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Northern Pike Fishing Tips

Northern Pike are found throughout the northern hemisphere, including Russia, Europe and North America. Northern Pike are even found in the brackish waters of the Baltic sea. Pike are among the largest of the freshwater fishes.

Within North America, there are Northern Pike populations in Minnesota, Maryland, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Illinois, eastern New York, northern New England, most of Canada, Alaska, the Ohio Valley, the upper Mississippi River and its tributaries, the Great Lakes Basin and surrounding states, Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska.

Pike are typical ambush predators; they lie in wait for prey, holding perfectly still for long periods and then exhibit remarkable acceleration as they strike.

Often you will find small to medium size pike in the back of bays where there is thick weeds, lily pads and wild rice. The small to medium size pike are feeding on small minnows, bugs, frogs and each other.

When you come out to the edge of the weeds pike tend to get larger. This way Pike have prey to their back side and the opportunity to take small Walleye swimming next to the weeds.

Big pike don't usually eat small minnows, frogs or bugs. Their main food is Walleye, small hammer-handle pike, Suckers, Chub and Whitefish.

Big pike hide out where they can ambush Walleye. The prime ambush areas are points leading into bays. They also like to lurk around rocky points, shoals, islands and other places where there are Walleye. A good place to get a trophy pike is at the mouth of a stream or river or a narrow between islands etc. Big pike just sit waiting for a Walleye to pass by.

Walleye are constantly moving around the lake throughout the year. Migrating to cooler, deeper water through the warmer months and back as the water cools.

Northern pike will hit almost any lure but their are favorites. Mine is the Johnson Silver Minnow. I like the silver ones usually but they make them in so many colors now. The red dare devil is another popular pike bait and you can also get that color on a silver minnow. Johnson silver minnows also have a weedless feature that allows you to work them through the weeds where pike like to hide and make an ambush from.

If you are fishing in muddy water or iron rich water rattle baits are more effective as pike can attack by sound. A five of diamonds pattern spoon also works well in these conditions. In clear water red and silver is popular.

Spoons are very popular pike fishing lures. To maximize bait attraction and initial presentation try to slap the spoon on the water when you cast. Do this by casting high at your target and just before the spoon hits the water jerk the line to make it slap the water surface. If you hear a slap sound you are doing it correctly. Pike are very aggressive and that sound will usually trigger a response if a pike is in the area.

I also like to use the large Mimic Minnow's without a spinner on pike. They work great in the mouth of a river. The gold ones look more like a walleye and get great response.

Sometimes while jigging walleye and anchored up we have encountered northern pike attacking our walleye as we reeled them in. They can hide under the boat and nail every walleye you bring in. When this happens use a large wooden bait that looks like a walleye and start making figure 8 patterns near the boat with it. I have had this work many times and keep a special bait in my tackle box for these occasions.