How to Catch spring time Northern Pike

[twinsfan900]

i have the same pink one works really good in a little river i live near

[ravenstylea2]

Where do northern pikes go in the summer and fall? how do you catch them then?

I am so used to bass fishing that it's getting boring.

[letsgofishindotus]

Go deep. Deep is relative to the overall depth of your river system. Our river goes to 103 feet. I tried to find summer pike in 25 feet in the morning hours with large minnow or suckers if you can get them. Get your wallet out though. In the morning hours I try hairy jigs on the outskirts of weedbeds. Constatntly staying on the bottom. Or as the day goes by I try a three way swivel with a circle hook and large minnow just drifting in 25 - 50 feet of water. letsgofishin.us

[ravenstylea2]

@letsgofishindotus Thanks man.

[SuperPensfan8771]

@ravenstylea2 go deep with dead bait or a shiner use two treble hooks 1 in the tail and one just past the head. some times deadbait with a crystal clear bobber. also you can use some topwaterbaits that works for me.but with dead bait you have to go just past the weed line because thats where the pike like to patroll in search of food. when fishing topwater slow and smooth is the best way top go. when youre bringing it in let it sink give it an agressive sweep then smooth reeling again

[letsgofishindotus]

@SuperPensfan8771 Thanks for your post. I agree with everything you said. Comment often on our videos as it helps other on how to catch. Remember everyone should be practicing CPR. Catch, photograph and Release. There's nothing wrong with responsible harvesting as long as you leave some for future generations to catch.

[SuperPensfan8771]

@letsgofishindotus i dont like keeping pike. if i keep any at all i only take one. pike are already a threatened species, and i want to catch alot more of them. so i usually gamefish for pike. and in my opinion pike fight harder than any game fish there is, so keep them around to be caught for years to come.

[SuperPensfan8771]

@ravenstylea2 another thing you can do with deads bait is, attach a second piece of line to your main line, on the end of your second line attach a piece of floating bollster dowl, take the dowl and shove it into the fishes mouth.(the whole thing) you will notice your bait has expanded. when you cast your bait out not only will it be more plump and appitizing it will sit in a iresistable position for pike.

[letsgofishindotus]

@SuperPensfan8771 interesting. I might have to try it as long as there are no peta people around. LOL. TC

[letsgofishindotus]

@SuperPensfan8771 interesting. I might have to try it as long as there are no peta people around. LOL. the other thing is I too like to release all my big fish. One in a while and I mean a while I will keep something for the table. There are plenty of fish at the market to buy and they taste almost as good. 

[SuperPensfan8771]

@letsgofishindotus another good thing to try is get a fish like lure. when you are retrieving every once in a while give loose line or flick your wrist. this will cause the lures head to flick towards the pike. then the fish will know it can intercept the head and get a one shot easy kill. this is deadly

[samykolesnikow8]

Thats not real fishing putting the fish back in the water.

[letsgofishindotus]

It's real enough that we actually caught the same Northern Pike three times in one year before he deep throated a spoon. Catch and release works and keeping some for the table also works for me. TC Samy

[shiataruka]

i just caught one in hawks michigan where my cabin is off the lake two days ago with a blue gil he just came right up to the dock and instead of takeing off like they do he just ate it right there a good 26 incher 5 pounds first pike i ever caught and im 13

[SQUlRRELonROIDS]

Also, gotta love those red devil spoons!

[SQUlRRELonROIDS]

Thanks for the tip on jerking the bait, imitating a dying minnow. I was wondering if pike liked this, so thanks for your help. Your right on how they follow the bait to the boat. When the fish aren't biting, seeing a massive pike follow your lure to the boat is so tantalizing!

[thebasshunter241]

My friend caught a 38 inch pike off a rubber worm...

[letsgofishindotus]

We have been busy painting more spoons now all we need is the rain to stop. We are planning on shooting a new video on how to handle Northern Pike.

[letsgofishindotus]

Thank you Stacychuck for your comment from Blake Lake. I love to hear from others that it works in their area too. I am not sure that I can add my website to the channel or video. but if you visit letsgofishin.us you will find us.

[Stacychuck1]

I love this "how-to" demo and that it shows real action.

Please add your Logo & location so we can maybe use your charter. Thnx in advance.

I actually caught 3 nice pike @ Black Lake, Ny last week. :-)

[TheMlf]

how do you make it? thank you!

[letsgofishindotus]

make what?

[TheMlf]

@letsgofishindotus the lure sorry



[dookiekong007]

how did the camera quality change

[letsgofishindotus]

what do you mean?

[letsgofishindotus]

Okay, Now I see what your question is. I watch the video and can tell you that when the camera was turned back on the boat angle to the sun was changed and that is why you see the sun reflecting the way it is. This has happened to us before. Check out some of our last year videos and you'll see that as time went on we got a little better with the video camera. Take care.

[mrpinkice]

Abu Garcia rods and Kuusamo fishing lures are my personal favorites.

[elephantbooger]

that was most helpfull! thanks!

[letsgofishindotus]

glad to be of service. Let us know if the technique or lure types work for you in your waters. Thanks.

[bradnmack1]

very informative vid for the beginner or your average weekend angler.....

[letsgofishindotus]

You're correct and this is why it's out there.  Your experienced angler may have more idea of his or her own that work as well. There are many that do not fish this species because they are afraid of handling them and have little knowledge of how to go after them. Thanks for the comment

[bradnmack1]

@letsgofishindotus no thanks needed! i do alot of pike fishing my self and feel that alot of people need to be informed on handling and fishing techniques like what you offer in this vid!

[letsgofishindotus]

The next step or video we will be posting is exactly that . How to handle and land this type of fish. Grabbing them by the eye sockets and or holding them vertically when they reach a certain size is A HUGE NO NO as you know. TC and visit our website. The youtube name is also our website name.

[shylodragon]

I'm from Gull Lake Alberta, do the spoons used differ from lake to lake? or generally the same?

[letsgofishindotus]

Hi, I would say they work the same. I have had other people try our technique and respond positively. Good luck.

[1996catfish]

can you catch a pike on shore in spring

[1996catfish]

can you catch a pike on shore in spring?

[letsgofishindotus]

yes you can. I reccommend usind the same spoons but you'll need to make sure to stay above they weeds. Pike are smart and immediately go for the weeds. Once there, your chances of bring him in are less. Good luck. come back and let us know how it works out.

[1996catfish]

@letsgofishindotus i have 2 more small questions. first off can i buy spoons just like those at cabelas? and will a heavy duty spinning rod work good instead of the typical baitcaster

[letsgofishindotus]

you probably can but you have to have an assortment of different sizes and color. Depending on weather, water condition and of course the fish's mood One color may work one day and not the next.

[letsgofishindotus]

you probably can but you have to have an assortment of different sizes and color. Depending on weather, water condition and of course the fish's mood One color may work one day and not the next.

[1996catfish]

@letsgofishindotus i have 2 more small questions. first off can i buy spoons just like those at cabelas and will a heavy duty spinning rod work good instead of the typical baitcaster

[Powerplay133]

thanks for the video I have landed some huge fish this year in the fingerlakes with the help of this video

[letsgofishindotus]

Thanks for the response. It's nice to be able to help another fisherman out. Take care.

[sweetnessboy1]

I've been finding them in reeds in only two to three feet of water in Minnesota lakes.

[letsgofishindotus]

Interesting! I wonder what the water temp is in your lake? I have found them that shallow but I also wonder if you are seeing them at that depth in the early morning or evenign hours only or all day long. Thanks. Ed

[sweetnessboy1]

@letsgofishindotus It was around 70-75 degrees. Me and my brother went out around seven o clock. We were watching them jump and breach out of the water a lot.

[letsgofishindotus]

Aha, The temperature surprises me a little but the time of day does not. They were probably coming up to feed that time of the day. Have fun and remember to practice CPR (Catch Photograph and Release) Take care. Ed

[pascal161995]

i cant seem to catch one help

[letsgofishindotus]

What kind of water are you fishing in and what is your water temp and depth? This time of year they will be in weedbeds anywhere from 12 to 25' of water. I am sure they can be found in other areas but this is where we are finding them. We were out just yesterday with Louie Barkley and Don Meissner and two were brought into the boat. They hit a maribou jig head as well as a rubber worm hooked up striaght on a worm hook. Take a look at out video don meissner and Louie Barkley fishing.

[JBdeath100]

Thats almost exactly the same size of my 1st pike

[cage99335]

dude never hold them in the gills ....if your gunna shoot a how to video you should show them the correct way to do it....i recomend reading "NORTHERN PIKE & MUSKIE " by dick sternberg

[letsgofishindotus]

An experienced angler can hold the fish by the gill plate without injury to the fish. The book you recommended however shows an even worse problem. Look at page 2 and you can see the author clearly holding a giant fish by the gill and because of the fish's weight he is more likely to have his innards shifted to the poin of killing the fish then holding him by the gill.

Thanks for the input though.

Capt Ed

[Jman999000]

holy crap it only took you like 4 minutes to catch a decent sized pike, ive tryed catching them up in the grasse river near the adirondacks but its pretty tricky cause theres not many there and we dont go up the right season for catching them

[pepijn1231]

heyy nice system, andnice fish to xD

is this technic good for spinners

thanks

[letsgofishindotus]

I suppose it would. The only thing to remember is not to let it sink into the weeds and cause the spinner to get all choked up with weeds. The spoons ussually rips right through the weeds. 

[pepijn1231]

@letsgofishindotus

thank you very much

i'm gonna try it



[letsgofishindotus]

Let me know how it works for you as it may help others too. Good luck. Capt Ed Reyes Letsgofishin.us charters in Massena, NY.

[MaXsNiipEZ33]

hey any tips fro me in niagara falls?

[kristofer091994]

how hot do the water have to be for fishing pike.

Is 14C to cold.

[letsgofishindotus]

No, In fact the opposite. 14C is approximately 57F. Pike will wait in deep water until the temerature hits 50F which is enar the end of their spawn. During their spawn the last thing they want to do is eat. So by the time the temp has hit 57F you will want to fish for them in the early morning of early evening. They are catchable all summer long but they prefer colder water and run into the 20 - 25' water column. I hope this helps. Ed

[letsgofishindotus]

Also, the females will lay their eggs in the weeds with the help of up to 5 - 6 males and can do this ritual for up to three days. After she leaves the males can still be found in the area near the weeds. If you found one more than likely you will find a few more.

[XxKnarnitaxX]

what the name of that rod

[letsgofishindotus]

That is a Berkley medium heavy rod.

[anowarakowa]

Love the fishing in Spring...caught a bunch of 40+ inchers from a concrete dock by GM plant. Caught a 50 inch musky in Aug of 2008.

[WW2LIAM]

@anowarakowa NICE! Im 13 at we go to my cottage alot and i cause 14 pike , and 3 muskies my biggest was a 27 pound muskie that was in the spring. gotta love it.

[letsgofishindotus]

Great Job Dude. I know a few 13 years olds that lost some Muskies in our boat. The fish of a lifetime and you have three. Keep up the good work.

[letsgofishindotus]

Goes to show you how good the water is here. SHHHH keep it a secret. lol

[M0nk3yBuisiness]

will a 10lb test work?

[letsgofishindotus]

Hi, 10lb test will work but it may cause you to lose a fish or worse yet lose a fish with a hook in his throat which could cause it's inability to feed or possibly it's death. I recommend you use the line that is appropriate for the size fish in the waters you're fishing. Good luck.

[M0nk3yBuisiness]

you're a great teacher

[gytarok]

pikes go crazy for the classic yellow with red diamonds spoons, similar to those in this vid

[Trashfished]

@gytarok Yeah, yellow with red diamonds! All thru the 1970s I fished a river in lower Mich. and caught many nice pike on that lure.

[ashd002]

cracking video , do u have any tips for a simple float setup.

[letsgofishindotus]

Hi I would put a dead minnow on a bobber in the spring and a live one in the fall and float them just above the weeds where there is access to deep water. Northerns will hit a dead minnow in the spring thinking it's spring die offs. Thanks, Ed

[ashd002]

thanks for the info . ill let you know how i get on

[plkj13]

Im a beginner at fishing, and i caught lots of large mouthed bass, now i have a question. i really want to catch some pike after watching this video. would you think 6 pound line will work when it comes to catching pike? Cause my brother and father have before, and they had a pretty good catch... but i have a little bit of a weaker rod and weaker line.... would it work? thanks for the info.

[letsgofishindotus]

Sorry about the delay ion responding. Took the Family out camping. I would say it would work but your odds of losing the fish to a light line are increased dramatically. The other thing you risk is losing a fish with a hook stuck in his throat and the posibility of it preventing him from eating or worse yet cause his death by lodging a fish in his throat caught on a hook in his mouth. Good luck either way and remember to practice CPR (Catch, Photograph and Release). You'll catch him in a week.

[plkj13]

Hey thanks for the reply. i hope you had a blast camping with the family. i went on a fishing trip with my brother in Manotick Mill down in Ottawa Ontario, and I caught a Pike. Now i did get a new type of line with a new type of rod which is a great start. i got a 30ibs test line. its braided, so its really strong. I also got a longer and thicker rod. Its awesome. The pike i caught was caught with a jig, and it was about 7-8 pounds. it was small but it was a great catch. thanks alot, takecare

[letsgofishindotus]

Sounds great! I use 17lb test on some of my pike rods and have great luck wih them. A great Pike lure that most people think is just for Bass is a chartruese spinnerbait lure. Tie one on and give it a try.

[plkj13]

thanks ill give it a try :)

[bazoobie]

I tried your technique and caught a 8.5 pound northern! Thanks for the info!

[THKLOTTWIZ]

Nice tips. I'm in NY State myself...I fish at Cross Lake in Cayuga County. Latched onto a beauty 2 wks ago, but I was just fooling around with new pole, no leader on it, 6 lb test line....oh well.

My biggest so far has been 35"  9.3 lbs.

[jednjones]

Thanks for the information! Nice video, Good lookin fish!

[letsgofishindotus]

Thanks for the feedback. I wonder if you had your drag set too tight. On a 6lb test line the optimum drag should be set for 1/3rd the poundage of the line. First subtract 10% for line stretch. then divide what's left by three and hook up your digital scale to the line and pull until the drag goes out at the setting you need. 1.8lbs would have allowed that big one to come in. If you find the setting to be too low then kick it up a bit and take it from there. Good luck. Capt. Ed