Northern Pike are at the top of the food chain in most lakes in Ontario. They eat just about anything. Walleye, Perch, Chub, Shiners, Frogs, Snakes, Birds, Bugs and other Pike are all on the menu.
Traditional Locations:
Small to medium size Northern Pike generally stay in thick weeds and close to shore. They will stick to the back of bays where water warms up quickly with the morning sun and they have lots of weeds to hide in.
You can find big Trophy Northern Pike in the back of bays and in thick weeds as well but generally the really large Northern Pike are more likely to hang around points leading into bays, narrows between islands or in river current. They need breathing room and like to ambush bigger prey like Walleye. They like to hang around areas where Walleye are migrating through.
Deep Water Pike:
On Wawang Lake where there is a good population of whitefish, many of the massive trophy pike will go deep to feed. Whitefish have more oil and are far more rewarding in calories than walleye or small pike. Deep water pike fishing is something few people ever think about trying. There will be 20 to 25-pound pike patrolling the bays and points but the really big 35-pound+ pike will be down deep.
There are two ways to catch them down deep. You can jig with lures like you are ice fishing or troll for them. To troll down deep for Pike is basically the same as trolling deep for Lake Trout. The difference is you use Dardevle Spoons or bigger Muskie lures. This is not a popular way of fishing because you are not going to catch smaller pike like you do close to shore and with a limited amount of holidays, most people prefer to see action and hope them come across a big one.
Lures & Flies:
Northern Pike hit just about anything that moves. The best lures to use are lures that come out of the fish’s mouth easily without harming the fish like Dardevle and Spinner baits. Mind you, over the last 30 years so many people have been using Dardevles for Pike fishing that many Pike have learned to stay away from them on some lakes. They are still considered the top Pike lure by most people. Many believe the red-&-silver Dardevles works best in clear water while the yellow-five-of-diamonds Dardevles work best in murky water. Dardevles have also been called DareDevils but the proper spelling is Dardevle.
Nick Welter – Hartland, WI
Fly-fishing for Pike is also gaining in popularity. Anglers are finding that you can cast your fly into small open patches in the middle of thick weeds and pick up Pike that are not practical to go after with traditional lures. Fly-Fishing looks cool and romantic on TV commercials and movies but it’s a lot harder then it looks and can be a very frustrating way of fishing if the pike are under shore cover like large over-hanging trees. Flies are also dangerous to the fish because they get swallowed way down where it causes more harm to the fish. If you are going to fly-fish, please use large barbless Pike flies.
Below is a list of good Pike lures.
Pike Trolling Lures:
• J-ll Jointed Rapalas
• J-13 Deeper Jointed Rapalas
• Ziggy Lures
• Willy Lures
• Wiley Lures
• Believers
• Swimwizz
• Large Mepps Bucktail Spinners
• Lucky Strike Wooden Muskie Plugs
• Heddon Muskie Plugs
Pike Casting Lures:
• Dardevle Spoons
• Williams Weedless Pike Spoon
• Tinsel Tail Spinner
• Large Bass Spinner Baits
• Crank Baits
• Jerk Baits
• Suick
• Large Mepps Bucktails Spinners
• Rattle Baits
Pike Flies:
• Rabbit Strip Pike Bunny
• Dahlberg Diver
• Red & White Pike Fly
Top Water:
• Heddon Spook
• Jitter Bugs
Top-Water Using a Spook
Top-Water fishing for Northern Pike with a Hedon Spook is an art form that seems to have been lost and needs to be carried on to the younger generation. There is no fishing method for Pike that is more exciting then Working the surface with a Spook and getting those Monster Pike splashing at the surface. Over the years we’ve seen people try to fish with Spooks and they just can’t get it right so we are going to show you the most exciting Pike fishing method known. Since we we very seldom hear of anyone using these lures and it’s time we get people back into using them.
1st) You have to cast your Spook out. The perfect spot to cast a Spook is over-top a thick weed bed that is just under the surface, in between patches of lily pads or along side Bulrushes. The whole purpose is to be able to fish in places that are not practical for other lures.
2nd) Once your Spook hits the surface, don’t start reeling in yet. Give it a couple of yanks so it makes splashes on the surface like a wounded frog or bird. Many times the Pike will hit the Spook before you start reeling in.
3rd) This is the tricky part. You have to hold your rod up as high as you can and pull the line tight so your fishing line is not in the water or even touching the surface. Your line has to be out of the water or the Spook will not make the proper motion when you reel it in.
Start to reel in slowly at a constant speed. While reeling in you have to jerk your rod every second. When you jerk your rod, the Spook will slide to one side. When you jerk it again, it should slide to the other side in a crisscrossing motion. You have to get a rhythm going. As you are reeling in, your Spook splashes from side-to side and this drives the Pike crazy.
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