Posts: 106
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 |
