summer pike

[northspear]

ive always wanted to use a big bobber to fish for pike in the summer time. anyone ever try this and if so, any tips would be great. what kind of bobber,line,lure,bait,location,ect. thanks

[waterbound]

I've never tried it but I do know it can produce some very nice fish. The main key is patience. Find a spot on a deep weedline or possibly near a spring (someplace with much cooler water than the surface) and toss a big ol' sucker out there. Quickstrike rigs are nice if you want to release the fish, but if you want to catch enough for a meal you could just as well use a single hook and let it swallow the bait - it's gonna die anyway, and you probably won't be catching numbers. Twenty pound test line of your choosing with a good leader should get the job done. If you do give it a try you might want to bring a book or a buddy to talk to because staring at a bobber that doesn't move for hours at a time (if at all) isn't exactly thrilling.

[kyleharty]

Find cold water during the summer and you've got a good chance of finding the bigger fish. A good sized minnow under a bobber can work well, I like to do this if you want a break from casting or if the fish aren't real active.

[mrklean]

smelt always work good with the bobber

[wahoo]

I use a bobber when artificials don't work. I like the styrofoam type. On a day with a slow breeze I find the weeds head into the wind then float over the weeds with bobber back 30-50 feet slowing pulling along (motor off). Typically, 17-20lb line, titanium leader, quick strike if releasing single if keeping and just enough weight to keep the minnow (sucker or creek chub) down. 6 inch or so minnows. Usually 5-7 feet deep, but just over the weeds.

Also fish it on a small river on my farm that has lots of pike. Many fish, but not a lot of large--only up to about 8 lbs, but a lot of 3 lb eaters. The river is shallow and weedy so I fish from the bank and cast over the weeds into the current which floats the bobber and minnow along the weed edges and keep repeating. Typically the minnow is only 2 feet or so under the bobber. Often the minnow swims to the top and "bang" the Northern nails it. Fun to watch.

In early june we get a lot of snapping turtles that also like the bait.

[Dylan33]

At the cabin, anytime we are not in the boat, we throw a hook and bobber set up off of the dock. Any size line works. We almost always have 10# test mono with a 12 inch wire leader and a 1/0 circle hook.

As we are doing work, having lunch or anything else on shore we just keep an eye on the bobber(make sure you have a bobber big enough so the sucker minnow doesnt keep it under). When the bobber is gone, we let the fish have it for a minute or two, then reel in the slack set the hook and its on.

You will kill a lot of fish like this, since they will swallow the hook completely from time to time, but we have a lot of good releases as well.

We've caught many 10# plus northerns and 5# plus bass using this method

[Nick Kuhn]

Dylan switch to a quick-strike rig and set the hook right away (unless the fish is moving toward you) and you won't have the fish dying problem.

[siemers]

o ya one of the best way to catch pike off the dock when you dont feel like goin out, but you can also do that off the boat. but may i ask i never used smelt, can you get it at bait shops?

[waterbound]

You can get smelt at many bait shops, but you can also get it at grocery stores. I would suggest getting the ones bait shops sell as they aren't cleaned like the grocery stores smelt and they seem to work better.

[Gordie]

90 percent of my grandfathers fishing was for pike with a bobber and big creekchubs and a 30 ft bamboo cane pole now your talking some fun also.. the othe pike he caught were trolling spoons with the same cane pole even more fun.

[Dylan33]

Dylan switch to a quick-strike rig and set the hook right away (unless the fish is moving toward you) and you won't have the fish dying problem.

I've never heard of or seen a quick strike rig. What is that exactly?

[Nick Kuhn]

Originally Posted By: Nick Kuhn

Dylan switch to a quick-strike rig and set the hook right away (unless the fish is moving toward you) and you won't have the fish dying problem.

I've never heard of or seen a quick strike rig. What is that exactly?

It's basically 2 treble hooks on a wire leader. A small bead/spinner blade to make it a legal rig. You run one of the trebles through the lip of a sucker, and put one near the dorsal fin as you normally would under a bobber. You can find them at Fleet Farm for <$2.

[Dylan33]

[Acemac]

pike just like to eat pretty sure they dont mind a strange looking meal!

[SpecialK]

This is exactly how I grew up fishing, old zebco 33 reel and all.

Big red and white bobber, 8 lb test and a wire leader with a sucker minnow on a bare hook.

The pike will come.

[merkman]

When using a quick strike rig with live bait just be aware that right now it is technically illegal but accepted.

If you get a CO that interperets the regs by the letter of the law you can get a ticket.

[JBMasterAngler]

I still use a zebco 33 and catch lot's of fish with them.

[My_Key]

Cane poles and big red & white bobbers. Too funny. Reminds me of stories my dad tells of hooking big pike, tossing the pole in the lake and following it around until it stops, retrieve the pole from the water, and then boating the fish.

[Jim Uran]

Quick strike rigs help reduce mortality. I think they are a necessity nowadays, there really is no sense in keeping pike over 30". By using a quick strike rig you can hook the fish in the corner of the mouth and get the hooks out right away reducing the time the fish is out of the water!!

Single hooks are too easy for the fish to get gut hooked, which will kill them everytime.

[My_Key]

When using a quick strike rig with live bait just be aware that right now it is technically illegal but accepted.

If you get a CO that interperets the regs by the letter of the law you can get a ticket.

I missed this when I first read the thread. I'm not saying your wrong, but could you please explain how it is technically illegal right now? I don't use them in open water, but have used them under tip ups in winter.

[delcecchi]

I thought that adding a spinner blade made them a lure and hence legal in minnesota. Am I incorrect?

[thrax]

I believe it depends on how close the spinner is to the actual hooks but I could be wrong. I'm pretty sure I have some store bought ones that would be deemed "illegal" based on that, where the spinner blades are way up the leader and realistically not anywhere near the actual hooks.

[Jim Uran]

It's an interpretation of the law that has been "overlooked" basically. By simply putting a small spinnerblade on a pair of treble hooks, you can call it a "rig". I've been checked on a few occasions, each time they had no problems with my quick strike rigs, which were store bought.

[merkman]

When using a quick strike rig with live bait just be aware that right now it is technically illegal but accepted.

If you get a CO that interperets the regs by the letter of the law you can get a ticket.

[fatfinger]

bobber fishing for big pike is my favorite way to fish.i most always just use a sucker on a single hook or even a spinner set up if im feelin lazy & a medium size bobber.i dont recall the last time i gut hooked one.maybe just lucky?usually right in the corner of the mouth.i find 5-8 fow on the edge of shade or toss it on edge of a weedline.-edges of anything are key-.ill give it about 5-10 minutes a spot then toss it about 10-20 feet away.somewhere you think they'd be.usually NAIL em too if i can talk my bro into sittin there.more times than not i catch at least a hammer-handle in about 10 minutes or so.now im excited! sometimes i need a break from casting & trollin, etc & there is nothing more exciting than seeing a bobber go down.