If you have ever been northern pike fishing, then you know how hard these fish fight.  Northern pike can easily exceed 10 pounds and 40 inches, so if you are planning on a pike fishing trip, make sure your gear is suited for these fish.  You will need a strong rod and real, as well as a tough monofilament line.  If you have never been, it is also wise to hire a guide service to lead you to the trophy pike.  The most important piece of equipment when fishing for northern pike is your choice of northern pike fishing lures.  Lets discuss some pike fishing lures tips below, and look at how to land pike in certain situations.

Pike Characteristics

Northern pike are a fish species whose habitat spans the northern US and into Canada.  The most popular northern pike fishing location is known as the ‘boundary waters’ area, which consists of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin as well as their adjacent Canadian states.  There are literally hundreds of lakes and ponds that are prime northern pike habitat, and are home to trophy pike.

Northern pike are predatory fish that spend a majority of their time hunting for food.  They feed mainly on smaller fish and other aquatic life (frogs and small mammals).  They are also territorial fish, and will defend their territory aggressively, especially during the spring spawn.

Northern Pike Fishing Lures

Because pike are a predatory fish species, lures that mimic their main source of food (fish or minnows) will be very effective.  The best pike fishing lures will mimic a wounded fish, and will display erratic movement when retrieved.  Common minnow lures are jerk baits, crank baits, spoons, and spinners.  Other top pike fishing lures will cause a territorial pike to strike because they see it as a threat.  These lures should be noisy (with some kind of internal rattle) and flashy.  You could end up spooking the fish, but the idea here is that these fish aren’t feeding, so inciting a reactionary strike is the only way to land them.

Seasonal Pike Fishing Lures And Techniques

Spring pike fishing has a few challenges.  First of all, there is the runoff, obscuring the water clarity.  Because pike remain somewhat dormant during the winter, they will also be sluggish on the colder days.  This is also the time when they spawn, so feeding pike will be hard to find.  Reactionary strikes do occur, but are less frequent.

Summer pike fishing is very exciting, because the fish are done spawning and are actively hunting again.  They will be depleted of energy from the long winter and spring, so this is when it picks up.  There won’t be a lot of trophy sized pike, but there will be a lot of large pike feeding.  Attractive patterns and lures should be used, with varied motion and retrieval speeds.

Fall is my favorite season to fish for northern pike.  It is common to catch large pike after they have spent the summer fattening up.  They will also be gorging to lay dormant throughout the winter.  There will be many trophy sized pike available for the taking during the fall months.  Fall pike fishing lures that will yield success include flashy spoons, rattling rappalas, spinners, crank baits, and Dahlberg divers for those fly fishermen out there.

I hope that these tips and techniques will help you on your next northern pike fishing adventure.  Remember that these fish are heavy fighters, so be ready when they strike.

Happy fishing!

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