Northern Pike

I think the mosquitos here were using the spray as mouthwash...I loaded up on it and they still bit me all over my hands..I had a big fleece sweating but it kept the mosquitos away for the most part.

 

3 more last night 2 on spoon one on dead bait. I think Im up to around 18 total for the season.

 

I'm just got back in Alaska, still on the road to my house. Already planning to get the kayak out and get after some. When I left everything was still frozen.

 

Wilcam47, what kind of dead bait are you using?

I've caught pike on dead suckers while catfishing, but never actually targeted them with it.

I'm curious because I sometimes use live bluegills, but I have a poor hookup ratio. I'm wondering if I'd be better off just cutting them up...

Also, how are you presenting your dead bait?

 

Got out today and was skunked. I saw at least 30 pike including a couple that were probably over 30”. They’d swim right past my kayak, past my lures, everything. I probably changed tackle 20 times and never found a lure/color combination that would work.

 

up here they like herring, perch and sometimes smelt As far as dead bait goes. we cant use live minnows/bait etc with the exception of nightcrawlers etc...
I have found the majority of fish in a pikes belly is perch, followed by an occasional crappie and one had a baby pike in it. They do chase anything small and moving though. Just have to check your states regs on live bait.

I make my own quickstrike rig, similar to this but without the flasher thing by the hooks and i use a small 1.25" bobber. For perch I hook one barb and smelt/herrring two barbs in the head and the other hook in the tail. I leave the bail closed and drag almost zero, then bobber goes down tighten the drag and slack, give it a tug but not like setting a hook on a bass. then the fight should be on if it tried getting your bait. set the depth of the bobber about 18" or to the end of the hooks.

 

do you know the water temp?

 

https://www.cabelas.com/product/Pro-King-Salmon-Spoons-Regular/703140.uts?slotId=4 PK-151 "freak out" is the one Ive had the best luck with....Ive caught 13 last year and 4 so far this year on this one spoon. Ive tried other colors but this one gets them going when nothing else does.

 

also have you tried dead bait?

 

I don’t know the exact temps. Launching the kayak from the shore the water was noticeable cool but not uncomfortably cold. Very scientific, I know.

I haven’t tried any dead bait yet because I’ve always had such good luck with lures. I might give it a shot tomorrow on a different lake and take some bait.

 

Thanks for the reply, Wilcam47. I'm going to try some dead bait the next time I'm out. Otherwise I might just need to give them more time with the live bluegills.

 

eventually when the water warms and they are out of spawn, they start chasing most anything that looks injured or looks like a frog. Its just how they are wired, they even hit spoons when their belly is full. Spinners, frogs, and spoons like you would use for bass will get them around here.

 

Impressive pike guys! I haven't landed one yet, but around here the wardens/biologists don't want them returned to the water.

 

they are good eating

 

Sat I caught 3, a 9lb'r, 7, a small one, lost a lure and a friends wife caught a nice 13lb'r for her first fish. I caught a small one last night nothing else hitting, no one else got anything.

Total to 22

 

3 more last night on my birthday. Lost 2 on a white spinner---I had them hooked and one of their head flips and jumping out of the water the single hook flipped out. I had good tension on the line also. I was a little disappointed....

Also the local tribe has a bounty on pike $5 a head and some have micro-chips in them. I turned in a bunch and one of them had a $100 chip.

 

1 4lb'r last night, one hit a white spinner but didnt get hooked. total now 26

 

2 more on dead bait. One I let a friends daughter reel in but technically hooked on my pole. one was 5lb and one was 7lb

 

another 6lbr on dead bait last night. total 29

 

Anyone flyfish for pike? One from last week. Hit a topwater fly in shallow water.