How to Catch Northern Pike in the Adirondacks
The Adirondacks region in New York State is a destination for tourists year-round. In the winter, the area is a popular skiing spot, thanks to the Adirondack Mountains. In the summer, anglers flock to the region to fish the lakes and streams around the Adirondack Park. Anglers catch many types of fish in this region, including the northern pike, a relatively easy fish to catch. Catching this type of fish in the Adirondacks requires knowing the right location and lures to use.
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Instructions
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Use a fishing boat. Though many types of fish can be caught from the shores of lakes, fishing from a boat will nearly always yield the best results. Using a boat allows you to try several areas of the lake in succession, troll, and access areas that are difficult to reach from the shore.
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Visit lakes in the Adirondacks region such as Great Sacandaga Lake, Tupper Lake, Lake George, Long Lake, Cranberry Lake, the Saranac Lake Chain, the Fulton Lake Chain and the St. Regis Chain. The Adirondack Regional Tourism Council identifies these lakes as prime lakes for northern pike fishing. Great Sacandaga Lake, for example, has been the site of many documented catches of northern pike weighing at least 20 pounds.
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Use lures that are known to get results with northern pike. These lures include standard red/white DareDevils, yellow DareDevils and Rapalas. The red/white lure is effective if the water is clear; use the yellow lure when the water is murky. Northern pike are also known to hit on simple jigs, but given the size of the pike in the Adirondacks region, it is most efficient to use a bigger, sturdier lure. In many lakes in the Adirondacks, the northern pike is at the top of the food chain. As such, it feasts on other fish, rather than minnows or bugs. For this reason, a large lure is vital to landing the fish.
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Fish in areas where northern pike are commonly found. This includes in shallow, swampy areas, in thick weeds, off shoals and in bays. Because northern pike feed on walleye, bass and smaller pike, it is important to fish in areas where this prey is commonly found, such as in swampy areas. If you're fishing for bass or walleye in these areas and are not getting any bites, it may be a sign that a northern pike is hunting in the area.
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Keep your lure active. When you cast into a swampy area, snap back on the rod just before the lure hits the water. This will make the lure slap and skip along the surface, which is believed to create a noise that appeals to pike. Pike are known to hit on lures floating on the surface, so another option is to drop a floating fly lure into an area around lily pads and move it slightly.
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Tips & Warnings
Fish in the early morning and early evening when the northern pike are on the hunt for food.
Pike fishing in the Adirondacks region is open from May through the fall.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit big pike image by Sorin Alb from Fotolia.com
