Big northern pike are kind of a mysterious fish.  The little ones are easy to catch in most bodies of water.  In some bodies of water the little pike, or snakes as they are called by many anglers, are everywhere: in fact, in some lakes it’s almost impossible to escape them.

 Large pike, on the other hand, can be tricky to catch.  First, it is imperative to find a body of water where large pike are found.  Not every body of water is a candidate for producing big northerns.  The best lakes are usually large and have an ample supply of baitfish that the pike can feed on.  Typically, lakes that have cisco, smelt, or whitefish for the pike to eat will grow the biggest fish.

 One of the reasons that big pike can be tough to catch is that they spend much of their time chasing the cisco, smelt, and whitefish in open water areas.  It can be difficult to find, then tempt them into biting much of the year.  In the fall however, they seem to become more accessible.  Here’s how you can take advantage of this time of year to catch perhaps your biggest pike ever.

 Remember, the first thing we need to do is find a body of water that can produce big pike.  The second thing is to find the area within that body of water where the pike are working.  Next, a lure needs to be selected that will tempt the fish.  Last of all, get the net ready.  We will be using it!!

 Wind-blown areas are often good places to find hungry pike.  It might be a bed of still-green cabbage near deep water, or it may be a rockpile near deep water.  They will both hold fish.  The deep water nearby is important.  It seems like the pike move shallow to feed, then retreat to the depths until they get hungry again.

 When selecting a bait for these pike keep one thought in mind:  BIG!!!  These northerns are hungry and want a big meal.  Large jerkbaits or crankbaits will work, but the favorite of many pike anglers is the Bionic Bucktail.  This bait can be fished fast so a large area can be covered quickly, the pike like to eat bucktails, and hooksets are much better with this style of bait.

 Experiment with hair and blade colors, and be sure to add a four-inch Power Grub to the bait.  The Grub color should contrast with the hair color. 

 A 5500C3 or 6500C3 spooled with fifty-pound test FireLine is as close to perfect as it gets for these pike.  A 6’6” heavy or medium heavy rod is just right.  Fenwick, Berkley, and ABU Garcia all make good ones.  We want heavy gear because we’re after strong, heavy fish. If you put in some time on good water, you’re going to catch a trophy pike.  Be sure to release all the mid-size and big pike.  If you catch a really big one, have a replica made for the wall.  Then come back next year and catch it again.

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