northern pike?

[mopars69]

does anyone fish for northern pike?if so can you post pics of your catches,and gear?thanks in advance

[ARROW383]

my grandpa used to love fishing for pike, he would always swear by minnows, he would hook them up and troll very slow through the deepest part of the lake.
i never fish for pike in specific but i have always caught them with a night crawler harness or just using a rapala.
a couple of summers ago i was fishing in a float tube that my aunt had.
it was the kind with two pontoons on either side of you with a seat in the middle and your feet would hang in the water.
well i was fishing for bass and pan fish and was having a ball because even a small bass would pull you around in that thing.
then i caught a small pike and as im reeling it in its dragging me all over the place, then the damn thing comes up to me right between my legs and all i see is a mouth full of teeth.
well i know the people watching me got a good laugh as im trying to get this thing pulled up as im lifting my legs out of the water.
its a damn good thing it was small because i would have been screwed if it was a big one.
i had no pliers gloves or even a net, we were at our cabin and i just thought o what the hell i give this thing a try.
i think im going to look for one because it was a lot of fun, till i cought the pike anyways.:)

[seanss454]

I always used chubs or a spinner type lure. They like the flash and will hit it hard and so much fun to catch.

sean

[kid vishus]

I used to fish for them in early early spring back when I lived in Iowa. Usually right after ice out was the best time in that area. I always used my medium action bait casting pole that I bass fished with. The only thing I did different was used a steel leader to keep them from biting thru the line. I always had the best luck and most fun using big Mepps bucktail spinners. Usually something with really bright colours worked best; chartruese blade with bright green spots, or a black blade with big orange spots also worked well.

[mopars69]

anyone have an idea how to cook them?last time i cooked them it stuck the house up,any suggestions?

[Matt Hill]

I fish them on my lake in Ontario, Canada at the vacation home. We're on a lock system and my particular lake (Big Rideau) has a shitload of Pike in it.

I generally fish them on a spinner bait in a few locations I've found since we moved over to this lake. I generally catch them in the 20-26" range. I've got a couple in the 25-26" range mounted, but that's really more because I was young and excited the first time I caught one. Now I'm used to catching that range and I'm not mounting another one until it's in the 34-36" range or better.

I'm fishing on some ridiculous line up there with steel leaders. The line I'm running I want to say is like 40lb test Spiderwire. Since it's woven it'll still cast and act light, but you don't have to worry so much about snapping the line. Monofilament just snaps if it's too light (forget like the 12-14lbs test stuff... The initial hit will break it and you'll never know what you hooked) or if you use the thick stuff it casts like ass with the lighter bait.

Steel leaders need to be changed out something like every day or every other day. They're not as reliable as you'd think and after a catch or two on them they'll snap the steel and you'll lose your rigging. Some days I'll go without the leader as if I'm fishing for bass, but it's riskier with the Spiderwire in my opinion since the pike are all teeth and can chew through/chaffe the line easy.

I enjoy fishin the pike while most people hate them. They put up one hell of a good run for a fresh water fish and they remind me a lot more of some salt water fishing at times. They're nice and mean when you bring 'em on board and they'll bleed plenty of red blood all over your boat. I dunno, it's just kind of like a little rush for me over your average bass or something. The work's just beginning when you get them on board.

[jeff c]

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?id=0023755118758a&navCount=3&podId=0023755&parentId=cat180001&masterpathid=&navAction=jump&cmCat=MainCatcat20166-cat180001&catalogCode=2UG&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat180001&hasJS=true try these. i throw them in 1/2oz and do very good when fishing for them. i have hooked many in the 30"+ range with the biggest 39". other then them i have been using swim baits.

[jeff c]

here are the swim baits i use for them http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?id=0052738122653a&navCount=5&podId=0052738&parentId=cat603338&masterpathid=&navAction=jump&cmCat=MainCatcat20166-cat603338&catalogCode=IJ&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat603338&hasJS=true by the way i use 50# power pro line without a steel leader. if your going for musky use a steel leader. power pro is the best braided line out so far that i have used

[DragRacinNut]

We call them snot rockets!!

I'v always had luck catching them with mid size spoons.(any color)

[86merc]

Casting the weeds with spinner bait was usually our best bet. I use light fire line as my dad uses cable. lol Some think braided stuff from fishing lake trout I believe. I like the light gear. Makes casting all day easier and more fun as you have to let the pike run a few times to tire them out. Versus my dad who hooks them and you see them skinning the top of the water. haha

I used to go every year with my dad and a group to a place in Canada on the Blood Vein River. Great spot! We keep a total of how many northern over 30 inches. With 7-9 guys it is usually 60-80 over 30". I have quite a few Master Anglers up there. I think my biggest was 48". The largest of any of us there was 52 or 54 inches. Monsters. All caught and released except for that 50+ incher.

I went for 13 years strait and a total of 16 times. I miss it as it is good times with just my dad. But it gets harder every year to make the time to go on a week and a half fishing trip.

I will see if I can grab some pics at my dad's house and scan them.

[JFontaine]

Boil those snakes! Google "Poormans lobster" for recipes.
I dont care for pike, but this way makes it ok.

[86merc]

Agreed. We would boil it in salt water with a little brown sugar. It was ok then. Especially with red sauce.

We spent about a hour a day catching walley for eat and then pike the rest of the day for fun. Unless we were far enough down south to get Muskie or Bass.

[55project]

I use to head up-state N.Y. near Canada for Pike, i live down in Philly Pa, not to may down here, but they do hit once in a while here. Love them Pike, they fight great and i love to eat them, :) Taste great to me, i guess it depends on the prep. First fillet them, ( i usually fillet the bones out) take off the skin, dip in egg and milk, fry them up in pan of oil, sit on a plate for a minute or 2 them squeeze some lemon and a little salt, Now i'm hungy, lol
And they will hit on just about anything you toss in the water. Just have a good line on your rod. And a good supply of lures, they rip them up.. Mt favorites are any big and rubber swimmers w/a blade in the front. Sunny and perch lures work great. Sorry, all my pics are photo back then..

[madpwr]

Sounds good. I normally use spinner bait to catch mine.

[Randy Warr]

For bait, use a Johnson Silver Minnow, they make them in multiple colors, use only the gold one, 3/4 oz. Put a yellow Mister Twister, Twister Tail Grub on the hook. This is a weedless spoon, adjust the weedless tang so that it is 1/4" above the hook. Put this on a 12" steel leader. If it is hot, calm, and sunny, stay at camp and get drunk. Over cast and wind are great. Its best to fish from a boat, this way you can cast ashore, and drag the spoon into the water. The first things to look for are lily pads. Forget fishing deep, unless you are after the 2% of the population of pike that are 4 ft. +. The best time of year in the north is end of June early July, You may have to adjust your timing to Just after the lilys show themselves on water surface. (Johnson Silver Minnows are called Golden Boys for their unparalleled performance), Don't even change the color of the tail, One last piece of advice, don't be afraid to set the hook, quick and hard. If this don’t catch pike they aren’t there !!!

[uf63]

The tried and true Dare Devil spoons, red and white, trolled along the wed lines are killers also shad raps. watch out when your using spider wire or any other high tec. braided line it won't break( 20 times stronger than steel) but your rod will!!!! 14- 16 monofilament will take a lot of fish add the steel leader you'll be fine. Use a longer rod 7' med action. better leverage. When cleaning the pike get the skin off that is where the oil is that make's it strong tasting, soak in salt water of an hr. or two also.

[mopars69]

arent pike the same as musky?

[protruck70]

arent pike the same as musky?

No

[mopars69]

what are the differences

[protruck70]

Muskie & Northern are from the same family.The "tiger " muskie is a hybred of the two.

Probably the easy way for people who are not around them much are thier backward in marking. The northern is light spotted on a dark body and the Muskie is a light body with dark markings...if that makes sence

They pretty much share the same habitat as far as forage/surrounding Personally I think the Northern are more aggressive/territorial and the Muskie is not quit of aggressive feeder.You may spend a lifetime of casual fishing and never catch one...

They call them the fish of 10,000 cast for a reason.

[PAIN MAKER]

Always enjoyed Northern...It's the Y bones that are the annoying part.

[farrigno]

just watched a tv show and it was about a kid standing in the water waist deep and got attacked by a pike!!!:-Dawwtf!!! can that shit happen??? only thing i caught up here in the northeast were pickeral.

[69proz28]

Muskie & Northern are from the same family.The "tiger " muskie is a hybred of the two.

Probably the easy way for people who are not around them much are thier backward in marking. The northern is light spotted on a dark body and the Muskie is a light body with dark markings...if that makes sence

They pretty much share the same habitat as far as forage/surrounding Personally I think the Northern are more aggressive/territorial and the Muskie is not quit of aggressive feeder.You may spend a lifetime of casual fishing and never catch one...

They call them the fish of 10,000 cast for a reason.

I disagree with your assesment of aggressiveness. Tiger Muskies are some mean S.O.B's

[69proz28]

just watched a tv show and it was about a kid standing in the water waist deep and got attacked by a pike!!!:-Dawwtf!!! can that shit happen??? only thing i caught up here in the northeast were pickeral.

I have a friend that lives on the Jersey side of the Delaware and a women had a nice chunk taken out of her ankle by a Muskie near his home. Wearing an ankle bracelet while in the river wasnt a very good idea.

[Mark @ Meridian Tool]

I grew up taking Pike out of the lakes in Michigan here through the ice and it was common to take 30" + fish. Had a couple Canadian trips that yielded 20+ lb fish.
Lots of these pesky boys in Oakland, Genesee, and Lapeer County Michigan lakes.

[darth289]

just watched a tv show and it was about a kid standing in the water waist deep and got attacked by a pike!!!:-Dawwtf!!! can that shit happen??? only thing i caught up here in the northeast were pickeral.

Monster Quest??? I saw that one, pretty crazy stuff!

When i was younger we would take family trips to canada for the fishing. We always had luck with a 3/4 oz (i think) jig with a double twistie tail. 15-20lb test with a steel leader.

Pike up there tasted great (to me at least) but if you catch them down here they're muddy as hell tasting in the summer. Pike through the ice are good from what i hear, but i haven't caught one through the ice. Crappie are the same way though, so it would surprise me a bit. Through the ice they're great, but in the summer they're mushy and muddy tasting.

[rodneylenton]

either batter fried or used a meal covering and pan fried them, with a little practice there is a way to fillet out those pesky Y bones which is the usual complaint about pike.

I think ice fishing for them is great, try pulling a 18-24" pike through a 8' hole, LOL
all is fine till the get right below the hole and decide to haul ass as you try to pull back on the tip-up line.

[farrigno]

Monster Quest??? I saw that one, pretty crazy stuff!

When i was younger we would take family trips to canada for the fishing. We always had luck with a 3/4 oz (i think) jig with a double twistie tail. 15-20lb test with a steel leader.

Pike up there tasted great (to me at least) but if you catch them down here they're muddy as hell tasting in the summer. Pike through the ice are good from what i hear, but i haven't caught one through the ice. Crappie are the same way though, so it would surprise me a bit. Through the ice they're great, but in the summer they're mushy and muddy tasting.yes, that was unreal! they also talked about the jaws of a pike they found up in wisc. they estimated it to be around 100-lbs [i think].:rolleyes:

[Brad54]

When I was a kid in the '70s, we'd go fishing with the guys from my dad's work: (southern Wisconsin: Browns Lake, Powers Lake, Lake Geneva, Twin Lakes, and other's I'm sure...). There were 6 or 7 of us in the boat, and we'd just bobber fish all day for perch and panfish, and the occasional bullhead.
First thing they'd do is throw a couple of the first-caught small perch in the minnow bucket. We'd be pulling in fish regularly, and then it'd go stone cold. Out came a 3-inch hook and a red/white bobber the size of my dad's fist, hook the little perch and in it would go. One guy would man the Northern line, the rest would keep trying to fish for the others. (When it went cold like that, we figured it was because a big predator came into the area)
Between us, we caught several Northern that way-- I hauled in a monster one time. I had to run around the boat twice because it was circling under it... Zebco pole bent at a 90-degree into the water... got it up to the boat, looked it square in the eye, and then it swam around the anchor line twice and snapped the line, and swam very, very slowly away, as though it'd done it before.

Caught another one once that took the panfish I was reeling it. It hit the fist just as I brought it to the surface. Missed the first time, but laid the side of my fish open. Dad was about to yell at me for horsing around and splashing the boat when I said "Fish! Big fish!" He said "well get it back in the water!" As soon as it touched the water, the Tiger Musky tore it in half and ended up with my hook in its mouth.

That one came aboard... 32 inches long.

-Brad

[protruck70]

I disagree with your assesment of aggressiveness. Tiger Muskies are some mean S.O.B's

How many Northern are caught compared to Musky...... I rest my case.:-D

[69proz28]

You were right in this instance.
http://i348.photobucket.com/albums/q341/caccer/obj1970geo2440pg7p17.png

[Bubstr]

Anyone ever tried Pickled Pike? My dad used to pickle them and they tasted like pickled herring. I should have paid attention to how he did it. It seemed they lasted forever in the jars and the bones disappeared.

I used to use a Heddon Lucky 7 to catch them. They don't sell them any more, they are antiques now. Early in the spring I liked to fish the sunny side shallows with a chartreuse Uncle Bucks Buzzer. Buzz bait.