Northern Pike are generally very easy to catch. They hit just about any lure. The trick is how to catch big Trophy Northern Pike. The first step is to know where they are.

Spring: In the spring, the Pike will be right along shore or in river current. Pike spawn in rivers, streams and in sandy areas along the shore. At this time of year, the weeds have not grown yet so you will find Pike of every size in the back of small protected bays and in very shallow water. You will also find them among last year's wild rice stocks. If there are patches of weeds that survived the winter, you can cast into them but generally that is where the smaller pike will be. The big Pike like the shallow warmer water and in the spring you can sometimes see them sunning themselves.

Late Spring & Summer: The water is warming up and the weeds are starting to grow. This is a transition time when Pike do not hang around spawning areas anymore if food is scarce or the area had been taken over with thick choking weeds. Small Pike will move into the thick weeds in the back of bays. Medium size pike go to the back of bays but tend to stay around the outer edge of the weeds. This is a fine area for them as there are lots of bugs and minnows to eat and they also find protection from big Pike.

The really big Monster Pike move out to the points leading into bays. They will also move between islands, shoals or areas with current. The biggest reason for this is to feed on Walleyes. If you look at the diagram below, you will see how a big pike will have a territory. In a smaller bay, there may only be one big Pike. In a bigger bay, you may have two or three. The prime spots are at the points or the open water in the center of the bay.

Big Pike will also move into channels where there is current or if it's a place where Walleye migrate through. This enables the Pike to ambush Walleyes. Another hot spot is between small islands or channels between lakes.

Late Summer and Fall: Late summer and fall can be a strange time for pike fishing. In some lakes they stay in their usual areas. In some Lakes the Pike go deep. If you are not catching Pike in the normal shallow areas, try fishing deep with a 3-way swivel rig or troll off shore with Down-Deep Husky Jerks.

Lures: Traditionally the best lures and probably the most popular lures are the Red-&-White Dardevle and the Yellow 5-of-Diamonds Dardevle. You use the red in clear water and the yellow in murky water. Spinnerbaits, Crankbaits, Bucktails and Williams Weedless Spoons also work well. When using a Dardevle, try casting up high and just before the lure hits the water, jerk it towards you so the lure slaps the surface. This slap sound seems to trigger a better feeding response from bigger Pike.

Pike are also well known for hitting surface lures. Jitterbugs and Spooks are excellent for Pike. A growing trend in Pike fishing, which is getting very popular, is fly-fishing for Pike. With large Pike flies, you can drop the fly in an opening in the middle of thick weeds, which would not be practical for normal lures.

Pike Casting Lures: