It is difficult to choosing the best soft lure for pike It's so easy to get lost among all the references currently available on the market. In fact, each soft lure dedicated to pike has unique colours, profiles and vibrations. So it's important to tailor your choice to your needs. However, our subscribers have shareagé 10 soft lures that they consider to be the very best in pike fishing. If you want to find the best soft pike lure to suit your needs and conditions, you'll certainly find it in this list.
Characteristics of a pike soft lure
The soft pike lure we use most in France is the shad. It generally consists of a spindly body with a fish-like silhouette. La body shape as well as by its tail give it a swimming in rolling so particular. But the shad is not the only reference soft lure for pike. Many variants and other types of soft lure are available on the market.
Indeed, the pallet shads, the grubs, the hybrid soft lures are also assets that need to be taken into account, and which we will describe in our list of the best pike soft lures. Each soft lure has its own vibrations. The different parameters (lure proportions, shape of theaor the hardness of the rubber).
Every angler will have a choice to make from this range of possibilities, which complement each other depending on the situation.
Wolfcreek Shad: The best pike shad for slow fishing
The Wolfcreek Shad is, in our opinion, one of the best soft lures for slow fishing for giant pike. We've lost count of the number of pikes this shad has been able to put on the water.
Even at very slow speeds, the caudal fin is very discreet. This allows slow fishing and makes even the most educated pike wary. The finish levels of the Wolfcreek Shad are neat and the rubber is very dense. These characteristics mean that this lure will stand the test of time. We recommend mounting this soft pike lure on a Twist Head with a belly frame. Sturdy, easy to use, great swimming action, exceptional finish, wide range of colours available. In short, this soft lure is a pike fishing nugget.
Svartzonker Mc Rubber: The best pike soft lure for durability
The Mc Rubber is a reference soft lure, designed and dedicated exclusively to pike fishing. Its tough, supple material allows the Mc Rubber easily come to life and last over time.
We particularly like this lure for linear fishing over weed beds or in open water. This lure stirs up a lot of water and will attract pike swimming in the vicinity. This lure is also very dense and will allow you to cast it long distances.
You can use it either weightless in grassy areas or with a screw + sinker and a double triple rig for deeper fishing. Whatever the set-up or situation, the Mc Rubber is one of the best soft pike lures on the market in our opinion.
Fox Rage Replicant : The best soft pike lure already pre-armed
The Fox Rage Replicant is one of the brand's iconic soft lures and a must-have in your lure box. This soft lure is weighted and pre-armed with a single on its back and a triple ventral. This reduces the chances of stalling. Its very wide tail and ample rolling action make for a swim that stirs up a lot of water and attracts from far away.
The body material has been modified for greater strength and resistance to pike attacks.
The ultra-realistic colours play the imitation card to perfection: perch, pike-perch, pike, roach and chub. Visit Fox Rage Replicant is a timeless favourite in the world of soft pike lures.
Illex Dexter shad: One of the best soft lures for stalking record-breaking pike
The Dexter Shad by Illex is a soft lure with a very realistic shape and appearance. We've designed it to catch the big pike of our waters. The lure has a crustacean attractant that seems to appeal to the senses of our beloved pike. The material used is incredibly supple to make it easier to hold in the mouth when luring. The shape of its body gives it a very pronounced rolling action that stirs up a lot of water and attracts from afar.
The shape of its extra-wide tail is exceptionally attractive. It creates powerful, fast vibrations at the slightest touch. It swims very efficiently in a straight line. We use the Dexter Shad to search for plant cover and bank drop-offs for fish hiding in ambush.
Biwaa Divinator: The best paddle shad
The Biwaa Divinatör is a lure that needs no introduction. This flexible pike lure has been in the news a lot in recent years. It's a UFO in the world of soft lures, but one that's exceptionally effective. The Biwaa team have replaced the caudal fin with a willow leaf paddle, producing unique flashes of light and vibration. What's more, this lure is pre-weighed and pre-armed with a triple ventral line and a single dorsal line.
The Biwaa Divinator is an all-purpose lure that adapts to many situations. It can be used in shallow areas, near crowded areas, in open water, etc. It's got it all!
Easy to use, a simple cast and retrieve is all it takes to get it into action and make it attractive. By far the best soft pike lure in the paddle shad category.
Megabass Spark Shad: A soft lure specially designed for pike
Here is a soft lure signed Megabass specially designed for pike fishing. The Megabass Spark Shad is the result of a collaboration between Ultimate Fishing and Megbass to meet the expectations of pike anglers. The result is a big lure (176mm for 55g) that doesn't look like a big bait. It can be cast all day without tiring.
At Rodmaps, we like to fish with the Spark Shad in water depths of between 50 cm and 2 metres. Its soft but resistant rubber will allow you to animate this lure very quickly as soon as it comes into contact with the water.
For shallow areas, we recommend using a shallow rig, which will allow you to fish well in areas between 50 cm and 3 metres deep. For deeper areas, you can fit it with a lead head and a triple belly rig.
CWC Miuras Mouse: The revelation of recent years
The CWC Miuras Mouse is a great find of recent years. Created by a crafstman in the early 2020s, this mouse imitation quickly attracted some very, very big pike and found its fans. This soft lure is a combination of multiple vibrations. A snout made from fibres for discreet vibrations. Finally, a double grub producing big vibrations for targeting pike from a distance.
This flexible pike lure moves slowly in a straight line and allows you to explore all layers of water. You can move it quite slowly in different layers of water. The Miuras Mouse is the UFO and the revelation of recent years in pike fishing.
Deps Sakamata shad: The best finesse soft lure for pike
The Sakamata LIFO is a soft lure in the softjerk category that is ideal for vertical pike fishing. Why should you choose it? Quite simply because this soft lure has the particularity of having two appendages located at the back of the cheeks. This gives it a very flat and stable swimming action. What's more, this soft lure comes in sizes of 6 inches and over, making it a perfect bite for big pike. Finally, the soft, unobtrusive tail produces small vibrations that will fool even the most educated pike.
We also like to use it weightless over weedbeds on an 8/0 Texas hook. Its wings give it great amplitude in its movements when you jerk it, imitating a wounded fish to perfection. During pauses, it glides and falls like a dead leaf. Ideal for discreet fishing and dead sticking.
The Deps Sakamata is a concentrate of research and is for us the best soft lure for pike in the finesse lure category.
Illex Dunkle 7: A versatile pike soft lure
The Dunkle 7" from Illex is a soft lure already rigged and ready for pike fishing. This soft lure is internally leaded and very dense. It can therefore be cast long distances. Its profile will also allow you to skipper it under foliage, which is what makes it so special compared to other pike soft lures.
Instead of a treble hook, the Dunkle is fitted with a double hook that is attached to a hook and releases on the slightest attack. This makes for a more discreet swimming action and above all avoids snagging your lure as it passes through obstacles. These unique features make the Dunkle d'Illex A highly versatile soft lure, ideal for pike fishing in congested areas, along edges under foliage but also in open water.
Fox Rage Pro Grub: The best flexible pike lure in the grub category
We couldn't go into the subject of the best soft pike lure without including another essential type of lure on the list: the Grub.
In this category, we have selected the Pro Grub 23 cm from Fox Rage. This soft lure has a unique vibration not found in shads, thanks to its sickle-shaped fin. This lure is a great alternative to shads when pike don't want them. Its spiral tail comes to life at the slightest touch and its size makes it a prime target for pike.
When the pikes are overly solicited by the shads or are not biting much, don't hesitate to mount a Pro Grub. generally speaking, this change will make a difference.
How do you choose the best soft pike lure for the conditions?
Here are a few rules that we often apply ourselves and which we hope will make it a little easier for you to choose the best pike soft tackle for the conditions you find yourself in.
- Choose soft, high-vibration lures in spring and autumn. These periods coincide with peaks in pike activity as they emerge from spawning or start to build up their reserves in preparation for winter. Pike generally react very well to these vibrations at these times.
- Medium vibration soft lures are versatile all year round
- Low-vibration lures are ideal when conditions are difficult or the fish are educated.
Generally speaking, the lighter the water, the more we favour natural colours such as Ayu. Conversely, the more the water is tinted, the more we use colours that stand out, like Fire Tiger for example.
Finally, we also adapt the size of our pike soft lures according to the time of year and the environment. At the start of the season, we generally start with smaller sizes (15, 17 and 20 cm) to suit pike targets at that particular time of year. In winter, we increase the size of our lures to displace the pike, which are more apathetic at this time of year.
Useful links to complete this article on the best pike soft lures:
Pike lures: 10 pike lures to have in your box of lures
Pike crankbait: 5 essential pike crankbaits
Pike Stickbait - 5 top stickbaits for pike fishing
Pike spinnerbait: 5 essential spinnerbaits for pike fishing
