Northern Pike Help!!

[B@ssCrzy]

Going close to the U.P. Michigan in late June. I am guessing water temps will be in the upper 60's to lower 70's. Where should I look for Pike. And what lures are good? I have several spots with thick weeds that I was going to try in the mornings and evenings, but any help would be appreciated.

[J Francho]

Deep ledges, huge hair jigs.

[Cire]

Spoons (Daredevil Red/White) and spinnerbaits (white) have always worked well for me in the UP. Another method is large sucker minnows on a bobber. In the mornings the best spot is a creek or river where it flows into the lake, if one exists, otherwise the outside weedline or large flats.

[B@ssCrzy]

Spoons (Daredevil Red/White) and spinnerbaits (white) have always worked well for me in the UP. Another method is large sucker minnows on a bobber. In the mornings the best spot is a creek or river where it flows into the lake, if one exists, otherwise the outside weedline or large flats.

Are you talking like a mepp's inline spinnerbait or more of a willow leaf spinnerbait?

[Cire]

Either will work but I mostly use a white willow leaf spinnerbait since it is more weedless. They will bend the heck out of them and distroy the skirts though so bring a few

[B@ssCrzy]

Either will work but I mostly use a white willow leaf spinnerbait since it is more weedless. They will bend the heck out of them and distroy the skirts though so bring a few

Great!! Thanks!!!

[clayton86]

Either will work but I mostly use a white willow leaf spinnerbait since it is more weedless. They will bend the heck out of them and distroy the skirts though so bring a few

that's why I throw terminators they hold up a tad better well the wire arm anyways skirts usually get F.U.B.A.R after 2 or 3. That or go to walmart and stock up on the .98cent spinners and a pair of pliers to keep adjusting it back till the arm snaps off lol.

[Crestliner2008]

By the time you are heading up there, the water will be in the summer period. If you are looking for big pike, you have to understand that they are a cold water fish; as opposed to their younger brethrin which frequent the shallow warmer waters. Not to say that the big girls don't occasionally venture onto the shallow flats, but they prefer the cooler water down deep. Look for steep breaks adjacent to large flats or islands. They will be suspended there, following large schools of bait. If you use your sonar to find these schools of bait, pike will be close by.

I would definitely set up a trolling pattern for starters, in order to locate structures they may be relating to. Large spoons, spinner and plugs are good tools for your search. I prefer musky sized inline spinners, such as the Wendel's Musky Harrasser and 8" plugs like the Believer or Swim Wizz.

Good Luck!

[NoBassPro]

By the time you are heading up there, the water will be in the summer period. If you are looking for big pike, you have to understand that they are a cold water fish; as opposed to their younger brethrin which frequent the shallow warmer waters. Not to say that the big girls don't occasionally venture onto the shallow flats, but they prefer the cooler water down deep. Look for steep breaks adjacent to large flats or islands. They will be suspended there, following large schools of bait. If you use your sonar to find these schools of bait, pike will be close by.

I would definitely set up a trolling pattern for starters, in order to locate structures they may be relating to. Large spoons, spinner and plugs are good tools for your search. I prefer musky sized inline spinners, such as the Wendel's Musky Harrasser and 8" plugs like the Believer or Swim Wizz.

Good Luck!

I'll second this, but if a front is moving in it seems to put them on the prowl.

[NoBassPro]

Deep ledges, huge hair jigs.

I used to tip those with 6" sucker minnows for a good time..

[northern basser]

Running crankbaits in 10 to 20 ft. of water or so is a good tactic.

[AK-Jax86]

Anyone know of any places in Jacksonville, FL that have good pike fishing? Long shot but figured I'd ask

[ww2farmer]

The best tactic I have found for catching pike is to tie on your most expensive bass lure, or a lure you are crushing bass on and are down to your last one untill a TW order can be made. Make sure you use no steel leader. You won't be able to keep them away. Oh...they also like big heavy tungsten sinkers, the bigger and more expensive the better. I think an $8 1 oz. of tungsten flipping weight, and a $2 Trokar hook is like crack to pike.

[NoBassPro]

The best tactic I have found for catching pike is to tie on your most expensive bass lure, or a lure you are crushing bass on and are down to your last one untill a TW order can be made. Make sure you use no steel leader. You won't be able to keep them away. Oh...they also like big heavy tungsten sinkers, the bigger and more expensive the better. I think an $8 1 oz. of tungsten flipping weight, and a $2 Trokar hook is like crack to pike.

One of those days, huh?

[SirSnookalot]

Anyone know of any places in Jacksonville, FL that have good pike fishing? Long shot but figured I'd ask

No pike that I'm aware of...............go for barracuda.

[clayton86]

The best tactic I have found for catching pike is to tie on your most expensive bass lure, or a lure you are crushing bass on and are down to your last one untill a TW order can be made. Make sure you use no steel leader. You won't be able to keep them away. Oh...they also like big heavy tungsten sinkers, the bigger and more expensive the better. I think an $8 1 oz. of tungsten flipping weight, and a $2 Trokar hook is like crack to pike.

haha that's hilarious but so true

[J Francho]

The best tactic I have found for catching pike is to tie on your most expensive bass lure, or a lure you are crushing bass on and are down to your last one untill a TW order can be made. Make sure you use no steel leader. You won't be able to keep them away. Oh...they also like big heavy tungsten sinkers, the bigger and more expensive the better. I think an $8 1 oz. of tungsten flipping weight, and a $2 Trokar hook is like crack to pike.

[Lund Explorer]

By the time you are heading up there, the water will be in the summer period. If you are looking for big pike, you have to understand that they are a cold water fish; as opposed to their younger brethrin which frequent the shallow warmer waters. Not to say that the big girls don't occasionally venture onto the shallow flats, but they prefer the cooler water down deep. Look for steep breaks adjacent to large flats or islands. They will be suspended there, following large schools of bait. If you use your sonar to find these schools of bait, pike will be close by.

I would definitely set up a trolling pattern for starters, in order to locate structures they may be relating to. Large spoons, spinner and plugs are good tools for your search. I prefer musky sized inline spinners, such as the Wendel's Musky Harrasser and 8" plugs like the Believer or Swim Wizz.

Good Luck!

Having just returned from a Northern Michigan fishing vacation myself, this advice DOES work. We were fishing along sharp breaklines (within 50' the depth went from 4' down to 35') trolling for walleye and had several crawler rigs tied on 17lb mono bitten off on the deep side. A switch to heavier flouro tied to minnow style cranks resulted in 5 pike over 30" with the biggest at a respectable 35".

The pattern: 8'6" MH trolling rod, Diawa Accudepth17 reel, 15lb flouro with 15lb Big Game backing. 2oz bottom bouncer with a 36" leader of 25lb flouro and duolock snap with assorted minnow style baits. Most came off a Long A Bomber in wonderbread color. 35 feet of line down and another 20 feet out on the planer board. Trolling speed was 1.4 mph to 1.8 mph. All of these bigger pike came from at least 25' of water.

[sean_steiner]

During the summer, the hammerhandles will be in shallower water around stick piles and weeds. The huge ones however, will be deeper near drop offs or choke points where baitfish (baitfish for pike that size could be a 20 inch walleye) of larger size are concentrated. I find the easiest place to catch pike of this size is near tumbling rapids, where they lie in wait near rocks to strike at whatever floats down. Otherwise, I'd troll with a huge spoon or rapala along rocky drop off areas. Big pike can be a lot more picky then their younger brethren. If artificials don't work, see if you can find sucker of large size and put them on a bobber and wait. Lazy I know, but I have caught some of my biggest pike this way!