|
|
Posts: 177
| Is catching pike while musky fishing a bad thing or a good thing? They are similar fish so perhaps it means the fish are active in general or you've got the right bait. Or if there is a musky on a spot will they run off any pike like an apex predator, thus if you're catching lots of pike there isn't a big musky around? Perhaps it depends on the size of the pike, hammer handles and you've got to move, but 20"+ and you're OK. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 343
| We were fishing Lake of the Woods in a shallow weedy bay and were catching small northerns, in a small section we quit catching northerns. I found out why when a muskie at least 48 inches chased my Eagletail to the boat. I couldn't get the muskie to go, after that encounter, when we traveled along the weedline, the pike started biting again. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 156
Location: Alexandria, MN | It seems that a strong pike bite is often a precursor to good muskie activity - maybe a sign that the whole food chain is becoming active. Some of our best muskie days followed a day where the pike were going bananas either the day before or even earlier the same day. Also, I have noticed on some trips to the Canadian shield (usually in August) that if the pike you're catching are kinda chewed up looking, that can be a good sign that a muskie is using that area. So - yeah, generally it's a good thing.
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 2280
Location: Chisholm, MN | I don't think there is a set rule, but I do believe that when the pike are on, the muskies are off. Not all the time, but I don't see it as a good sign. Typically in northern MN in the fall, when the water cools off, the pike move shallow and bite really well for a week or two. I don't like that time. After that bite dies off, the muskies pick up again. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 735
| I agree with KB here. I experience it quit often. When your catching small pike, muskies are not active. On the other hand, if you stumble on to a big pike, be ready for musky action to. Kdawg |
|
| |
|
Posts: 8722
| I've experienced this enough times to believe it. I don't think it's a sign that muskies aren't biting, just that there's not one around at the moment. Seems like when the pike/walleyes/smallies/etc. suddenly stop biting it's a good time to switch to musky gear.
When muskies are active, all those other fish either head for the hills or hide. |
|
| |
|
| Is it small pike or all pike? I know in the spring when fishing for crappies in shallow water, before Musky season opens, I have seen large pike and muskies in the same area. If you are on a good crappie bite and it suddenly stops, look around and there is usually one or the other around. Early May I tend to see pairs of pike, musky are still solo. Fun to watch. Had a nice musky slowly swim right under my kayak last spring, in no more than two feet of water. Same with a pair of 30"+ pike the year before in roughly the same spot. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1206
Location: Walker, MN | It seems to me that if a small pike is right on the sweet-spot of a structure, it's a really bad sign. I agree that big pike are a good sign. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 157
Location: West Central WI | Well, one time I caught a 22" northern and as I was pulling it in, I wasn't horsing it when a 44" muskie came and ate it tale first, about 1/3 the way up the northern about 8' from the boat. No hooks in the muskie. I saw it coming so I didn't react and kept reeling the northern in. I had time to do a slow circle with the northern/muskie while my wife got the net. I led it into the net slowly and, of course, the muskie blew up when it realized it was in a net. Now I have a cool photo of a nice muskie and another of the northern with a huge gash and scales missing, still on my lure. The northern swam away when I released it although I often wonder if it survived. So, when you catch that northern, don't be so quick to reel it in, is my comment with respect to this post. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1023
| I hate it when I get onto a prime spot in prime time. Get licked, reel is a small pike. To me, it means that the predator on that spot was a small pike. So yah, I'm bummed when I get a small pike on a great spot at a great time.
But...I think bigger pike are different. I had an instance recently when I was on a great spot at an ideal time. Got a hit on a bulldog, caught a 36 inch pike. Real fighter, too. I was disappointed it wasn't a musky. Next cast, got licked again, brought in a 38 inch musky. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1209
Location: E. Tenn | Masqui-ninja - 3/11/2020 6:28 PM
It seems to me that if a small pike is right on the sweet-spot of a structure, it's a really bad sign. I agree that big pike are a good sign.
this. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 51
| Been fishing for Northerns specifically pretty much all my life only seriously transitioning to Muskie just last year, and tbh, I dont think pikes give a crap if a Muskie is roaming around... I dont think its the same as the perch bite shutting off because a Pike is around at all...
If anything fishing for big Northerns as eased my transition to Muskie a good deal as I've started getting bigger lures to target bigger fish and weed out the small ones. Started fishing for them with Muskie lures(lower size range) but still never was able to weed out the hammer handles.
Think that fish gives a **** if a Muskie is around?
Attachments
----------------
 hammer.jpg (122KB - 470 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 1209
Location: E. Tenn | My biggest northern, and a couple nice muskies grabbed "hammer handles" I'd hooked.. I've considered putting one on a quick strike rig. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 735
| Mkevin, There's a couple of cool videos on utube that you need to see, with big muskies swimming around with a big pike t-boned in it's mouth. Yea, I think pike do give a shi- if a big musky is swimming around. Kdawg |
|
| |
|
Posts: 51
| kdawg - 6/21/2020 9:04 AM
Mkevin, There's a couple of cool videos on utube that you need to see, with big muskies swimming around with a big pike t-boned in it's mouth. Yea, I think pike do give a shi- if a big musky is swimming around. Kdawg
Well yeah after the fact they sure as hell do give a shi-... What I meant to say was that I dont think, from my experience, that they necesarily become less aggro because of the presence of a bigger predator in the area... It isnt that rare for me to catch a smaller one that'll get slammed by a bigger one in-fight so that's why I dont think catching a pike means there arent any bigger fish in the area...
Could be wrong though and it could also depend on the area, I'm only going by my personnal experience and havent read anything on the subject... |
|
| |
|
Location: 31 | We've seen pike mixed in with muskies of various sizes everywhere across North America, this has been especially true on smaller/medium inland lakes. I would say more so with weed beds than rock, but have still seen muskies (some large), and plenty of pike mixed in especially when there's an abundance of forage.
The only exception I can think of is when we’ve been fortunate enough to run into large numbers of muskies on a single structure, or giant packs of muskies on the Great lakes or large systems… then pike have been scarce. Those were pretty rare situations of course, and although we still found some pike in those areas, they tended to be off structure and shallower.
Use your own thinking; if food is there predators and scavengers won't be too far behind... it’s just the way it works. On the Serengeti you'll find lions, hyenas, vultures, ect. at the same kill. If you compare muskies to the lions, and pike to the hyenas, the hyenas are right there but kind of hover around and try to grab a mouthful, or be first in line when the lions are finished… sometimes they get caught. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 572
| I think the Serengeti analogy is apropos...
So, yes, there have been times that we've encountere bigger pike (36-42") mixed into a pack of small-medium muskies (36-42") or otherwise pike of those sizes being active at the same time or similar spots as muskies of that similar size...but honestly, I can't ever recall a scenario where a pike of any size has been correlated to active muskies of 45"+. Seems like when the bigger muskies are on the prowl you aren't going to be encountering pike on that spot....stated differently, anytime I catch any pike of any size on our best spots, I'm disappointed because it means that a BIG muskie is likely not active on that spot. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 32801
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | An observation from thousands of hours watching fish behavior on an Aqua-Vu underwater viewing system. We see quite a few muskies and pike of all sizes. The main limitation of avoidance behavior seems to be related to how far fish can see. In short, if the different species don't or can't see each other, they don't react to each other. In clear water when a larger muskie cruises in, everything smaller bails out. Soon as that fish is out of sight, they return, and it may only be 20 feet away. Doesn't matter whether it's a big pike or big muskie, anything (even another pike or muskie) smaller moves quickly out of camera range which is probably no more than 15 feet in clear water and return when the big fish cruises out. If the big fish stays in sight, it's zippo on catching something else. Big schools of crappies, bluegills, and bass will swim around together. Enter a large ecocid, they also leave together. Walleye show up as they show up, and don't seem to relate to other fishes at all other than eating the same small prey.
Bluegills, even the little ones, are usually not bothered by large bass or walleye at all unless the bass or walleye suddenly displays aggressive behavior, and the smaller fish will move a few feet. Small perch bail out from everything big enough to eat them.
Everything runs from a big dogfish. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 84
| Guy fishing with me last night had a 49.75 eat a small pike that he hooked, so I guess there's always an exception to the rule. Lucky enough to get it in the net before it let go. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 4269
Location: Ashland WI | Tommy - 6/25/2020 10:09 AM
Guy fishing with me last night had a 49.75 eat a small pike that he hooked, so I guess there's always an exception to the rule. Lucky enough to get it in the net before it let go.
49 and 3/4's huh?
I thought that length muskie didn't even exist...  |
|
| |
|
Posts: 343
| I've always thought 49.5" to 49.75" muskies were unicorns, they go from 49" to 50" with none falling in-between. Glad to see someone with a great catch report it at its was, instead of fudging it up to 50". Congrats on the great catch. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 84
| 14ledo81 - 6/25/2020 11:49 AM
Tommy - 6/25/2020 10:09 AM
Guy fishing with me last night had a 49.75 eat a small pike that he hooked, so I guess there's always an exception to the rule. Lucky enough to get it in the net before it let go.
49 and 3/4's huh?
I thought that length muskie didn't even exist... ; )
Haha we pinched the tail best we could. Clearly past 49.5 but clearly not hitting 50. I'm too honest to add length to fish for bragging rights. When I see them, I actually tend to guess a tad shorter than they are too. So I may be the unicorn among fishermen come to think of it...
Was his first so he was pumped regardless. |
|
| |
