Showing posts with label northern pike. Show all posts
Showing posts with label northern pike. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Fishing for Northern Pike in Shallow Waters
Many times we hop in the boat and head out to the deep water and start fishing. This is a mistake, and often times many people overlook the best water next to the shore or in the back bays. This is especially true with Northern Pike fishing. Sometimes walking the shoreline or fan casting in the bays can be the most productive, mainly in the spring. With tricks and tips like these, you should be able to land a monster pike. Selecting lures for pike fishing is not that difficult, since they are very aggressive and will strike many things. A good lure and quality line and leaders will land you a monster pike. You must also have the help of a good pike fishing rod and reel though. These water wolfs are super strong and when they dive into a weed bed you will be sorry. I have never heard any one say they have had a too stiff rod when a monster is on. However, many times people wished they had stronger equipment after a trophy northern pike gets away. Do not overlook the shallow water, often times you can see the fish wallowing around. If you are in a boat, be careful and use a trolling motor and keep your distance. If you catch one, you should move a bit as the water will be all roiled up in the area. The pikes around can spook and might be wary for a bit, but do not worry, they generally will bite again after a while. Good luck and try some of the waters others avoid, you may be surprised at what you can catch.
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!
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!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Fly Fishing for Northern Pike
I just read an article about fly fishing for Northern Pike. I was amazed that one could battle such a powerful fish with what is normally gear meant for smaller fish such as trout.
Some of these Pike were over 40 inches long!! Since I can barely fly fish at all, this will take some time before I venture out. I believe the article i read was from Alberta or Manitoba up in Canada, but I am not certain.
I will post further information later about fly fishing for Pike, since it seems like the trip of a lifetime.
Enjoy.
Some of these Pike were over 40 inches long!! Since I can barely fly fish at all, this will take some time before I venture out. I believe the article i read was from Alberta or Manitoba up in Canada, but I am not certain.
I will post further information later about fly fishing for Pike, since it seems like the trip of a lifetime.
Enjoy.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Fishing Stories
I would like to share with you all one of my Northern Pike Fishing stories. This happened a while back and I was not even Pike fishing!
I was at a small lake that is regularly stocked with channel catfish and also has some bluegill and carp in there too. It just a couple casts long and wide and is only about 4 feet deep or so.
Since these fish are near a duck feeding area, the best technique to catch the catfish is normally just bread on a treble hook. Nothing fancy here. Grab a stick or rod holder and cast it out there and wait. We normally get a few bites every hour and the catfish are about 3-8 lbs. It is exciting fishing but nothing really too crazy.
That changed one evening has I saw a huge fish break this kids rod in half. Obviously I was a little skeptical because the biggest catfish I have seen outta there was 9 lbs, which shouldn't break a rod. Anyway, it turns out the rod was like 50 yrs old and probably would have broken on the next bluegill too.
I thought no big deal and kept on fishing. Caught a small catfish and was about ready to move when i was reeling in my bait I noticed something ripple the surface and chase it. I thought it was strange and started to reel in my other line. Same thing happened, and this time something slammed my stupid bread doughball like it was a spinnerbait. Drag starts peeling and I had no idea what happened. Was hoping for a huge carp, but I noticed the fish was not shaped like a carp when we got it close to shore.
Yup, it was a Northern Pike. About 40 inches long. We netted him and returned him to the water after a few pictures. 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.
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.
I was at a small lake that is regularly stocked with channel catfish and also has some bluegill and carp in there too. It just a couple casts long and wide and is only about 4 feet deep or so.
Since these fish are near a duck feeding area, the best technique to catch the catfish is normally just bread on a treble hook. Nothing fancy here. Grab a stick or rod holder and cast it out there and wait. We normally get a few bites every hour and the catfish are about 3-8 lbs. It is exciting fishing but nothing really too crazy.
That changed one evening has I saw a huge fish break this kids rod in half. Obviously I was a little skeptical because the biggest catfish I have seen outta there was 9 lbs, which shouldn't break a rod. Anyway, it turns out the rod was like 50 yrs old and probably would have broken on the next bluegill too.
I thought no big deal and kept on fishing. Caught a small catfish and was about ready to move when i was reeling in my bait I noticed something ripple the surface and chase it. I thought it was strange and started to reel in my other line. Same thing happened, and this time something slammed my stupid bread doughball like it was a spinnerbait. Drag starts peeling and I had no idea what happened. Was hoping for a huge carp, but I noticed the fish was not shaped like a carp when we got it close to shore.
Yup, it was a Northern Pike. About 40 inches long. We netted him and returned him to the water after a few pictures. 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.
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.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Northern Pike Fishing Tackle
Before you even think about going Pike fishing make sure you have the proper equipment. I have made this mistake too many times by just grabbing a rod and using whatever lure was on there. Again, you must be sure to be prepared when going after Northern Pike.
To start with, a longer and stiffer fishing rod should be used, since these fish are strong and powerful fighters. Always use at least 10lb test, as a big Pike will take it to its limits. You can go upwards of 30 lb test, but you will lose castability the larger line you go.
Now that you have your rod and line ready, it is time to pick some lures. Here, it is not as important as the other details, as any larger lure should do. Unless you are fly fishing for Northern Pike, then a different set of rules apply, but that will be discussed in a future post.
The biggest thing with Northern fishing that I would like to go over is the use of a steel leader. A fish of any size will cut normal line with their sharp teeth. Do not be lazy and forget this step. I have lost quite a few fish due to not putting on a leader when Pike Fishing .
By now, I hope it is clear that tackle is very important when going after Northern Pike. Future posts will discuss the where and when portion of catching these beasts. They can be one of the greatest species of fish to target for any fisherman of any age.
To start with, a longer and stiffer fishing rod should be used, since these fish are strong and powerful fighters. Always use at least 10lb test, as a big Pike will take it to its limits. You can go upwards of 30 lb test, but you will lose castability the larger line you go.
Now that you have your rod and line ready, it is time to pick some lures. Here, it is not as important as the other details, as any larger lure should do. Unless you are fly fishing for Northern Pike, then a different set of rules apply, but that will be discussed in a future post.
The biggest thing with Northern fishing that I would like to go over is the use of a steel leader. A fish of any size will cut normal line with their sharp teeth. Do not be lazy and forget this step. I have lost quite a few fish due to not putting on a leader when Pike Fishing .
By now, I hope it is clear that tackle is very important when going after Northern Pike. Future posts will discuss the where and when portion of catching these beasts. They can be one of the greatest species of fish to target for any fisherman of any age.
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