to go light

Unhooking tools

Within my kit I carry a set of long pliers, forceps, side cutters and pistol grip pliers. Side cutters are useful with large hooks, where a point may need to be removed to free it from a net or a delicate area of a pike without much force. Pistol style pliers have become my favourite. They offer a strong grip with single hand operation, they’re compact and can get to areas that are difficult with other tools. A blunt smooth head eliminates the risk of damage to fish.

Other items include a comfortable tackle bag. I prefer a backpack style dry bag.

A large net, mines a Savage Gear XL folding frame net.

A good unhooking mat, I like the folding cot style when handling large pike.

The Lures

There are many types, styles & sizes of pike lure. From soft plastics to jerk baits, crank baits, spinners and spoons. Each having a perfect time and place. Today I’m focusing on my favourite style of lure, the curly tail. As I mentioned earlier my first ever pike fell to one of these and they’ve produced fish from that day on.

I love curlytails. Lures like 3D real eel, 3D Hybrid Pike and 3D Shallow Burbot

One of the widely used lures when I was growing up was the bulldog. A pike catching machine, with an bulbous head, fins and curly tail. Since then many styles and varieties have appeared on the tackle shop shelves. My top choices now are the Savage Gear Burbots, Real Eels & Hybrid Pike.

The Shallow Burbot is a pre rigged lure, fishing effectively straight out the packet. It has a broad speed range and incredible action. It’s easily modified just clip on a weight to fish at all depths and speeds.

The Real Eel comes rigged but I prefer the loose body form. I can tailor them to my specific needs by changing the rigging system. The long profile and rippling tail make it great for slow retries along deck for winter pike.

The Hybrid Pike. A mixture of hard and soft plastic. This lure has interchangeable tails that fix to a hard head. It comes with a paddle tail and curl tail which I prefer. It’s pre rigged and fishes super shallow and slow. Extra weight can easily be added for faster retrieves and sink rates. The tails can be mixed up to create unique colour combos.

These 3 cover most scenario’s I encounter although I keep a few more styles in the box.

A rattle improves attractiveness. This Burbot got hammered as you can see in the picture!

Subtle tweaks.

Ready to fish lures can be easily modified to perform to your needs. Short of bells and whistles, rattles and weights are a few modifications I make. A rattle placed horizontally in a soft lure will create a nice click when pausing and jerking a lure.

Adding weight spikes to the body of a lure can control the balance. Bulking up the weight at the front can alter depth and speed the lure works at. you can easily make a shallow lure work deep but it’s difficult to make deep lures run shallow.

Top or bottom rigging. Often when fish are lethargic and I’m stopping lures on the bottom or working over weed. I place the hook systems on top to reduce hook fouling. It’s handy to counteract the balance with a rattle or spike to keep the best action in the lure.

An evening bank hopping.

My favourite venue is the Norfolk Broads. I’m fortunate to live mere minutes from the water giving me access to lots of short evening and dawn sessions. I use bank and boat tactics to target fish. But enjoy bank hopping the most. Most of the broads system is free but access is limited. There are lots of small staithes that can be fished quickly on lure tactics and searching around them can be a lot of fun. The fish here move a lot on our tidal systems and knowing when each location is fishing best can help greatly. On arriving at my chosen venue I like to assess my surroundings and form a plan. Water clarity and tide will play a big role. The tide rises and falls by large amounts at times and can influence lure depth and baitfish locations greatly.

Some areas carry more colour than others and I adapt my lure choice to suit working very bright or even dark colours in muddy water and more natural patterns where it’s clear. I often fish well into darkness its not uncommon for pike to feed long after the sun has set.

Added weight to the nose is an easy fix to go deeper.

I assess the swims features and work around it in a fan style. Quite often fish will lay tight to the near bank, often using the structure of the moorings or vegetation to ambush prey. Marginal shelves are great patrol points.

Overhanging and fallen trees are awesome features but with so many around it pays to work through them until you find fish.

Bends and natural changes to the watercourse often produce. There’s usually different types of sediment and variation in flow where baitfish gather to feed. the pike are often close by.

Confluents and cuts, where watercourses meet provide slack water and shelves where prey and predators gather to feed.

The Broads themselves hold quality fish, timing and location are key. The vast size of some can make fishing from the bank challenging.I keep my approach mobile searching through water quickly, focusing additional time on key features.

Working my lures. Curly tail lures are very versatile. You can fish them at all speeds fast, slow, stop and jerk them. You can let your imagination run wild, think about it from a Pikes perspective. A steadily moving lure creates curiosity. Let it suddenly stop and fall and it’s an opportunity to strike, to another pike this may be off-putting and an aggressive change in speed may trigger that flight or fight instinct needed to produce a confident take. Not every pike on a water will feed in the same way, keep experimenting and mixing it up when bites begin to slow down.

Mounting the hook on top it perfect for fishing through the reeds or dead close to the bottom

Some days on the bank certainly take more work than others but that’s part of the excitement of fishing. Quite often Pike will follow a lure right to the bank or boat, often turning away short or missing the lure. It’s something that can apply to all lures. You can try to convert followers into takes by adding additional action. Work the lure right to your feet. A sudden change in direction, drawing the lure along parallel to the bank can entice a take. Sometimes simply leaving the lure to hang for a few moments before lifting it out, or even dropping it to the bottom to settle can be the trigger. Some fish respond to this and others don’t but its certainly bagged me a few bonus captures.

To sum it up lures with curly tails are a must in any tackle box. They might not be the top producer on every outing. But when the timings right their versatility and action can save the day.

Top Tips

Don’t be put off by dark colours. A strong silhouette can stand out better than a bright one.

Be adaptable. Tweaking rigging and weight to suit the venue can help you fish more effectively.

Keep them wet. Pike have a high oxygen demand. Minimise their time on the bank and give them a chance to recover if needed.

A fish to be proud of