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Location: Southern W.Va. | With a 50" being the "standard" for a , what most would think of, big musky. My question is , what do you think is a " big" northern? |
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Posts: 284
Location: Oconomowoc, WI | I’m sure some will say that for either it depends on the body of water, but for just a general comparison, I’d say a 45” pike is as much a Trophy as a 50” musky.
Andy |
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Posts: 480
Location: NW WI | Ya it obviously depends. Myself not in a position to vacation. Homewaters of NW WI. 40" is the benchmark. I've got 2 thick 37s, seen 1 38" through the ice and there's 1 40" not by me on the wall caught through the ice out of a 35acre lake. Had a +40" boatside buried in slop with an inexperienced netwoman...yup, heartbreak boatside.
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Location: Chisholm, MN | My biggest was 42 I think. I consider that pretty big. I've had quite a few 50" muskies in the net and less pike over 40". Depends where you are fishing but I guess in northern MN a 40" pike is about as common as a 50" musky except for lake of the woods where a 40" isn't even a that nice of a fish. |
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Posts: 105
Location: Alberta Canada | Where you fish and the effort you put in plays a roll. I am always happy to catch a 40” pike but I fish places that I can expect it if I invest the time. Now a 45” pike I start getting excited to catch one and I don’t get one every year. My personal best is 47” but my goal is 50+ before I get a replica. I have hooked a few I think were close and had one flip off my kayak that I am pretty confident would have hit the mark
There is some giants hidden in Northern western Canada |
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| About 15 years ago, the DNR set fyke nets by me and one was about a hundred yards from my place. My neighbor walked down as they were pulling the net and inventorying the fish. The tech was very excited to show him a thick 42" female pike. He said something to the effect that you don't see many like that. I am in Oneida County and while I have caught some upper 30 pike fishing for musky, have never gotten one over 40". |
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Posts: 1184
| The biggest Northern I caught in Wisconsin, I caught right before we took off to Friday Night Fish Fry so I didn't measure it but did get a nice photo. (It was 30" give or take), in Minnesota and Canada lots of 30"-36". My biggest is 40" right here in Colorado. Other family members and friends got 39"-40" fish fishing with us here too. My dad had 43" here too. My dentist got a 37" 22 pound release thru the ice (also in Colorado) I was invited but couldn't get away that day. |
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Location: oswego, il | My biggest is a 44" toad caught in Indiana. It's in the photo albums on this website for 2003. Had one a little bigger eat up in Canada two years ago. Have caught a few over 30 which I would consider the benchmark for being a decent fish. |
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Posts: 1184
| 30" Muskie, 30" Northern, both cool. All the good sized Northerns caught in Colorado were caught targeting Northerns. There may be one place where they both in the same body of water here in Colorado. |
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Posts: 103
| The Minnesota DNR classifies any northern pike over 30 inches to be in the "large" category. I catch dozens of pike all season long when I am bass and muskie fishing, and 90% of them are of the snot rocket size. Like 19-22 inchers. I hate them. Every once in a while I pile into a sizable fish, but it is rare, as many of our lakes are depleted of them and over run with aggressive, abundant small ones. Last year I caught a 35 incher, that was my biggest of the season.
Bigger waters tend to have bigger pike in my experience. Canada has much bigger average fish than we do here in MN too. |
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Posts: 166
| A 40in pike is a nice fish anywhere. My biggest is 48.5. I've seen 50s, that's the end goal for sure. |
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Posts: 155
Location: Cedarburg, WI. | In northern Wisconsin i would say any pike at 36"+ is a really nice fish. My friends and i have often said up here a 40" pike = 50" musky as far as rarity and accomplishment.
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Location: Chisholm, MN | Also, being a muskie guy in northern MN you run into bigger pike than the average fisherman. All the guys I know that fish for pike but not muskies are tickled pink when they catch one over 28". I shake 40" fish off at the side of the boat. So it depends on who you are and where you're fishing. I have a coworker that comes in bragging about a pike like that and I have to pretend to act impressed! |
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Posts: 386
| I have a couple of personal goals for pike
1. 40" or bigger in MN, south of the highways that run from Duluth, to Grand Rapids, to Park Rapids, to Moorhead.
2. 45" or bigger in more northerly destinations including out of MN
If I can get one of those checked off, and break the 55 mark for a ski, then I want to dedicate some real time to crossing the 50 mark. I think Devils Lake gives me the best opportunity, within reasonable driving distance, where I can put the time in to pattern them and figure it out DIY - punk rock style.
I have been stuck at 36.5" for at least 25 years now. I have caught 3 total pike that have hit that mark. 8 fish that have gone 36, just can't seem to cross.that threshold. I've had one on that would have went over 40, was just sliding the net in the water and she torpedoed at me and threw rhe hook like it was the plan all along... that was a long drive home. |
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Posts: 1184
| Minnesota and Colorado are the best places in the USA for big Pike. In the late 1990-early 2000 we were catching a lot of 39"-43" Pike and at the time I was a RVP of a Muskie INC chapter. At a board meeting I got to talk to the Minnesota DNR Pike expert (this guy knew his stuff) and he gave me his report. I gave him a copy of the Colorado Pike plan and he read it and laughed. I tried to give a copy of the Minnesota report to the Colorado Fish and Game guy and he would not read it.
Colorado put Northerns in some mountain lakes in the1950's to combat suckers. They wan't them gone and they can't get rid of them. Before killing them they had a few big fish that ate the stocked Trout then they killed the big ones and then they had a bunch of small ones (way more) that were small but big enough to still eat Trout. The big Pike also ate small Pike.
Then thru bucket biology there all over. |
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Posts: 1200
Location: Walker, MN | On the water I fish, we catch around thirty 50+" muskie for every 40+" pike. A good problem to have I guess. Most of the good pike genetics ended up on cabin walls, big pike were far more abundant just 20 years ago. |
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Posts: 334
Location: Long Prairie, Minnesota | Biggest pike I’ve ever seen was caught in October trolling for Musky in Labrynth Bay. Measured 47” and let go to swim on. |
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Posts: 479
Location: Northern Illinois | For those who fish in waters with both species, what if any differences in behavior or patterns have you seen between muskies and pike? I have spent a fair bit of time on the Winnipeg River system and have contacted large individuals of each, but hardly ever in the same place. |
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| Pike are only good for making Tiger Muskies |
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Posts: 103
| Masqui-ninja - 5/22/2023 7:55 PM
On the water I fish, we catch around thirty 50+" muskie for every 40+" pike. A good problem to have I guess. Most of the good pike genetics ended up on cabin walls, big pike were far more abundant just 20 years ago.
Yes, that is exactly the problem we've created here. Too many larger ones were harvested for too long. I have relatives that used to do it constantly. They wouldn't even think twice about keeping a couple of 35 inchers when they used to catch them. Right on the stringer they went, and all the small ones went back. Then there's the winter spearing that decimated some waters too in the winter. No such thing as catch and release with a spear.
Now the bag limit is 10 pike in most of MN per day. 9 of them have to be under 22 inches. They are abundant and aggressive and clearly the DNR wants them removed.
Edited by gimruis 5/23/2023 7:39 AM
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Location: NW WI | On water loaded with snakes, if they keep pounding or get hooked bad...I'll harness and hang 1. |
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Posts: 166
| Here's one of the biggest pike I've ever had in the boat. 47in and thick!!! She could barely hold it.
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Location: Chisholm, MN | RLSea - 5/22/2023 9:12 PM
For those who fish in waters with both species, what if any differences in behavior or patterns have you seen between muskies and pike? I have spent a fair bit of time on the Winnipeg River system and have contacted large individuals of each, but hardly ever in the same place.
I see most larger pike caught in october on muskie spots. They love the cooler water so they finally head shallower. Other than that I really don't catch many while muskie fishing. |
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Posts: 94
| I love catching pike too. 40 inches has always been my target. |
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Posts: 8719
| I used to get angry at the incidental pike. I admit to some frustration when I've spotted a muskie and keep catching them instead, but they make great table fare. I just wish I could get the Y bones out of them without a total massacre.
My biggest to date is 41" Not bad. |
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Posts: 1184
| There's a guy here in Colorado who caught the state record and released several that were way bigger, Including a 53" 45 pounder on a Fly Rod. (he released that one too) The official state record is 30 pound and what ever once's caught after the other releases. |
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Posts: 177
| My biggest pike is 34.5". I tend to think a 40" pike is equivalent to a 50" musky but honestly anywhere in WI other than green bay it may be even more impressive. All the Vilas lakes i fish have a confirmed 50" musky in them but I kinda doubt theres a 40" pike in most of them. I used to love northerns when just learning to fish because they were the only thing I could catch, then I disliked them for a while after starting musky fishing, now trying to appreciate them more. Anything over 30" is a solid fish and fun to catch. |
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Posts: 177
| My biggest pike is 34.5". I tend to think a 40" pike is equivalent to a 50" musky but honestly anywhere in WI other than green bay it may be even more impressive. All the Vilas lakes i fish have a confirmed 50" musky in them but I kinda doubt theres a 40" pike in most of them. I used to love northerns when just learning to fish because they were the only thing I could catch, then I disliked them for a while after starting musky fishing, now trying to appreciate them more. Anything over 30" is a solid fish and fun to catch. |
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| Guess the only time I was disappointed to catch a nice pike instead of a musky was shortly after getting side imaging. I was trolling but mainly looking for structure on a lake I have fished a lot. I saw a brush pile someone must have put in on their own, hoping to attract panfish. I put a way point on it, went further and turned around because I saw what looked to be a nice fish by the pile. Trolled past and right on cue, bait was slammed. Reeled it in after nice fight only to find it was a thick pike just over 36".
I was disappointed cuz t thought it was going to be a musky. But after releasing it I realized it was a very nice fish, fought great and should be appreciated.
Edited by North of 8 5/23/2023 9:24 PM
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I really like fishing big pike, and used to travel serious distances to catch 40" plus northerns. Still like catching them. |
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Location: New Berlin, WI | I tend to think pike over 38” are really nice fish and agree that 40” pike is roughly equivalent to 50” musky. I love to catch pike to break up the sometimes long stretches in between muskies to keep me attentive.
One of my favorite trips was with my dad and son on LOTW back in 2019. We were fishing bucktails and Grinder spinnerbaits in a weedy bay for muskies. At the point where the bay started, we had a follow right away from a mid-40’s musky and thought we were in business. For the next 2 hours, we caught 11 pike between 31” and 41” in that same bay. Never saw another musky in that bay, but did multiple passes in the bay and kept catching big pike. None of us could believe they were stacked up like that, but we had a blast. Perhaps the Muskies were also turned on in another location and we missed them, but we had so much fun I don’t regret staying in that bay…. |
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| Georgian Bay seem to be common up to 32", with 34"+ getting into big pike territory then upper 30"s being a pretty darn nice fish. |
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Posts: 46
| RLSea - 5/22/2023 10:12 PM
For those who fish in waters with both species, what if any differences in behavior or patterns have you seen between muskies and pike? I have spent a fair bit of time on the Winnipeg River system and have contacted large individuals of each, but hardly ever in the same place.
Big topic |
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Posts: 309
Location: Selkirk, Manitoba | The cisco/whitefish and goldeye/mooneye eating pike up here don't entirely have the musky maximum size potential, but if you target big pike in the same way you target big musky (ie big lures/big baits), then a 40" fish is kind of like a 44" musky - a great fish but not what you were hoping for. The two top pike in Manitoba listed in master anglers are a 60.5" and a 59". No photo for the 60 and the 59 looks more like a 39 to me, but there are lots of "legit" 50"+ plus fish. Legit in the sense they do have to be photoboarded and the fish do look like that class of fish. I would classify a 45" pike as a real trophy and pretty rare.
New regs in Manitoba to ensure a trophy pike fishery (and trophy fishery for all predators)- basically CPR regs and no-over regs for all large predator fish: pike, walleye, catfish, SMB, crappie, lake trout, etc. As I've mentioned on other threads, fisheries managers manage, stakeholders make regs:
Arctic Grayling 3 None may exceed 40 cm
Black Crappie 6 None may exceed 35 cm
Brook Trout (except stocked trout waters) 1 None may exceed 45 cm
Burbot 6 None may exceed 70 cm
Channel Catfish 4 None may exceed 60 cm
Freshwater Drum 10 None may exceed 60 cm
Lake Trout 1 None may exceed 65 cm
Northern Pike (Jackfish) 4 None may exceed 75 cm
Smallmouth Bass 4 None may exceed 45 cm
Stocked Brook, Brown, & Rainbow Trout;
Splake & other Trout hybrids; & Arctic Char
(any species or combination)
3 Only one may exceed 45 cm
None may exceed 60 cm
Walleye (Pickerel) & Sauger
(either or combined) 4 None may exceed 55 cm
Edited by Angling Oracle 5/25/2023 12:00 PM
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Posts: 1970
| all depends where/how you fish for pike, if you fish where big pike live in canada May/June and really know how to target them catching 10-15 pike a day over 40" is common...and I'm talking lakes you can drive to in Ontario... that said of the 1000+ 40" pike I've had in the boat..only 6 were over 45" (all drive to destinations) with 48.5" the largest |
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Posts: 76
| I think anything over 40" is a big northern. Have been places where a 40" isn't looked at twice but for most places I would put the mark at 40.
Biggest I've caught muskie fishing was a fish that was in the low 40" range that I caught on the north end of LOTW. Thought enough of that one to take a picture with it. Have fished quite a bit in WI but never caught a pike close to 40.
Most interesting place I found them was on a walleye trip to Ontario in the 90s. First got there was marking hooks off of point in 30-35 feet. Though they may have been large walleyes but turns out they were 34-38 inch pike. Didn't fish em enough to see if there were any bigger. The walleyes were at 12-14'. This was a recurring pattern there. |
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Posts: 105
Location: Alberta Canada | Angling Oracle - 5/25/2023 11:57 AM
The cisco/whitefish and goldeye/mooneye eating pike up here don't entirely have the musky maximum size potential, but if you target big pike in the same way you target big musky (ie big lures/big baits), then a 40" fish is kind of like a 44" musky - a great fish but not what you were hoping for. The two top pike in Manitoba listed in master anglers are a 60.5" and a 59". No photo for the 60 and the 59 looks more like a 39 to me, but there are lots of "legit" 50"+ plus fish. Legit in the sense they do have to be photoboarded and the fish do look like that class of fish. I would classify a 45" pike as a real trophy and pretty rare.
New regs in Manitoba to ensure a trophy pike fishery (and trophy fishery for all predators)- basically CPR regs and no-over regs for all large predator fish: pike, walleye, catfish, SMB, crappie, lake trout, etc. As I've mentioned on other threads, fisheries managers manage, stakeholders make regs:
Arctic Grayling 3 None may exceed 40 cm
Black Crappie 6 None may exceed 35 cm
Brook Trout (except stocked trout waters) 1 None may exceed 45 cm
Burbot 6 None may exceed 70 cm
Channel Catfish 4 None may exceed 60 cm
Freshwater Drum 10 None may exceed 60 cm
Lake Trout 1 None may exceed 65 cm
Northern Pike (Jackfish) 4 None may exceed 75 cm
Smallmouth Bass 4 None may exceed 45 cm
Stocked Brook, Brown, & Rainbow Trout;
Splake & other Trout hybrids; & Arctic Char
(any species or combination)
3 Only one may exceed 45 cm
None may exceed 60 cm
Walleye (Pickerel) & Sauger
(either or combined) 4 None may exceed 55 cm
Targeting lakes with lots of fatty forage fish definitely increases the odds of bigger pike being around helps. I would add trout to the list of forage you mentioned too. Running larger baits like are used in Europe and musky style lures also helps. A lot of guys are still tossing 4inch spoons and never go bigger. The other one is don’t hesitate to fish deeper water after it warms up. Lots of guys bang away at the smaller pike in shallow water wondering why they are not finding fish over 30inches
There is a big difference in how the guys who consistently catch big pike around here fish vs those who get the odd one. Especially in pressured waters around here the big old pike are not as careless as the small ones. It always surprises people when a small lake winter kills and they start seeing 40” pike float up in a lake that a 30” is viewed as rare
I keep having friends tell me I need to skip Saskatchewan next time I go looking for my 50” and keep heading to cranberry portage Manitoba. Our supervisor at work keeps bugging me about the 49” he caught out there last year |
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| I once accidently caught an upper 30's pike, a fat one, that had been chomped from above by a REALLY big fish. Almost certainly a muskie. The tooth holes on both sides of the pike were still leaking blood. Looked like a cartoon. |
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Location: Selkirk, Manitoba | Pikebait - 5/26/2023 3:00 PM
I keep having friends tell me I need to skip Saskatchewan next time I go looking for my 50” and keep heading to cranberry portage Manitoba. Our supervisor at work keeps bugging me about the 49” he caught out there last year
50" is a very very rare fish, but the right area to try and perhaps get a PB for length. Now would be the best time to go if can manage, plus get into the bonus shallow lakers up that way. |
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Location: Alberta Canada | Angling Oracle - 5/28/2023 10:28 AM
Pikebait - 5/26/2023 3:00 PM
I keep having friends tell me I need to skip Saskatchewan next time I go looking for my 50” and keep heading to cranberry portage Manitoba. Our supervisor at work keeps bugging me about the 49” he caught out there last year
50" is a very very rare fish, but the right area to try and perhaps get a PB for length. Now would be the best time to go if can manage, plus get into the bonus shallow lakers up that way.
50” is tough in even the best waters but it’s still fun to try and results in some good fish in the pursuit. But my 47” PB came out of a lake where you really need to grind for a 36” so you never know what can happen
Just got home from being evacuated due to wildfires so it will be a little bit before I am doing an out of province fishing trip. My trip to Cedar lake in Ontario is my priority trip this year
Manitoba is on the list for provinces I should check out as I do have family there as well |
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Posts: 612
| Id say a 50" musky is ~ to a (42 to 44)" pike. Really big pike are rare and take much longer to grow to size than do musky. A 20 pound pike is likely 15 to 20 years old. I've caught literally thousands of pike only 4 over 20 pounds. I've caught about a dozen muskis average size 10 to 12 pounds, one ~ 25 pounds. Seen 50"ers. Based on my own personal observations musky's grow much faster and larger than pike. |
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Posts: 612
| Id say a 50" musky is ~ to a (42 to 44)" pike. Really big pike are rare and take much longer to grow to size than do musky. A 20 pound pike is likely 15 to 20 years old. I've caught literally thousands of pike only 4 over 20 pounds. I've caught about a dozen muskis average size 10 to 12 pounds, one ~ 25 pounds. Seen 50"ers. Based on my own personal observations musky's grow much faster and larger than pike. BTW I dont care I'll take any toothy critter, musky, pike, pickeral.
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Posts: 612
| need to catch a big one, they fight as hard as musky's and giants are quite uncommon. This 44.5" pike nearly yanked the rod out of my hands as it went from feeling llike a snag to a rocketship.
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Posts: 304
| To me a big pike is 42 inches and up.On most waters I fish catching a '50' is easier than a 42 pike with my approach and presentations.Just not a pike guy.Have a good friend that is and goes on lotsa pike trips.Has his own boat/motor stached with a native on Athabasca.Multiple high 40s every trip but no 50 yet.Lotsa fish.Lotsa big lakers.Camps.Always wants me to go and I always say I'll pay the 3K not to go.
One big follow is worth more to me.Yes,suspicions confirmed but that's my 'truth'. |
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Posts: 1184
| Catching fish is super fun, all fish. But the best is catching Large fish. And that's where the Muskie comes in. When I looking to catch a Muskie I want big VS action. Sure back when I had a boat and trailer when I could lake jump the first day it was off to action water then the rest of the week thinking big. But nothing wrong with going off on a Pike trip and catching a bunch of Muskie sized Pike with lighter tackle. I've also had fun dropping a small boat or Canoe in a river or somewhere like the Rainbow and catching Pike with a ultra light and some Mepps. Life is good on the water and in the woods. |
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| EsoxWanderer - 5/25/2023 11:36 AM
Georgian Bay seem to be common up to 32", with 34"+ getting into big pike territory then upper 30"s being a pretty darn nice fish.
Lots of 40in+ pike in Gbay. |
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Posts: 37
Location: Lower Peninsula | 40+ pike sound rarer than I thought them. I’m in Michigan and they seem to be relatively common in Great Lakes connected drowned river mouths and in large rivers in general. People catch them in the early spring typically while walleye fishing. I lost one boatside on a 4” phantom last year in June. Easily 38-41”. Fishing fresh weeds in a Lake Huron marina at a Rivermouth. Atleast I got to fight it… I was barely twitching it in just watching it wobble downwards in patches between cabbage. Pike color
I hardly can bother pike fishing many smaller inland lakes because the pike run so skinny (especially if it’s not fall) I would rather just fishi multi species with light line at that point. |
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Posts: 612
| Northerns are savage. Big pike are tough to come by and of the thousands I've caught only 4 were > 40", top 44.5" I thinks a musky if I had to take a guess I believe the average ski is ~ 2ce as heavy as the average northern. |
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Posts: 103
| My office does an annual fishing contest every year and we use the In-Fisherman Master Angler criteria by region/species to determine the winner. This chart indicates that a trophy northern pike is 17 pounds or 40 inches in region 1, which is where I am in Minnesota.
Just for comparison, it lists a pure strain trophy muskie as 28 pounds or 46 inches and a tiger muskie at 18 pounds or 38 inches.
https://www.in-fisherman.com/content/master-angler/375360 |
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Posts: 612
| I like the Great Northern Pike pound for pound they fight as hard as most any fish that swims. A very unpredictable fish that could turn on or off any time of day or night .Having caught thousands of pike and 12 muskies. Unless fishing in a sub-artic remote regions big pike become very hard targets. They''ve seen every bait, its not that I thing the fish is smart but that it can develop an inherent fickness making good bigger very hard to catch (12-15) ponds and up. I prefer all toothy critters.I think musky's grow close to double the side of big pike and but on size quicker tan pike.. My PB ski 44", 20+pou ds, Pike 44.5", 24.4 pounds. These re minnows compared to the reports Ihear on the forum |
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Location: Alberta Canada | NPike - 6/2/2023 8:12 PM
I like the Great Northern Pike pound for pound they fight as hard as most any fish that swims. A very unpredictable fish that could turn on or off any time of day or night .Having caught thousands of pike and 12 muskies. Unless fishing in a sub-artic remote regions big pike become very hard targets. They''ve seen every bait, its not that I thing the fish is smart but that it can develop an inherent fickness making good bigger very hard to catch (12-15) ponds and up. I prefer all toothy critters.I think musky's grow close to double the side of big pike and but on size quicker tan pike.. My PB ski 44", 20+pou ds, Pike 44.5", 24.4 pounds. These re minnows compared to the reports Ihear on the forum
Big pike are different than pike 30inches or less and are harder to catch. Targeting differently and different locations does make a difference too.
There is still lots of places in Canada that are not remote sub artic where big pike can be found in very reasonable numbers. Some of the biggest pike in Alberta are in our southern waters but yes there are giant pike in some remote northern lakes too.
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Posts: 64
Location: Minnesota | I'm late to this thread, but wanted to pitch in.
I'm very accustomed to catching loads of 20 inchers whenever I go out, so to me, anything near the 28inch area is considered big (bigger than average at least). My little brother (seven years old) just recently caught a 32in behind the boat trolling, which is bigger than any pike I've caught my whole life so far.
Pretty cool seeing him reel that in. |
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Posts: 733
| Not sure if it has been mentioned yet, but in my opinion, if your fishing mid and upper midwest waters, and you want to catch a trophy pike, you have to head out onto the ice. It seems every year, in my local paper in nw wis., pictures of 40" plus pike are taken through the ice. Kdawg |
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| In-Fisherman used to have good Ice Fishing Pike shows with large Pike. |
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Location: E. Tenn | chuckski - 6/3/2023 10:54 PM
In-Fisherman used to have good Ice Fishing Pike shows with large Pike.
With an upcoming trip to Canada, I find myself perusing the series of books they published back in the early '80s..
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Posts: 1184
| I have them all and best yet you get can get them on Amazon. In fact I was reading a old Babe Winkelman book and it fell apart and I bought a new one for $3.46 still in the wrapper. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | big pike are a blast. I don't mind catching ~37s and up in Canada by accident. Biggest accidental pike was 44.25"er on lotw that hit a topwater. We had one follow in 2021 that looked to be a legit 46" and WIDE. We have actually taken time off from muskies some trips when water was cool to go into a bay that can load up with big pike and one 4 hr window or so we caught 6 or 7 over 37" .. it was a blast. now anything under about 35 I don't really want to mess around with  |
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Posts: 103
| kdawg - 6/3/2023 5:39 PM
Not sure if it has been mentioned yet, but in my opinion, if your fishing mid and upper midwest waters, and you want to catch a trophy pike, you have to head out onto the ice. It seems every year, in my local paper in nw wis., pictures of 40" plus pike are taken through the ice. Kdawg
Ice fishing sucks. Aint happening |
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Posts: 733
| gimruis - 6/5/2023 8:12 PM
kdawg - 6/3/2023 5:39 PM
Not sure if it has been mentioned yet, but in my opinion, if your fishing mid and upper midwest waters, and you want to catch a trophy pike, you have to head out onto the ice. It seems every year, in my local paper in nw wis., pictures of 40" plus pike are taken through the ice. Kdawg
Ice fishing sucks. Aint happening |
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Posts: 105
Location: Alberta Canada | Another ice fishing hatter here lol
I do a little ice fishing to keep sane over winter but staring down a hole gets old. Yes some fat pike can be had late into ice fishing season(really all season) but it’s just not the same
My best results for big pike is actually in open water usually the late June into the first two weeks of July and first 2 weeks in September. But temperature can shift those dates and part of it is working trends I figured out on some waters. Finding the high calorie easy food and temperature is more important than timing though
The big thing you will notice is most of the “best time of year” recommendations in North America are when the big fish are shallow before or after the spawn. A lot of guys never shift away from fishing water that is under 15foot and end up getting mostly smaller pike with the odd big one the rest of the season. At least where I fish the big girls are still around but often move deeper. I often target them in 20-30feet of water or shallower benchs that drop into deep water. You don’t get the same numbers but size is better
Years ago I started paying attention to how they target pike in Europe where pike have way more respect than they do in North America. Their lure selection is actually closer to musky size baits and some are similar in style. They also fish a larger variety in depths. After switching my fishing style to kind of a hybrid between how Europeans fish pike and how musky are targeted in North America the quality of fish I was catching improved
Now all this said I am targeting pike in Western Canada where the pike are not completing with musky. I imagine musky would definitely have an impact on how pike act and possibly pushing them into different trends than found in pike only waters
Yeah you started a thread that got a pike guys attention
Looking forward to my first musky trip in July to experience the bigger toothy version you guys are accustom too |
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Posts: 166
| Great post. Pike tend to like cool water a lot more then muskie do. Once those big girls have spawned I find they'll hang out in waterever weeds they can find in say 5-10ft then they'll be off to the deep water when the temps start to climb (or at least over the deep water) in no time. There is that period though when they tend to come back into the shallows but that lasts maybe a week if you're lucky (Best topwater bite of the season) Like you said, most people that get into big pike usually do it in the spring when those fish are shallow. If I want to fish big pike in the summer, I'll fish them deep with the same baits/gear I use for muskie in the fall. I've caught more big pike on 13in grandmas then I care to remember. Big fast deep lures, pike aren't shy. Not many people fish for them like this either, especially in the waters I frequent. Untouched for the most part.
Edited by BillM 6/8/2023 9:18 AM
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Posts: 105
Location: Alberta Canada | BillM - 6/8/2023 9:16 AM
Great post. Pike tend to like cool water a lot more than muskie do. Once those big girls have spawned I find they'll hang out in waterever weeds they can find in say 5-10ft then they'll be off to the deep water when the temps start to climb (or at least over the deep water) in no time. There is that period though when they tend to come back into the shallows but that lasts maybe a week if you're lucky (Best topwater bite of the season) Like you said, most people that get into big pike usually do it in the spring when those fish are shallow. If I want to fish big pike in the summer, I'll fish them deep with the same baits/gear I use for muskie in the fall. I've caught more big pike on 13in grandmas than I care to remember. Big fast deep lures, pike aren't shy. Not many people fish for them like this either, especially in the waters I frequent. Untouched for the most part.
Fast or slow depends on the fish and the location for me
I am a big fan of the deep and slow approach with big soft baits, jerk baits and hybrids. Anything I can work erratic and throw in some hang time or slow falls.
Around here it is the same guys who consistently catch big pike and if you sit down to talk to any of them there is similar things about their fishing styles. They may have different preferences in lures but most prefer larger baits and they all realize big pike act different than little pike
And before anyone chimes in yes they get caught on small stuff too |
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