Image Via: Mike Hungle
Image Via: Mike Hungle

How to find the biggest northern pike throughout the open-water season

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Scott Gardner
Scott Gardner

Summer

As the summer heats up, smaller pike stay in shallow water and often hold on, or adjacent to, weedbeds, where they can ambush prey. As for the bigger fish, they move out into deeper areas where the water temperatures are much cooler. In rivers, that means they find deep holes or move upstream to current areas. In lakes, the biggest pike move to deep-water flats and steep drop-offs. While staging on the drop-offs, the fish seem to prefer holding in rocky areas, which likely helps them ambush unsuspecting prey.

Search for large pike in depths of 20 feet down to the thermocline separating the warmer upper part of the lake from the much cooler water below. Northerns will often hold just above the thermocline, where they snack on baitfish such as ciscoes, as well as burbot, which live out the summer months here.

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A great way to find these bigger fish is by trolling the deep-water flats and ridge lines in order to cover lots of water. And since the fish are deeper, they’re less likely to get spooked by the boat moving overtop of them. Spoons, crankbaits and jigs are my favourite trolling lures. My summer spoon selection is basically the same as in spring, but I always start with the largest ones to get down deep.

For crankbaits, I use flatfish-style lures designed to dive to my desired depth. With both crankbaits and minnowbaits, I use silver and gold on sunny days, and something psychedelic, such as hot tiger, on cloudy days. When trolling jigs, I like ¾-ounce heads tipped with large, soft-plastic paddletails. Simply swim the jig, periodically letting it bounce on the bottom.

Because pike are notorious for attacking spinner rigs designed for walleye, some savvy anglers are now building rigs specifically for northerns, with heavy fluorocarbon line or wire leader material to take the abuse of these toothy fish. Also key to this rig is a large, flashy blade and a big nightcrawler or minnow to catch the attention of lunker pike. As when trolling for walleye, use a bottom bouncer rigged with the hooks trailing a metre behind the weight.

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Baits

Bonus tip: Bitsy baits

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Although big lures are typically the go-to baits for pike fishing, downsizing can sometimes produce astonishing results. In fact, some of the biggest northerns I’ve caught have been taken on the smallest of lures. I accidently stumbled on this pattern when fishing a national park, where lead lures were banned. I didn’t have any lead-free jigs, and the only ones I could find at the local store were small. Reluctantly I bought a few, and ended up catching some giant pike—an exhilarating experience when fishing with light gear.