How much movement matters.

This summer I had an interesting experience fishing at night. One thing I learned very quickly was how much fish's hunting behavior changes. All day I had been fishing with everything under the sun and getting the odd nibble, but nothing solid, hour after hour, nothing. Night fell and I decided to make a few last casts into the water (it was pitch black by now) and I was throwing a spoon, nothing special, just a Red Devil spoon and then BAM!
A big 12lb pike attacks it with a vengeance, jumping out of the water and thrashing wildly, so much so that he threw the hook and got away just before I landed him! I know he was around the 10-12lbs range judging by size and if he was more he would have snapped the 12lb mono I was using and he didn't, he threw the hook. Awesome though, regardless. Anyway, I learned a valuable lesson though. Movement in the water means a whole lot, especially at night. Most fish have lateral lines down each side of their body. What the lines are is a series of pores that pick even the slightest change in water movement or current and assists them in hunting. Muskie are even more blessed in this department as they also have a series of 3 pores on each side of their jaw too, which makes them even better hunters, the ultimate hunters among fish. Can't tell a Muskie from a Northern Pike? Now you can. Pike don't have the extra pores. I guess that night I must have passed my spoon right past his body and he struck, so movement is very important! Try to pick lures that have spinners or blades on them, this not only creates noise to some degree, but also creates a pulse as it moves and spins through the water and fish WILL feel this if it's close by.