Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Advice on Northern Pike Fishing

I have many tips and tricks to help you catch more northern pike. I have compiled a list and summary of many of the tactics I have presented to catch these big fish.

I started enjoying fishing when I was younger, catching mostly sunfish and the occasional bass. At a young age, it did not take a huge fish to excite me. As I got older, I wanted to catch bigger fish like catfish and carp. While those were great, they were nothing like the excitement of catching a Northern Pike .

One of my best fishing stories happened a few years back. Yup, it was a Northern Pike. It was about 40 inches long. We netted him and returned him to the water after a few pictures. I was completely shocked. Someone must have stocked the Pike accidentally when they stocked the catfish. There is no reason for a Northern Pike like that to be there.

Once a trophy is caught, many of us must decide to let it go or mount it on the wall. These days fiberglass replicas can provide an identical match if a quality picture is given. Releasing the fish will give you another chance to catch it when it gets bigger.

If you choose to mount the fish, then properly preserve the fish in a wet towel and contact a taxidermist immediately. They can give you instructions on what to do next. Do not wrap it in newspaper as this can cause decolorizing.

I think each choice is about the same amount of money, so its up to you. I prefer the fiberglass replica method do to it being less hassle and there is no time rush to get it done quickly.

The point of this story is that you never know when and what you will catch. The next fish could be a fish of a life time. Always be prepared with the proper fishing tackle and equipment.

So how do you catch Northern Pike? Where do you fish for them at?
Well, to answer the second part first, most Northern Pike can be found in cool to cold climates, which can extend from all of Canada into northern parts of the United States. Deep water reservoirs in the south may also be able to sustain Pike. If you want trophy Northern Pike, the best bet is normally a fly-in lake in Canada, but even small ones can be extremely fun.

Now back to the first one. When Northern Pike fishing, you can start fishing right after ice-out. These fish quickly become active in the back bays and can be caught sight fishing for them in the shallows.

I also want to give the following tips about Northern Pike fishing that will help people catch large fish without waiting years to do so. When choosing your tackle, lures, rods, reels, baits, gear, location, you must think about whether or not this choice will produce trophy fish. When Pike fishing , it does not matter if you are the greatest angler in the world, if the pikes are not present and if there are no big ones nearby, chances are small you will ever land a trophy. While that may seem like common sense, many people overlook these things and never cast where they will be successful.

Sizable lures with flash such as spinners, spoons, larger spinner baits, will all work when Pike fishing. The trick is to have some movement with your lure. You can never crank your lure faster than them. They can swim over 20 MPH! If you see one following, DO NOT stop your lure, keep moving it. It is unnatural for a bait fish to stop when being chased, so neither should you! Northern Pike fishing can be great, stay tuned for more!