Pre spawn Pike fishing

[splashhopper]

I am going to give some pre-spawn pike fishing a go before the season closes at the end of the month.

 

The articles I have been reading suggest finding shallow bays and weedy areas or areas with lots of cover nearby.

 

I am not a " bobber and minnow" kinda guy

 

How about using top water baits with light steel leaders?

 

If I am fishing shallow waters, what type of under water lure should I try that will give me the least amount of grief for snags?

 

Any suggestions and other tips are welcome for this pike newby?

 

Thanks

[rbaquial]

I've found that when the fish are active, X-Rap Slashbaits are your key. When in a neutral/negative feeding mode... Husky Jerks..... Depending if they are in a real negative feeding mood... Use a HJ... Jerk it... and leave it still for as long as you can't stand it anymore! Neutral Mood - Jerk it - leave it for 5-8sec.... then repeat!

 

Good Luck!

[pike slayer]

ya definitely x-raps for sure. ive been using the storm thundersticks in the madflash series for pike. they are only $3.99 at bass pro so not as big of a deal loosing them in them casting in around heavy cover, they have better hooks quality hooks and can hold up to more abuse then an the xrap. dont get me wrong i love xraps, i have about 80 of them and are amazing for bass, walleye, and of course pike.

[spinnerbaitking]

I'm hoping to get the boat out next week for pike, jerkbaits, spoons & a variety of plastic to start with for me, not sure if your coming up this way, a few buddies are talking about getting out, might be room for more, nothing confirmed yet

Richard

[cram]

I don't think you need to worry about weeds guys.....its frigging march.

 

Splashhopper -- find shallow bays that blends the following...

 

- there will be weeds in a month or two, and or you're starting to see some green now

- looks like it warms faster than the surrounding area (shallow, dark, sun facing, drainage from a shallower/warmer pond...whatever)

 

Cast small to mid size baits (smaller husky jerk is good) and go SLOW. Also, don't worry about the early morning, late evening cycles the way you would the rest of the year. Sometimes a sunny warm afternoon can inspire activity....its bizarro relative to the rest of the year.

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

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[musky66]

Dont ignore beachfront areas that might warm up faster than other areas of the lake- if there is usually summer weed growth out front thay can be dynamite.

[smitter]

Shallow dark bottomed bays, and floating Rapala, leave it sitting out there for a while before you start to pull it in, slowly of course.

[fish_fishburn]

Grabbed the canoe yesterday afternoon and headed out on the Ottawa River. Fished the west facing sides of some islands. No luck for 2 hrs. Tried to get to the backside of the islands but they are still full of ice. As I approached the end of an island with a nice rocky point I figured this would be my best spot to hook up. Paddled real slow around the point and just as I was starting my turn to go back across the same point my float went down with authority, yes fish on. I got it to the canoe quickly and it was a 24 inch northern, nice and healthy and released. Hopefully better things to come. I still can't get into my favorite pike bays yet but they should be open in a matter of days now. The wind came up at about 3 p.m. and ice started moving all over the place so I headed for home. I was using a 8 inch live sucker under a float with my home made live bait rig. Single hook through the nose and a treble hooked in the top off the back connected with 30 lb picture frame wire on a steel leader with a few split shots. I used the same sucker for about 4 hours and after one fish he is still alive and waiting to be used again. Man them suckers are tough.

[denisk]

HJ-14 glass purple perch when you think you are fishing to slow go slower

[MuskyGreenHorn]

when pike first move in shallow they will be looking for the warmest water. Bays that are protected from the wind and on the north shore get the nod. Darker bottom will also warm faster. Also look for bays with last years standig dead weeds or reeds. Pike do not lay their eggs in the sediment, they need something standing. they will go in water so shallow that their tail and dorsal fin will stick out. They love areas of flooded vegetation as well for spawning. the watar will be cold so they will be slow slow slow, like everyone has noted. Jerkbaits and light weight spoons that sink slow like williams wablers are a good choice. Do yourself a favour and bring some soft plastics. Dark colours and longer stuff, lizards, reaper tails, berkley leeches, pike will eat leeches and salamanders/mudpuppies that they find in these flooded areas. so imitate them. Drag these really slow and let them rest twitching them a little on the rest. Large tubes and grubs bodies work well as well. Also try slugos and pork rind if you can find it.

Edited March 18, 2010 by MuskyGreenHorn

[MuskyGreenHorn]

Oh and look for creek mouths that may dumping warmer water in, baitfish magnets in the spring...

Edited March 18, 2010 by MuskyGreenHorn

[Rizzo]

soft plastics fished with no added weight. The weight of your hook/leader is enough

[BillM]

Dead smelts.

[mepps]

I'd go with the clown X-Rap and soft plastics too. I'd expect to see plenty of follows, and few takers. If you get a follower a suspending abit like an x-rap is key - give it a nice long pause 10+ seconds and then a slight twitch, then hang on!

[splashhopper]

thanks every one... i am gonna hit a local spot Sunday if it isn't blowing snow/rain by then

[gdelongchamp]

the mouth of any creek or bay in the shallows. Use daredevils man.

[rbaquial]

thanks every one... i am gonna hit a local spot Sunday if it isn't blowing snow/rain by then

 

I'd check to see if the area you plan to fish - is "Pike" sufficient habitat.

[Guest Hauki]

I think that at this point everything has been said about the locations. In my experience the pike will be in the spawning area but still not in side the death shore vegetation remaining from the last season. About what to use with those pikes, everything that moves slow, here in the Baltic that time of the year is the moment for the heavy artillery, gliders, shallow dagws, big swimbaits, slow sinkking or suspending models will be the most succesfull with those very slow pikes that now are starting to wake up.

 

And always that your lure allows you to make long stops when you are reeling. One lure 10 seconds suspended in the water and a jerk, will make mad the pikes in those moments. As some fellos told you don´t forget the X-Raps, and good luck with those jacks!

[bushart]

Years ago I moved to Alberta for a short time and they had a river that stayed open most of the year.

 

Northerns back then not having a season so I tried my hand at catchin them in cold water with artificials.

 

Here's what worked---remember there was no snags---mud bottom

 

I dragged a red & white spoon literally thru the mud on bottom---one reel crank rev every minute (Seemed like) but like everyone has said slow being key.

 

Bushart