where are they now?

[chuckwagon]

I have been bass fishing the shallows/inside weed lines lately and I am catching a lot of small hammer handle pike .. almost more pike than bass. Is this a normal hang out for small pike? Also, where are the bigger pike going to be this time of year?

[Nick Kuhn]

Small pike will be up in the shallow weeds chasing small fish. The big pike will be out deeper, in cooler water chasing larger prey (big perch, suckers, cisco, etc).

[Jim Uran]

Low light periods will bring the big gals in shallow. During mid day, look to the cabbage and deep breaklines to hold fish. I love dragging a modified lindy(stranded wire leader) a stout #2 or #1 hook and a big fat sucker along the weeds and deep breaks. Cranks will also work on the more active fish!

[chuckwagon]

Sah wheat! Thanks guys ... this has been my best year fishing. I got a boat last year and I am addicted now! I was doing pretty good on some 3 to 5 #'s in about 6 to ten feet on a weedless kind of a mucky bottom.

[mainbutter]

I was catching tons of pike in the 20 inch range right were I was bass fishing. I put on a mepps musky killer and the pike AND LMBs were all over it. They were right in the weeds and just outside the weed line.

I only caught one bigger ~30in in pretty much the same area, but that weed line was off a more severe decline into deeper water.

It sounds pretty typical, small pike in shallow right with the bass, big girls out deeper. Next time I'm out and I know the hammer handles are turned on, I'm switching to a #9 shad rap or dardevle and throwing out a bit deeper to see if I can make sense of the bigger gals.

[chuckwagon]

Good deal ... I was out last night and caught nothing using a spinners. I was not marking many fish on the finder either? I'll have to do some looking on the gps to find some steep drops off the weed line.

[fatfinger]

ive had pretty good luck throwing a jerk bait into shady areas in morning & evening.throw into a spot where the sun pokes thru the trees onto the water.give it a few twitches & watch it flash.then WHAM! a big flash & you got a fish on....well sometimes.ideally you find a weed pocket in the sunlight surrounded by shade.just an idea.i've seen no bad advice on here.good luck!