36 replies to this topic

[PUMP KNOWS]

Do you guys have any tips for winter pike fishing?

 

What lure colours should I be using in clear water?

 

How should my presentation be?  Fast? Slow?

 

[ChromeAddict]

No experience with winter pike fishing, but nice fish. Love the videos BTW, just subscribed a couple weeks ago.

[JDean]

As with most winter fishing, lure/bait presentation must be slowed down.  Lure colours are the same as summers if you fish by clarity.  Clear waters lean towards silvers, coppers.  Cloudy waters move towards the darker colours and fire tigers.  But, as you know Pump, those are only suggestions and you never know what the fish want. Definitely have to slow down your presentation though.  They will feed regularly but don't exert the explosive power to attack quickly as they do in the warmer waters.  You may see more follows in the cooler waters as well.

[PUMP KNOWS]

Thanks for the pointers JDean.

 

Question... Are they suppose to be more aggressive and hungry in the winter?

 

 

 

No experience with winter pike fishing, but nice fish. Love the videos BTW, just subscribed a couple weeks ago.

 

 

Thanks CA!

[Shmogley]

As with most winter fishing, lure/bait presentation must be slowed down.

^This.

 

they arent really more aggressive this time of year and the impending cold makes them hunker down and  less inclined to chase things.  when the ice is melting in a few of months watch out though, they are smashing everything they lay eyes on. theyll be congregating around shallow bays and weedy areas when the ice starts to soften and the daylight hours become longer again.  late-ice pike is some of the best fishing you can get in terms of action.

[PUMP KNOWS]

^^^

Thanks Shmogley...I wanna get on this action.

[JDean]

A really hot cold weather pike technique is to use a neutral bouyant stick bait and twitch it super slow. Almost letting it sit suspended for a long period before moving again

[PUMP KNOWS]

Thanks JDean, I'm gonna try that next time.

[GoodenTight]

Just saw this, nice one man!  I have not spent much time targeting pike. When I do, we use jerk baits in minnow / black /silver / fire etc. But last summer I have seen equally as much pike come up with bass set ups (more rounded crank baits) and jigs. I actually got a pike last summer on my pin jigging for walleyes. That was cool. My point is, if they are hungry they will eat anything.

[Liger]

I have always droped a med-Large sucker or chub minnow about 3 feet off bottom and let it do its thing, and for my second line either the same or jig a med(3 to 5 ince spoon) or large 5 to 8 ince spoon with half a dead minnow on it. note the spoon is more an attractent then to get a hit. also I have a 3rd set-up that then I get tired of jigging for pike I use to see if there are any perch, crappie or other pan fish around.

 

Color wise, red and white, gold and silver.

 

Theres my 2 cents

[DitchWizard]

How about a big live minnow under a float? 

 

float down! 

[Nick Evans]

slow

 

 

 

 

 

 

very slow

[PUMP KNOWS]

^^^

I have such a quick trigger finger that its so hard for me to pull off a very slow presentation.

 

I just gotta work at it.

 

Just saw this, nice one man!  I have not spent much time targeting pike. When I do, we use jerk baits in minnow / black /silver / fire etc. But last summer I have seen equally as much pike come up with bass set ups (more rounded crank baits) and jigs. I actually got a pike last summer on my pin jigging for walleyes. That was cool. My point is, if they are hungry they will eat anything.

 

Thanks.

 

I'm gonna give jigging a shot in deep water. 

 

I've seen a couple pike sitting on the bottom and they weren't interested in any jerkbaits that I was throwing.

 

 

I have always droped a med-Large sucker or chub minnow about 3 feet off bottom and let it do its thing, and for my second line either the same or jig a med(3 to 5 ince spoon) or large 5 to 8 ince spoon with half a dead minnow on it. note the spoon is more an attractent then to get a hit. also I have a 3rd set-up that then I get tired of jigging for pike I use to see if there are any perch, crappie or other pan fish around.

 

Color wise, red and white, gold and silver.

 

Theres my 2 cents

 

 

Thanks Liger

 

How about a big live minnow under a float? 

 

float down! 

 

 

I need to try this but there are so many darn birds that dive down and chase baitfish.

 

I had 3 birds chasing my lure at once and another actually bumped it.

[Liger]

Are you talking about casting or iceishing?? I thought you where talking ice fishing......

 

casting wise: I would try a large soft body bait 4 inch shad-like minnow or a 6 inch worm go bright color (hot pink or green) 

[PUMP KNOWS]

^^^

casting

 

I pulled out some flukes and soft body swimbaits to try this weekend.

[Liger]

 ^{Maybe wacky rigging a 6 inch worm, ( hooking the 6 inch worm in the middle and let it sink slowly) this could work for both Pike and maybe a few other types of fish((bass, trout and even some catfish or carp)) all great fighting fish. and this way it almost forces you to fish slow. an other idea for you to think of.}

[cptpronin]

They are going to be hiding in deep spots with pockets of dying vegetation. As mentioned above, slow presentations like husky jerks. A canadian/dardevle spoon on a slow retrieve just over top of the deep veg can work.

 

Colours to match the conditions: sunny days: red/white striped nickelback and natural patterns, cloudy/lowlight: yellow/red five diamonds, firetiger patterns. Blues and whites work good in stained water on a sunny day.

 

You will get hits, but no aggressive takes. Patience, long pauses between twitches. Be ready when you sweep your rod tip after the pause. It will be a more of a nip than a bite. Spoons can be fished just fast enough to feel the action on the rod tip. Pause, let it sink, then start your retrieve again. It hit will come as a light tap.

 

If you're stuck on shore, any rock piles with the sun shining on them and pockets of dying vegetation which produce warmer water, are good places to start.

 

Just my two cents.

[PUMP KNOWS]

^^^

Thanks guys.

 

Today we had no luck and no follows. 

 

Yesterday we had follows but no takers.  The closes we got was when a pike followed my friends spoon, it opened its mouth but missed

[PUMP KNOWS]

I was told today that a jig head and plastic grub worked well for cold winter pike.

 

I never jigged before but I'll give it a shot.

 

Cast, let it sink to the bottom and start hoping it back?

[GuideCarm]

"Slowing down" your presentation is definitely the way you want to go about catching coldwater pike, but don't let that deter you from using glidebaits or jerkbaits. These baits can be awesome in cold water provided that your version of "slowing down" is actually just implementing VERY long pauses. And I mean uncomfortably long. The fish will usually hit on the pause, but you need to really check yourself and be patient. Remember, the bait isnt only active when it's physically in motion; your pauses still count as retrieve Train your brain to think that way, and patience will be easier.