New To Pike Fishing - Need Advice

Hey everyone!

I have enjoyed fishing for bass for a few years and now I wanted to focus on some great Northern Pike fishing.

I have been cruising the forums, reading many articles and watching some videos to gather as much info as I can.

I have a small trip booked in mid june for a couple days to try out some pike fishing just south of Timmins, ON.

It's a lodge with a chain of small lakes with pike, bass and walleye.

My main question is where I should focus fishing on the lake? I know that can be a hard question to answer, but im struggling to understand where June falls in the pattern of pike movement. I've read that they will be in shallow water but I have also read that they may be in deep water as the trip falls right before the start of summer. I imagine alot depends on the weather leading up to June.

As I'm only up there for a couple days any advice on location and tackle is much appreciated.

Thanks

As you said, it is all dependent on weather. May and June are transition months. It's hard to time and predict often.

Based on what you read, make a game plan. If you try one pattern and it doesn't work, move onto another pattern.

And by pattern, I don't simple mean the lures, as many people often mistaken that term.

In fact, a pattern often involves all of these factors: specific weather and water conditions, specific habitat, specific time, specific lure and specific presentation.

Example of a pattern - On stream X in early April, the water level will start to drop 12 hours after 20-30mm of rain. The water will become a milky green. You can find suckers pushing upstream. Fish the faster water with a float rig or bottom bouncing rig, and fish the deep pools with a splitshot or sliding sinker rig. Use worms or waxworms for bait and you should catch them...almost 90% of the time. The other 10% of time time? It may be a hot or cold spring...or too wet or too dry...so you need to shift this pattern either earlier or later...or maybe there's no pattern at all for that one strange year.

Remember, a pattern is meant to be repeatable...either at similar locations on the lake the same day, or on similar locations the same month, or similar conditions and locations year after year.

So based on the patterns your have read, decide on 2 or 3 likely patterns, and fish those patterns to see which one works...then repeat that pattern around the lake during your 2 days.

Pike fishing often involves a lot of observation. Most lures that works for bass also works for pike. The first thing I would recommend is a good polarized sunglasses. I start of with slow retrieve, then a fast retrieve. My favorite lure are suspending plugs...they don't sink fast like spoons and they don't float long like plastic baits. They stay long in the "strike zone" but what really is a strike zone is hard to figure. Pike can strike at different depths. You can catch them on top water, you can catch them with dead baits sitting at the bottom. But retrieving lure with a good polarized sunglasses can improve your catch rate because, most of the time, pike will give chase to a lure and refuse at a 2nd...if you're retrieving a lure, try to observe around it as it gets close and visible. there are often shadows following and i bet you those are pike. You can let your lure sink at the bottom or retrieve and re cast...the rest is up to the fish if it's going to take it or not.

That'll be a great time. I'm from there. My recommendation if you like casting is big Williams Wablers (silver or gold; depends a bit on the water colour and local forage) and Husky Jerks (silver and blue or silver and black). Len Thompson spoons can work well too in classic red/white, five diamonds or perch patterns. They cast a mile and sink fast. Big spinners (#4 or #5) can be great too.

I would guess that in mid-June in that area you could just pick a spoon and cast it anywhere and catch fish all day. It's definitely nice to find the one that's working best. But finding fish should not be a problem. A chance at a 15-20 lb fish is possible too, depending on the lake. If you're a more relaxed fisherman, just get a couple dozen large minnows and put them under a float anywhere there's some obvious structure (large shallow bay with some cabbage weeds would be prime).

Also - I'm not an advocate of taking advantage of spawners - but bass season is open all year there. So catching big fat protective males on patches of rip rap or gravel is super easy. And mid-June is probably you best bet in that area. I'd highly recommend letting any bass go at this time of year though. They're guarding their nests for a reason.

Welcome to OFF!

You shouldn't have a problem locating/catching them.

Keep us posted on how you do and don't forget to take pics.

I don't think you need to think to much to catch a pike. Even trolling at low speeds can produce pike. Like mentioned above don't stress to much about it , just cast and retrieve and switch it up. The pike will find you.

Just south of Timmins? You should be able to catch pike using hot dogs for bait up there... try a #2 Mepps silver tipped with half a worm and troll it slowly (as slow as you can) about 20-25' behind the motor in about 6-8' of water. With pike, always wait for the second hit to set the hook. chomp, chomp...

DILLIGAF?! said:

Pike fishing often involves a lot of observation. Most lures that works for bass also works for pike. The first thing I would recommend is a good polarized sunglasses. I start of with slow retrieve, then a fast retrieve. My favorite lure are suspending plugs...they don't sink fast like spoons and they don't float long like plastic baits. They stay long in the "strike zone" but what really is a strike zone is hard to figure. Pike can strike at different depths. You can catch them on top water, you can catch them with dead baits sitting at the bottom. But retrieving lure with a good polarized sunglasses can improve your catch rate because, most of the time, pike will give chase to a lure and refuse at a 2nd...if you're retrieving a lure, try to observe around it as it gets close and visible. there are often shadows following and i bet you those are pike. You can let your lure sink at the bottom or retrieve and re cast...the rest is up to the fish if it's going to take it or not.

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Great call out on the polarized sunglasses. Just picked up a nice set. Thanks!

Will said:

That'll be a great time. I'm from there. My recommendation if you like casting is big Williams Wablers (silver or gold; depends a bit on the water colour and local forage) and Husky Jerks (silver and blue or silver and black). Len Thompson spoons can work well too in classic red/white, five diamonds or perch patterns. They cast a mile and sink fast. Big spinners (#4 or #5) can be great too.

I would guess that in mid-June in that area you could just pick a spoon and cast it anywhere and catch fish all day. It's definitely nice to find the one that's working best. But finding fish should not be a problem. A chance at a 15-20 lb fish is possible too, depending on the lake. If you're a more relaxed fisherman, just get a couple dozen large minnows and put them under a float anywhere there's some obvious structure (large shallow bay with some cabbage weeds would be prime).

Also - I'm not an advocate of taking advantage of spawners - but bass season is open all year there. So catching big fat protective males on patches of rip rap or gravel is super easy. And mid-June is probably you best bet in that area. I'd highly recommend letting any bass go at this time of year though. They're guarding their nests for a reason.

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Thanks for the info. We will be based on Lost Lake near Elk Lake We are heavy conservation and these lakes appreciate that

NickFisher said:

Thanks for the info. We will be based on Lost Lake near Elk Lake We are heavy conservation and these lakes appreciate that

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Oh that's sweet. I've done the Sydney Creek canoe route that starts right near there, and it was in June. Makes me home sick!.

There's fairly clear water there, which makes sight fishing very possible (not that common in Northeastern Ontario since the water is frequently tea stained).

There are tons of pike in there and now that I think about it, something that used to be fun to use was perch coloured Storm Wiggle Warts. They used to make them in a really shallow running style and they would just wiggle and rattle annoyingly under the surface. You could see it for the whole retrieve in clearish water and see the take every time.

I love bangin' the water hard for pike. Big noisy flashy baits like for musky just down size a lil' bit. Focus on weed flats and creek mouths and narrows. Pike can be just about anywhere though but generally weed beds in medium depth water during summer will work out for you. Gold spoons tipped with rubber worms or jigs work fantastically also. Top water is a blast in the mornings. I toss big mpopper to intice massive huge strikes and it really gets the heart pumping. Great eating too, ground up into pike burgers. Mmmmmm

It is predatory type fish. They would chase anything at any height.

IvansFishingVideos said:

It is predatory type fish. They would chase anything at any height.

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Yes agressive fish indeed. Great when they're hungry. Non stop action

spinnerbaits, and in-line spinners work well for me.