Diversions for pike

[north_alabama_unlog]

I'll be up in the "southern" part of NWO last week of June/early part of July, fishing 6-8 lakes around and including Lac Des Mille Lacs.

I'm very interested in dedicating a day or two to pike fishing, but am having a bear of a time finding information on what I might try to get after some of the bigger fish. I'm not overly familiar with the seasonal patterns at 48 degrees latitude that early in the summer, or the lake itself. A conservative assumption is that the water will be warm enough by then that the big fish will have moved out of shallower water and for that seasonal period there seems to be a void in available information concerning where the fish are and how to get after them. I know early/late season are the best, but the trip was timed (hopefully) for a consistent walleye bite.

Anybody have any knowledge/experiences up on the shield that they'd be willing to share to help me get started? By all accounts I'll probably be able to catch lots of smaller pike, (camp custodian warned me to tie lots and lots of spinner rigs, that pike collect the requisite offerings to the fishing gods) but I'd like to take a shot at a bigger one. Also, I'm not talking trophy-big--I'd be happy with a 10-12 pounder and ecstatic with anything 15 and up.

[jigman 2003]

While you are tying spinner rigs, make some out of 12 or 18 lb. sevenstrand wire. Instead of using a reversed snell hook, use a siwash hook and either twist it or crimp it. I have done this for years for Canada and the 'eyes hit them just as hard as the "regular" snells. When a pike hits, you won't lose your rig. I personally make them using #5 Colorado blades in bright, flashy colors. I attach two #1 or #2 siwash hooks (one on a clevis about 3" up from the back hook, use two sleeves to hold it there) and then rig them with 4-6" twister tails or my personal favorite, a 4" shad body from Action Plastics. I usually let the trailing hook just dangle, I don't embed it in the plastic. Now that you have them, troll them using a 1 1/2-3 ounce bottom walker along reefs, shorelines, breaks, etc. in from 12-25 FOW. If you don't pick up some 10-12 lbers. doing this I would be surprised. Or, you could just troll some big stick baits the same way.

[NWO Fishing Bum]

Well, I think you're right in most of your presumptions. Late June/Early July can be a tough time to target particularly large pike unless the transition period is largely over. As you stated, the water temps are usually too high in the shallow spring pike locations to still hold the big girls by that time. They can still pulse back in there, but it's rare in my experience to get a giant from a spring spot in July. Temps in NWO have been warmer for the past week and if we have a good June, big pike can definatley be holding in summer locations by that time. On sheild lakes up here, the optimal locations are usually large, expansive cabbage weed beds close to deep water from about 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on a sunny day. Finding and working locations like this may be your best bet. Simply fan cast spoons across these locations-I like the 5 of diamonds best. If condiitons and fishing reports suggest pike are still largely in transition, than it will be difficult to target them in any volume. And when this is the case on Sheild lakes, the best recommendation a guide can give is stick to walleye fishing. You would be surprised how often the biggest pike landed on a late transition/summer trip is actually caught on a jig walleye fishing.

NWO Fishing Bum

[wooglin]

I have told myself several times that on this years trip, I will be on the water pre-9:00 and will target walleye heavily in the morning, and target northern heavily during the day. I have some muskie gear that I plan on taking with that I will be tossing. Mainly larger crank baits, suicks, jointed divers, bucktails...etc. I know the baits are bigger, so I'm hoping bigger fish will hit them. What do you guys think?

[NWO Fishing Bum]

The "big lure for a big fish" debate seems continually tested on the water. I think it's really hard to say. I've tested theories like this but with more and more experiences on the water you seem to go through experiences which contradict one theory while contributing to another. I've seen and caught some mighty small fish on some large tackle, much like you mentioned. I've seen times where we could catch small fish on small and large tackle, but the large fish were only hitting the small stuff. They would not touch the large stuff. And I've had many instances where it seemed colour or shine was the critical factor and not size, or where they would only hit a stickbait and not a spoon. I guess the best bet, if you're not sure or haven't got on the pattern, is to try evrything, and determine what variables are significant? Is it size, its it shine, is it colour, is it noise, is it smell. Determine these critical variables and then try to present a variety of tackle that fits within this niche.

[north_alabama]

Thanks for the reply above. Any advice on an efficient progression for two guys in a boat to go through? I guess you could start with the silver/gold thing, but from there it would get kind of haphazard/random for me.

[north_alabama]

Ha! I bought some wire for just that purpose (got the 49 strand stuff that's supposed to take knots). For the weight are you you talking about using something like a bottom bouncer? Thanks for the tip on hooks, that one had me temporarily stumped. Was looking at using "trailer" hooks. I never think to check saltwater stuff.

[OHIOPILOT]

I kinda agree with the size thing. We spend about 90 percent of our time targeting Pike, I do see alot of larger fish chasing the big lures, even catch small ones on the big lures. But the biggest Ive caught was on Gullrock and caught it on a small Tadpolly! You never know whats gonna work!!!! My recommendation is a personal favorite for over 20 years, Blue Fox used to make them but discontinued the line, but the only place I see them now is at Cabelas, get a few "Canadian Spoons" in the Orange and Hammered bronze finish!!!

[wooglin]

Thanks guys, I'll toss all the stuff I have, including some of my larger muskie bait....I have caught a ton of them with jerk baits while walleye fishing, so those will for sure be in my arsonal.

[north_alabama_unlog]

Ah yes, the orange/gold spoon. Caught my first "keeper" Northern on one of those, Labor Day weekend in 1975, Big Sandy Lake, Mn. Funny what you remember and what you forget over time.

I saw those at Cabelas website and ordered one right off the bat. Glad to hear they still work.

[rebelrn2001]

I have as many cranks/spoons/spinners as most people only use about 1/50th of my lures regularly. I like (I'm taking targeting pike in NWO) a silver Red Eye the best. Two sizes (the smaller one and the next bigger one) depending on the depth and the depth of any weeds. I usually boat over 100 pike for the week myself (some decent size of course--most in the 6" (LOL) to 22" range. Usually we (my wife and I) get 6-10 in the mid 30's in size--I'm hoping for one over 40 one of these days. I keep a few to take home but they need to be 25-26" (can't keep anything over 27) for best meat production/ease of cleaning wise.

[orchard frank]

Take some gold and red Hot n Tots, troll with a wire leader along the first breaks and weed edges early in the season. If you are bumping bottom, shorten up a little. You will also catch some of the biggest walleyes of the trip. The big snakes CANNOT resist these lures. Lots of other stuff will work, spoons, spinnerbaits, plastics and jigs(especially later in the year, deep), but the Hot n Tots day in and day out have worked best for me.