Hunting is an important aspect to fishing. Most fishermen want to feel like they’re actually hunting for the fish they intend to find. Northern pike make that desire a reality because they love colder water. In the winter, you have to search for them in shallow waters where it’s colder. In the summer, the northern pike tend to migrate at the bottom of the lake where it is considerably warmer. Sometimes you have to check the weekly climate in the area your fishing to accurately judge where they will be. This makes northern pike fishing a prime hunting experience.

Secondly, northern pike fishing gives you something to do while you’re waiting for a bite. For some fish you don’t want to move your bait or fishing pole around at all or you will scare off all the fish. Northern pike are almost the complete opposite. Instead, you should consistently jerk your fishing pole so that your bait moves around in the water. Northern pike like moving targets and they will often become motionless, stalking their prey until the ample opportunity to strike. Your bait might be the perfect lunch if it’s moving around in the water and catches their eye.

Northern pike fish are fairly easy to catch which is always important. No one likes to sit around in the boat or by the lake for their entire day and not catch a thing. Sometimes you can cast your line and within seconds you will have a bite. It’s these fish that provide a fun fishing experience.
Finally, northern pike fish are exciting when they bite on your bait. Some fish just dangle around and give up instantly which can really kill the experience. Instead, northern pike would rather put on a battle and make you fight for their catch. They hit the bait hard and fast and if you’re not ready you might lose the catch. Not to mention they come hard when you’re reeling them in. Northern pike are even excellent for young children because the small ones are easy to catch but the big ones are best left for the adults. There’s many reason why people enjoy northern pike fishing and there are a lot of reasons while you probably will too.

The most important tip of all when you’re fishing for northern pike fish is understanding where to look for them. Northern pike fish aren’t very hard to find but there is a bit of research that you need to do before hitting the lake. Northern pike love cold weather conditions. Keep in mind that they can survive in warm weather but they will always migrate to the colder areas within the lake. This is the key concept of hunting them down. If you know where to look, getting them to bite should be easy. During the winter you might even be able to spot some of them swimming along. This is because in the colder months of the year the northern pike will migrate toward the top of the lake. Cool air from outside the lake will chill the tips of the water making it much cooler than further down, deep within the water. This can make for prime fishing right after the lakes have thawed out and you can access the top of the water. Secondly, in the summer the bottom of the lakes are cooler than to top. The sun and the warm air will heat the top of the lake making it much warmer than the bottom. Dissatisfying or not, if you’re going northern pike fishing in the summer you’re going to be casting your line to the bottom.

The second most important aspect of northern pike fishing is learning how to handle your bait. Northern pike will bite on just about anything that moves. This means that motion is very important. Give your pole consistent and steady jerks to keep your bait moving around. This should help attract the attention of some of the fish and ultimately you’ll get a bite as long as you keep it moving.
Northern pike come in at their prey hard and fast. It can be surprising if you’re not ready for the excitement but the bad part is that you might lose the bite if you don’t act quickly. When they bite, be ready to reel them in and start fighting back. They can put on a bit of a battle but it makes for a very fun time with the family. If you have your kids with you then they can enjoy the action as well. A small northern pike won’t be too difficult for a child but a large one can put up a fight for an adult.

Pike aren’t hard to fish for. If you’re having difficulty then you’re probably out of kink with one of the basics. Pike will bite on just about anything you dangle around in the water. The trick is to keep your bait moving because they aren’t going to nibble on anything that’s sitting still. Pike will stay motionless for long periods of time. Once they see something that catches their eye they will tone in on that food. Whether it is another fish, your bait or even a frog they tend to attack their prey with a stabbing motion. Their stabbing technique helps them get to the target quickly.

With motion in mind, remember that the key to catching a pike revolves around dangling your bait and keeping it moving. If you are using lure, spinner bait or anything else then you will want to consistently move it around in the water. By giving the bait slight but steady jerks you’ll probably get a bite in no time. Remember to stay on guard and always be ready for action because the northern pike aren’t always the simplest to reel in. In fact, you can often lose one right on the bite if you aren’t ready for the catch right away. They’re strong and they’re quick. Remember that they like to charge and stab so when they hit they will hit hard and fast. Northern pike fishing is fairly easy and it can be a lot of fun. Fortunately, they provide a good meal as well. All of these benefits make fishing for the northern pike a rather enjoyable experience. If you’re not sure if you want to try northern pike fishing, take into consideration some of the great things that it has to offer. Northern pike fishing can be a great experience for kids, adults and the whole family.

For starters, northern pike fish like cold water and they tend to stay at the top of the surface. These two details can be very helpful when you’re fishing for northern pike. They get their name because they mostly live in areas up north where temperatures are colder and they can sustain life. They love the cold and that’s part of the reason they stay toward the top of the water. When the wind is blowing and there’s a good breeze in the air it will chill the tips of the river, therefore the top is far cooler than deep within the water.

Well how can you use these bits of information to find northern pike fish? It’s simple really; all you have to do is evaluate your surroundings. If you live up north in the United States then you’re already in a prime location for northern pike fishing. If you plan a fishing trip to catch some northern pike then you need to plan ahead. As soon as you head out to the lake it should be right after it has thawed enough to where the fish can enter shallow water. Usually right after the deep freezes in the winter is a great time to go.

This is when the water has been frozen for quite some time and has recently thawed out creating perfect climate conditions for the northern pike. As the season progresses you might want to change your hunting tactics and search for them in deeper water. In the summer, when the water is warm the northern pike will reside at the bottom of the lake where temperatures are cooler so that’s where you will want to sink your line. Fishing in the winter is definitely more ideal. If you’re new to fishing or new to northern pike fishing then it’s advised that you go in the winter when it’s easier to impress the other rookies.

If you enjoy the heat though then the opportunity is there but you might need some special sinkers to get to the bottom. Remember that when things start to cool down again, once you’ve approached the end of summer you will need to move back toward shallower water. It’s really a process of following the cold areas of the lake. Once you have a good understanding of the climate you live in and the climate that the northern pike strive to find, fishing for them will be real easy. Not to mention that catching a northern pike can be very rewarding. Northern pike are big fish and they can feed an entire family. Catch a couple of them and you will be set for weeks.

Northern Pike fishing lures are designed to mimic the movements of natural prey. Top water lures include products such as the Rattlin’ Dog, which is 4 ½” long, and is classified as a “walk the dog” variety lure, and the Rippin’ Junior Minnow, which is a top water popper. Crank bait fishing lures include the Pike Diver which is a deep diving lure, the Pike Killer, which is a 5″ medium depth lure, and the Diving Minnow, which is a short 3 ½” and is designed to run deep.

The Northern Pike habitat includes the majority of the northern portion of North America, Northern Asia, and Northwestern Europe. They have a tendency to live in water which is less than 15 feet deep, overgrown with weeds, and close to the shore. Northern Pike fishing lures work in these prime fishing areas and address their opportunistic eating habits.

Because the Pike favor minnows and other types of small fish, fishermen and women are advised to imitate these fish when angling. Northern Pike fishing lures incorporate cranks, spoons, and spinners. Out of the wide range and variety of Northern Pike fishing lures, the Red Daredevil is by far the most popular and most used. During warmer weather, Pike congregate in weedy areas, such as bays. During the fall and winter seasons, the Pike will move to cooler waters, but will still remain near weedy areas since this is their feeding grounds.

When fishing through the ice, live minnows are very popular and are a great lure. Since Pike seek their prey by sight, it is important for the lure to move, so active artificial movement or live bait movement is very important. If you are fishing for catch-and-release purposes, it is advised to set the hook early so that the lure is not swallowed too deep to be safely removed.

When fishing for Pike in shallow waters, top water lures are the best choice. When large fish are expected, larger sized top water lures and buzzbaits are recommended. In deeper waters, and especially when fishing in colder weather, diving crank baits are the best choice.

Northern Pike are exceptionally good to eat, with firm, white flesh. Except for one troublesome Y-shaped bone, the Pike is relatively easy to filet. Pike can be served in a variety of ways, including grilled, fried, and baked and with a host of different seasonings and sauces.

WHERE TO FIND NORTHERN PIKE

Pike are very predictable. They prefer cold water and tend to stay as close to the surface as their preference for cold water will allow. What does this mean as far as finding some large pike on your fishing trip? Head out as soon as the lake has thawed enough to fish the shallower waters. Then, as the season progresses, fish is deeper and deeper water. This means that in the middle of summer you will be fishing the bottom of the lake. If you really want to impress that rookie angler then go when the pike are in shallower waters because it’s a little easier to pinpoint where the fish are.

When things start to cool down again, just move in the opposite direction. By the time the lake starts to freeze over, you should be right near the coast again.

HOW TO CATCH NORTHERN PIKE

Pike are famous for hitting just about anything you put on the end of your line, as long as you jiggle it. They tend to remain motionless for long periods of time waiting for a fish, frog, or whatever to come along, and then attack their prey with a stabbing motion. Motion is the key, the main thing that triggers the bite, so be sure to give your lure, spinner bait, or whatever you’ve chosen little jerks as you reel it in. But be ready, because pike hit fast and hit hard.

ANOTHER BENEFIT OF NORTHERN PIKE FISHING

Northern pike fishing isn’t only relatively easy and fun, but it can provide for a nice dinner as well. You may not want to attempt it with a smaller specimen, though, because the bones can be difficult to separate from the meat. It’s a little bit easier in the larger fish.

So if you are wondering whether northern pike fishing is something you’d like to try, consider the positives: Pike are pretty easy to find, easy to catch, and good to eat. As mentioned earlier, what else could you ask for?

Northern pike tend to like cooler water, and the shallower the better. Using that logic, it follows that they can be found in very shallow waters just after ice-out, when the shallower waters haven’t had a chance to heat up. There is about a two week window here when the big fish still haven’t started their transition to deeper waters and fishing the shallower zones during this time can take a lot of the guess work out of catching a trophy pike. One drawback to fishing just after ice-out is that often times fishing season hasn’t started yet. That’s something that will involve research for the particular area you will be fishing in.

The next period that is good for catching some larger northern pike is during the time that they are transitioning from shallow to deeper waters. This occurs just after the period mentioned above. The conditions are slightly less favorable than if you are able to get your line in the water just after ice out, but the bigger northerns do tend to linger as long as possible, feeding on the more abundant food sources nearer the surface. Once they head down deep, then the task gets quite a bit more difficult.

The last period that’s great for catching larger northern pike is when they return to the shallows just before the water freezes over again.

So if you are looking for northern pike fishing tips, none are going to help you out more than knowing when is the best time. Once you know that, then you can move on to other northern pike fishing tips such as what kind of lure to use and what kind of shallows are better than others.

Because the fish likes colder water, you can use that to your advantage when Canada northern pike fishing. Just after the lakes and rivers thaw, pike can be found swimming in the shallower waters. Pike like to hang out, waiting for their food to swim by before pouncing. They react to motion so what usually works best is jerking your lure. Stay close to the shore, cast your lure (pike like such a wide variety of lures, there is no need to discuss it here), and reel it in slowly while often giving your pole a quick yank. As soon as it hits get ready for some fun! Pike can get pretty large and they like to fight, sometimes even performing some aerial feats.

Once you get a pike to your boat you want to be very careful removing the hook. The only real danger to Canada northern pike fishing is the fact that pike have sharp teeth, and they have a lot of them! So you might want to have a pair of heavy-duty gloves handy, or look into the use of barbless hooks.

What can you do with the pike once it’s in the boat? Smaller pike are a little hard to bone, so those might be good candidates to release. If you’ve got a larger specimen, then you might want to start thinking about making dinner plans! With big pike it’s easier to get the meat separated from the bone, and if you can do that the white flesh of the pike makes for some great eating!

Pike are ambush predators, lying in wait for extended periods of time, waiting for unsuspecting prey to swim by. They are aggressive hunters, and will try to eat just about anything of just about any size. Similar to frogs, motion is the key, so “jerking” your lure has proven to be very successful when fishing for northern pike.

Trolling (towing the lure behind the boat) is a popular way to fish in the summer, when larger pike move into deeper waters. Float tubes and fly fishing also work well. Basically, it is up to you!

One thing to be wary of when fishing for northern pike is the fact that they have lots of sharp teeth, so be careful when removing hooks. A suggestion would be to use hooks with smaller barbs, or even no barbs at all.

fishing for northern pike

Another positive aspect to fishing for northern pike is the fact that they are quite tasty! Pike have a mild-tasting, white flesh that is used often in European cuisine. Pike are bony, though, so bigger is better. The bones are very hard to separate from the meat in the smaller fish.

So if you’re new to fishing, or are planning a fishing trip with a group of inexperienced, but eager anglers, then pack up some lures and go fishing for northern pike! If you time it right (keep in mind that the colder the water is, the closer to the surface the pike will hang out) then chances are you will not be disappointed!