northern pike advice

[fyshrmn]

I'm just looking for some advice on how to catch or try to catch northern pike. We have a small fishing lake in south central Kansas that they stock with northern to help control ANS. Since my boys found out that is all I here when are we going to go where the pike are? Just looking for some tactics and lure types so when we go in the spring we can try to catch a couple. I have never targeted them so I will be shooting in the dark.

[Fishhound]

[black][size 3]A little more info on that lake and the other fish found there would help get you some more precise suggestions. Like: [/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]Is the lake frozen over and would you be ice fishing there now ? [/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]Are you fishing open water ?[/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]How big is the small lake and how deep ?[/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]What other kinds of fish are in it ?[/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]Do you have a lake map ?[/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]Typically, pike can be found at certain times of the year hanging out on lake points, drop offs, and weed edges waiting to ambuse unsuspecting prey. Live bait (use the local common forage fish if possible) works really well when tail hooked on a jig or a quick strike rig. You can also have some success using artificials that mimmick the local forage fish. [/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]Again, if you can give a little more detail about your lake you might could get more details in return. [/size][/black]
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[Bassmaster-ND]

Pike will pretty much go after anything. I always catch them on crankbaits, spinners, spoons, you name it. Anything that looks like it would make the pike mad always seems to work.
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[travisville]

Red and White Dardevle[pirate]
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[lonehunter]

Just about any lure will do for pike . Northerns are an ambush preditor during the warm weather and will hit about any time during the day .
Now if you are fishing from a boat you will have to stay pretty close to shore or near a weed bed . Cast your lure to the outermost edges of the weed bed or strait twards shore and reel the lure in , a slower retrival will give more flutter and will cause a greater agression response from the pike when using a spoon .
When your lure is 10 to 20 feet from the boat , make a large figure 8 in the air with your rod tip , this will give you a couple extra seconds for the pike to make a good swipe at your lure .
( Pike will usually hit within the first ten seconds of the lure hitting the water or just about the time the lure is leaving the water ).

Now , if your fishing from shore lures work about the same way with the exception that you must reel in faster as the lure aproaches shore or deal with getting hung up on the bottom .

Bobber fishing for pike works pretty good from shore or in a boat and is a little better for younger kids .
You will need a sizable baitfish , preferably live . Hook a treble hook just in front of it's tail but avoid hitting the spine . add on a small weight onto the line a foot above the baitfish . add a bobber to the line to keep the baitfish down a foot or two under the surface . The bobber itself should be a large one , a 3" one works best .

Ice fishing is done pretty much like bobber fishing without the bobber . use a tip-it or a sturdy ice rod . to get the fish out of the hole some come out rather easy , some require a gaff , gaffs are easy to make with an old broomhandle and some heavy duty wire like an old bucket handle has .

10 or 12 lb. line is best for pike and always use a good steel leader to attach your hook or lure .

Pike don't feliet like a regular fish does , their bone structure give them the nick-name "Y bones " .
You have to follow the "V" to get out the backstraps out and then follow the sides of the " Y" to get the filets .

Check your local regulations on the size of hooks to use before fishing . Use a net when landing these fish and use caution and a set of needle nose plires and gloves when removing hooks .
Pike are headshakers and can fling a lure out of their mouth during the landing of the fish , their teeth and gillplates can open a hand up just as deep as a raisor blade .

Most of all , get ready for some nonstop fun and excitement .
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[fyshrmn]

thanks for all the info We will give it a try whan it warms up enough for the boys. Hope they catch aome so I can get some pics

[lonehunter]

This pic was taken this weekend [cool] . There is a third fish, a 10" sucker in the belly of the bigger northern . I know your kids will have fun fishing for pike [] .


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[fishin_ak]

In alaska they love lure jensens krocodiles they work the best. but most chrome spoons work very well. Live bait works great for ice fishing. As you see from the fish above pike are like the water wolf. I think summer fishing is better because you can use live bait such as mice or gold fish[sly] Try a spoon or anything shiny. Good luck.
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[lonehunter]

Epinger's Daredevil spoons are the favorite in my neighborhood , that or Flatfish Lures .
Goldfish are illeagle in Michigan as bait , but mice , and frogs will do fine .
Back in the day you could go to a few baitstores just south of Detroit and pick up some live baby ducks as pike and musky bait but , I think those days are long gone as far as I know , something to do with waterfoul hunting regulations making it a no-no .
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[silex]

I've always had great success using the Rapala brand lures. I've had one with a perch paint job for nearly 10 years or so now that I use all the time. That lure alone has caught upwards of 50 northern.

Go with the "countdown" Rapala type and troll. Usually works like a charm.

Northern Pike usually aren't all that picky and will generally attack anything if they're hungry, though.

[Tarpon4me]

Hey there silex, and welcome to the bigfishtackle.com message boards. Feel free to check out all the great benefits the site has to offer. If you have any questions, make sure and PM myself or one of the other moderators. Don't forget to check out your state board!

Thanks for you inputs! We look foward to seeing more of your insights in the future! [cool]

Bryan D.
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