Pike Fishing Sloughs or Shallow Lakes?

[deerminator]

So I've been looking at new lakes to try out now that I've been having some fun and success with my tip-ups and one nearby is more of a slough or shallow lake that has a lot of submerged vegetation. It's across the road from a very popular lake and also has a small inlet into another popular lake on the other side. Anyway, no one's ever on it except for duck hunting in the fall and every now and then one or two small houses for a little while (some winters, not every). I did the DNR lakefinder scan of it and it says that the 2010 netting only came up with pike, an "abundance," most in the lower 20 inches and a few over 30. Supposedly this lake is good for crappies off an on depending on the fish kill status. Anywhoo, long explanation, but I've thought about giving this one a try for fun. The deepest it goes is 9 feet in the middle and the water clarity was at 2 feet. I was thinking about going with some flashy quickstrike rigs and then putting them a foot or two below the ice. Any advice on fishing a lake like this? thanks!

[erikwells]

I've done this an typically I do it during high water years however if there is 9 feer of water finding the deepest hole should give you some success. It is usually a feast or famine scenario in my experience so in my book it's always worth a try. Good luck.

[Early Riser]

This is a good idea deerminator! I fish/spear some of the backwaters off some of the bigger rivers in far NE MN....these are small lakes/puddles with no official names. We have named some ourselves and speculate that we are the only ones who have ever fished/speared them. We named one such lake "Gristle Lake" after our son's friend, during the long bushwhack in, said: "This hike is turning my fat into gristle."

On this particular trip we were scouting with tip ups. When we got to the lake it looked like it was all grass with only a little bit of water. I thought we should set up since we had worked so hard to get in there. The first hole I drilled indicated only about a foot of water above heavy weeds. The second hole was about the same so I put down a tip up. By the time I had the third hole drilled about 25 yard away the flag was already up which produced a nice pike. We ended up catching pike all day. We couldn't get more than three tip ups set up due to the action.

When I go back spearing there, God willing, I will bring a canvas tarp to drape over a tee pee of aspen saplings for my dark house, an ice chisel, a small ceramic heater, a few decoys, a bucket for a seat and my lightest spear. I don[t expect any trophies necessarily, but it will be quiet and there will be fish in the hole all day long.

[Gordie]

This is a good idea deerminator! I fish/spear some of the backwaters off some of the bigger rivers in far NE MN....these are small lakes/puddles with no official names. We have named some ourselves and speculate that we are the only ones who have ever fished/speared them. We named one such lake "Gristle Lake" after our son's friend, during the long bushwhack in, said: "This hike is turning my fat into gristle."

On this particular trip we were scouting with tip ups. When we got to the lake it looked like it was all grass with only a little bit of water. I thought we should set up since we had worked so hard to get in there. The first hole I drilled indicated only about a foot of water above heavy weeds. The second hole was about the same so I put down a tip up. By the time I had the third hole drilled about 25 yard away the flag was already up which produced a nice pike. We ended up catching pike all day. We couldn't get more than three tip ups set up due to the action.

When I go back spearing there, God willing, I will bring a canvas tarp to drape over a tee pee of aspen saplings for my dark house, an ice chisel, a small ceramic heater, a few decoys, a bucket for a seat and my lightest spear. I don[t expect any trophies necessarily, but it will be quiet and there will be fish in the hole all day long.

Both trips sound like way to much fun good luck and let us know how you do.

Do you ever walk in the summer to those spots as that would be fun too.