beginner Northern fishing HELP!!!

[Buckeyefool]

This is my first year trying my hand at fishing for Northerns. I need help on where to look for them. Do I fish deep or shallow? Any information will greatly help me.

[20lbSloughShark]

It varies by conditions, but generally shallow. Look for things like green weeds, bays, and drop offs. I'm a live bait person, and swear by large suckers. Do reserch on a lake. Find things like average northern size, and see what kind of food they are after. Generally they eat tube shaped fish, but will eat sunfish, crappie, and bass. I have caught northerns in water from 1-30 feet deep. Any tip up will do, but for rig, it depends on weather you want them to live. If you eat them. A leader, and 3/0 size hook (I used to like circle hooks) through the back, near the dorsal fin will do. Let them take the bait for a few minutes, and pull in. If your like to release fish, look at some quickstrike rigs. I posted mine at the bottom. You are allowed 2 poles per person(a tip up is one pole), and 2 hooks per pole, I'm sure you knew this. I use treble hooks, so I need to put a spinner and a bead above each hook. I sugest a tip up (or more with more people) and jig a spoon, or anything that shines or rattles near the tip up. If you get board, just go deeper and see if you can find panfish. I will post a lake map of some structure to look for. Any other questions?

[20lbSloughShark]

I did some quick research on your area, and found a lake that looks good (more importantly it show many examples of structure) It has clear water, so You might want to use florocarbon leaders. The DNR list two types of fish that are know "pike candy" cisco's and sucker's. In the map red dots are drop offs, green dots are bays (might differ in real life), and blue dots are river inlets. All are pike haven. Also brown dots can hold pike, and often thats where the big ones are. I circled a spot in orange that I think may be a hot spot. It has an incoming river. Fresh water and the fact that it is surrounded by reeds tells me there is good oxygen and green weeds there. This is just based on a lakes profile. Alot of times pike fishing is locating their food.

[Buckeyefool]

I sure appreciate taking the time to map this out for me. I was out yesterday and fished various depths using a rig like the one you show here. Can you tell me what lake this is? I am assuming it is gull. I am going out today to fish a smaller lake to start and I will move up to the larger.. Again thanks for your time and knowledge.

[20lbSloughShark]

That was cedar lake I think. Small dark water lakes are probably the easiest to fish, but generally produce smaller fish. This is not always true, my favorite lake is 80 arces. If the average size of northerns is under 2 pounds, generally medium suckers work better. But a 3 pounder will usually chose the larger over medium.

[coryesmach1]

this is a good rig I also run this set up and they sell the two hook leader and little spinner at fleet farm and gander called preditor. works great been having a lot of flags this year kinda weird.

[Archerysniper]

Buckeye I have caught some really nice fish out of clinker,head to the south end around the islands and try and set up right on the weed line.

[BoneCollector9]

just a treble hook with a spinner on it will do. Was in the backwaters of winona a few weeks ago had 45 flags one day (a remarkable lucky day) with 2 20 pounders caught 3 17 pounders and about 10 more ranging from 10-15 pounds. The next day we had 2 flags by noon which the day before we had our limit by then. Stuck a vexilar down the hole and lifted up a tip up and started jigging the line since a fish was being marked right at our bait and the next thing you know a 8 pounder took it. Started jigging with a spinner, leader, and a sucker on a pole and caught 10 more before the days end. Moral of the story if flags aren't going up start jigging. Northerns are no different than crappies, they love it when you jig. Moral of the story if no flags are going up start jigging with your tip ups or a pole.

[BoneCollector9]

another trick is that big fish don't necessarily like big bait. We caught all of our big northerns 10-20 pounders on 6 inch suckers where our 8-12 inch suckers were not producing at all. Put all sorts of sizes out at first to see what there interested in. I have caught numerous snakey northerns on large suckers and have had more success with smaller suckers for big northerns but it all depends on what they want and what lake your at.

[pikerliker]

Wow BoneCollector that sounds like a great day! I would love to tie into a bunch of quality fish like that especially if I had my kids with me. Sounds like a blast!

[Buckeyefool]

This is Cedar lake? hich one is this? What county is this located in?

[20lbSloughShark]

I don't even remember anymore. I just searched near you and found it.

[RoldGold]

Says on map Cedar Lake, Aitkin-Crow Wing County.

[thatoneguy]

Awesome day, BoneCollector. Can't wait to see the pics of those monster pike!