What are the northerns up to?

[mainbutter]

With this hot weather, I'm wondering what the northerns are doing.

I'll be heading an hour and a half or more north of the cities this weekend, hoping to get out before 35W closes.

Last time I was out water was pretty warm, mid 70s probably, and I was still finding fish in 5-8 FOW, in and a little past the weed line.

[reinhard1]

my experience this time of the year are two fold. smaller pike will be in the shallows all day. the usual, weedlines, rocks, any type of cover for ambush. thats why they are caught while fishing for bass. now the larger pike in shallow lakes will be generaly in the same are although deeper. lakes that are deeper the biggest pike will be in the deepest water that holds a proper oxygen level. large pike are cold water fish. i hope this helps. deeper weedlines use heavier jigs with a sucker minnow and a stinger hook for example. and just drift if possible off the bottom. good luck.

[nwwisco23]

I was out last weekend with my underwater camera checking out some depressions/basins in a lake that averages 10' - the pike seemed to be sitting on sandy bottoms or near the bottom in 20-30' of water. I was actually intending to crappie fish, but after I was bit off for the 3rd time I started using large jig heads, steel leaders and 6" sucker minnows while anchored over the edge of a basin. Letting the sucker make contact with the bottom and leaving it was producing very well (especially when I learned to let them take it on a slack line for a few seconds first)...

I ended up with half a dozen pike in a 2 hour span in the middle of the day - one was in the 9-10 lbs range. Also had one bend the hook straight...

I'm hoping the same pattern produces this weekend

[mainbutter]

Thanks guys Pike have definitely moved deeper.

After hitting the 5-10ft weedline most of the morning and having no action except one bass that hit a small swimbait, we made the decision to troll rapalas.

We caught two smaller ~3lb eater pike (so far only pike meal of the season) on a #9 deep diving shad rap in about 30-45 minutes, then fished the weedline again for quite a few small bass back to the launch to go back and fry up fish for the family.

I didn't have a depth finder with me, but I've fished that lake before out of a boat that had one and I THINK that the bites came in about 20-30 FOW, right on a very steep dropoff.

Trolling rapalas in a canoe is more fun than I would have imagined, if I ever hit up the BWCA, I'll be troll-paddling ANY time I'm going from one destination to another

[Fish Head]

Having a long line out while paddling along in the BWCA is a blast! Every once in a while the rod goes crazy. We would than stop and cast for a few minutes in that area, than start to move on again.

I miss it up there.

[Gordie]

I was out last weekend with my underwater camera checking out some depressions/basins in a lake that averages 10' - the pike seemed to be sitting on sandy bottoms or near the bottom in 20-30' of water. I was actually intending to crappie fish, but after I was bit off for the 3rd time I started using large jig heads, steel leaders and 6" sucker minnows while anchored over the edge of a basin. Letting the sucker make contact with the bottom and leaving it was producing very well (especially when I learned to let them take it on a slack line for a few seconds first)...

I ended up with half a dozen pike in a 2 hour span in the middle of the day - one was in the 9-10 lbs range. Also had one bend the hook straight...

I'm hoping the same pattern produces this weekend

I used to do this many years ago using big bucktails tipped with suckers and speed troll them thru the deep parts of the lake. We used to just troll them in the shallows and there was one spot we never caught fish on so we motored across the bay very fast so I let a lot of line out and wham just about lost my pole and a new way to fish for pike was added to our arsenal

[reinhard1]

i think most pike fisherman know that large pike this time of the year are found in deep water structure eighter off bottom or following schools of smelt or tullibees. i've mentioned this before but[in my opinon] the best presentation for these pike is a jig with sucker and stinger hook combo. i like to verticly drift over areas were i can see them on my electronics. with this method you can be right off bottom or put the bait at the level of the schools of baitfish. it requires patience. i use this on my favorite pike lake {grindstone] were you have depth up to 150 ft. good luck. of course this does not apply to shallow lake like rice lake res. near duluth which has a max. depth of 11ft. this lake is great for pike and good ave.size to boot. one of my favorite ice spots too. i only say this because for years is worked the schallow waters for pike regardless of the structure or depth. it was always faster action but then someone filled me in. we did not have great forums like this back then. good luck.

[ThunderLund78]

We have a cabin about 1-1/2 hrs north of the metro. Just after the 4th (about 78 deg surface temp) we were catching them by slow trolling suckers on big jigs in about 20-25ft off of weedy points and bays. they definitely like to chill out in that deep, cool water and explode once something swims by. Great fun and a delicious fish fry with the fish that were under slot as well.

[reinhard1]

exactly. i have cought them in 70ft.{in grindstone] 5ft. off bottom and in 100ft of water suspended in 30ft. going after trout this time of the year. i only mentioned this because there might be some fisherman who love pike and stick to shallows. i did that until someone convinced me years ago. stubborn german. good luck.

[bmc]

The last 2 weeks we've been having great luck trolling heavy duty spinner rigs, 3/4oz slip sinkers, and 4-7" sucker minnows on the deep weedlines. I've been backtrolling at around 1.5mph.

Nothing huge but alot of fish in the 3-8lb range.

My wife even caught her 1st musky, although it was a small 23", it still counts.

We're headed out again this weekend in search of some big gators.

Brian

[Gordie]

Good Luck Brian. hope to see some pics posted

[merkman]

Nothing huge but alot of fish in the 3-8lb range.

Ain't nothing wrong with that!!

[CatholicConis]

Now that September is here, anyone had any luck with shallower pike? It seems the bass have moved in but I haven't had much in terms of a good pike bite yet. Any tips?

[reinhard1]

i think the big pike are still deep in a deep structured lake. in shallow lakes say 20ft max they will be getting turned on soon for the fall bite. big pike like cold water and they will be turning on the feed bag soon. the smaller pike should be biters now i would think as they are all year long. good luck.

[My_Key]

I got a 30 incher Sat. night while wader fishing. Got hit in roughly 6 feet of water at sun down. Not sure if this is what you consider a big one, but for the lake I was on, it is.

[reinhard1]

northerns have alway's been my favorite game fish. i am no expert. but over the years what i have seen and read about as far as large pike are concerned the above post i have posted is reliable. a 30 in pike is a nice one but not the pike i am talking about. in general fall and late fall and early ice is tops for big pike and game fish fish in general. i would go with live bait and larger presentations as we progress into fall. shallow lakes vs deep strucherd lakes are diferent in seasonal approches to pike but what they all have in commen the fall it brings out the feeding binge in all game fish. good luck.

[My_Key]

I have no doubts you were referring to larger fish, but I pretty much fish exclusively on shallow prairie lakes where hammer handles are the norm. So a 30" fish for me is pretty rare.