Northern Pike Techniques
Many of the fishermen who catch northern pike do so by accident while they are fishing for other species. Some anglers, though, pursue the fish, which fight hard and often bite readily. They can be filleted and eaten, though many fishermen also like to pickle them. There are several techniques that are especially effective for catching northern pike.
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Bobber Fishing
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One of the best ways to catch pike, especially large ones, is to fish dead bait beneath a bobber. Dead fish, including ciscoes and smelt, are especially effective. Make sure the bobber is large enough that it does not go under the water unless a fish pulls it under. One of the best times of year to fish this rig is in the spring, around shallow vegetation. Large pike that have just finished spawning hang out in such areas, recuperating from the spawn. They do not want to expend much energy to eat, so a dead minnow fished on or near the bottom can provoke a bite.
Spoons
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Spoons are perhaps the one lure most synonymous with northern pike fishing. Most spoons weigh 1/2-ounce and can be cast very far, given their aerodynamic shape. Some of the best colors are red and white, and yellow with red diamonds. Cast spoons near large vegetation beds, focusing especially on the edges. Experiment with the retrieve speed. On some days, pike will hit a spoon retrieved as fast as you can reel. When fishing spoons, it is a good idea to reel for a while, stop reeling and let the spoon fall for a second or two, then begin reeling again. The change of speed may convince a following pike to strike.
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Spinnerbaits in Heavy Vegetation
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Pike, especially big ones, prefer cool water. So during the warm-water months, they can go deep or they can go into heavy weed beds, which create water-cooling shade. While weed beds are favorite spots of bass anglers, they also hold pike. One of the best ways to catch them is to cast a 1/2- or 3/4-ounce spinnerbait into and along the sides of the vegetation. Pike are attracted to flash, so use spinnerbaits that have silver blades. As you reel in the spinnerbait, try to run it into the vegetation and then give your rod tip a sharp jerk to tear it off the vegetation. The erratic movement and commotion may provoke a strike.
Deep Jigs
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Walleye anglers often complain about northern pike biting off their jigs while they are fishing along drop-offs, or the edges of structure like reefs and sunken islands. Pike anglers can specifically target pike by fishing these areas with a 1/2-ounce jig tipped with a large minnow that is dead or alive. Cast the jig and minnow along the edges of these areas and retrieve the combination slowly along the bottom.
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References
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