The Northern Pike, or Esox Lucius, is one of the most popular freshwater game fish, and for good reason. Their shier fighting power and savage attitude has earned this fish the ranks it deserves. Lets look into some tips that you can use to put more pike into your net this season!
When I think of pike, I think of BIG BAITS! I never go pike fishing without an arsenal of large profile lures. If youre a fisherman, you know that these fish have extremely sharp teeth that can easily shred the heaviest line, so using a steel-leader is a must. Pike also have extremely tough, bony mouths. What this means to you is that your hooks should be very sharp at all times. A good rule of thumb: If your hook doesnt dig into your fingernail when gently pulled across it, the point isnt sharp enough.
Look at the shape of the pikes body and you will notice that it is built for speed. You should retrieve your lures accordingly. Often, anglers make the mistake of slowing their lure down when they see a pike following, but the opposite should happen. A slowed bait can cause the fish to lose interest. Instead, speed the bait up, or pump the rod, and that will often convert the follow to a strike. When all is said and done, time on the water will lead to perfection.
Until next time, have a productive time on the water and remember if your line aint wet, you aint gonna catch no fish!
Sincerely,
Nicholas Cudzilo
I am an avid angler from Somerset, New York. If you enjoyed reading the above fishing article and are a serious fisherman who loves the outdoors, I would like to invite you to my website where you will find tons of information dedicated to the sport we most love at http://www.TheArtofAngling.com Also, youll have free access to my fishing forum and newsletter all FREE!
Fly fishing on rivers and lakes is often portrayed as a communal zen moment in nature. Seek out the Northern Pike, however, and you are in for anything but a peaceful time.
The Pike is undisputedly a creation of some demon figure. It is big, fast, and mean. It is the rare person that would describe the pike as anything but ugly. We are talking hit with the ugly stick more than a few times ugly! Just to top matters off, this demon spawn has teeth that would make a crocodile hesitate. We are talking about the biggest, baddest fish around.
The Northern Pike is carnivorous as suggested by the bear trap that acts as a mouth. Essentially, we are talking about the equivalent of sharks from the open oceans although they are often jokingly referred to as a water wolf. Pikes will eat anything from bait to game fish to frogs to
well, you get the idea. If it can get to it, consider it bait. Yes, the pike will eat other pikes.
The Northern Pike can grow very large. It is difficult to sort rumor from fact, but they can run up to three or four feet in length. Rumors of much bigger pikes abound much like the Yeti, but there has been little evidence they actually exists. The largest one every caught was a 34 pound beast in Nejanilini Lake in Canada. 42 pounders have been reported, but not documented.
As with any predator, the Northern Pike is all about stalking. It tends to hunt food by waiting in along shores in areas with coverage such as lilly, weeds, or where shoreline vegetation runs out into the water. This is a daytime hunter. It strikes quickly and viciously, so be prepared to react quickly if you hook one.
The Northern Pike is generally not much of a delicacy given a very boney body. That being said, large pikes are a regular food source in areas such as Siberia. In fact, a little known fact is pike fishing in Siberia is some of the best in the world. Of course, Siberia holds many secrets when it comes to fishing, one of the last great unexplored fishing paradises on the planet.
Rick Chapo is with NomadJournals.com - makers of fly fishing journals. Visit us to read more articles about fly fishing.
