Big Summer Pike
Where you locate big northerns during the summer months depends on the waterways you’re fishing.
By Mark Martin
The northern pike is one of the most unique predators on the planet. Esox luscious (for you Latin buffs) has a veracious appetite. And they’re not picky when it comes to what they will or will not eat. These torpedo-shaped fish are designed for hunting. They have eyes positioned near the top of their elongated head so they can easily zone in on their victims from afar. They have a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, set at an angle within their bony jaws that doesn’t allow their quarry any hope of escape. They are quick, attacking prey in mere seconds, seemingly from out of nowhere. But even with such a ferocious reputation, there are certain times of the year that even lakes loaded with northern pike, seem to be void of the species.
No, they didn’t just disappear. No, they did not lose their teeth and are refusing to eat, as many an old wives’ tale tells. They did, however, move from the shallows into deeper, colder water. They moved to feed on the other species of fish that also have migrated into the depths for a little reprieve from summer’s sweltering heat. Pike can thrive in just about any water, be it an oligotrophic (large, deep, cold) natural lake, mesotrophic (shallow, warm, soft both) lake, as well reservoirs and rivers; in clear water and stained. Where you find the biggest of these beasts will depend on the type of waterway you’re fishing.
In short: If you properly present the right lure in the correct place, catching a trophy northern pike will be a reality rather than just a dream.
Deep, Yet High
In oligotrophic lakes, for example, Pike may suspend and feed on herring, shiners, whitefish and shad within the upper third of the water column. More often than not, when I am trolling large Rapala crankbaits for suspended northerns, I’m not so much worried about marking northerns on my Lowrance HDS-12 Gen3, but more so schools of forage fishes. But baitfish will often scatter out from under my Lund as I pass over them, especially so in clear water; this is why I like to use Lowrance’s StructureScan HD feature.
StructureScan allows me up to 600 feet of side viewing in one direction (300 feet each direction if looking out both left and right) in high detail that’s easy to read. With it, I can see where baitfish are bunched up. Once spotted, I add an icon over what I see on the screen so that I can pinpoint the exact location of the forage, even if they’re hundreds of feet away, turn and troll my lure right through them on the next pass.
After that is getting my Rapala crankbaits in right front of the fish, which I do by trolling them behind Church Tackle in-line planer boards. The reason I pull Down Deep Husky Jerks, Magnums and Deep Tail Dancers behind planer boards, is to get the lures out from behind the boat and into the strike zone of fish that are unaware of my presence.
I pretty much use the same equipment for northern pike that I do when trolling for suspended walleyes, which include Fenwick’s Eagle Telescopic Trolling rod, and an ABU Garcia line counter spooled with 12-pound-test Berkley Trilene XL monofilament. If I need to get my crankbaits deeper yet, I’ll have a reel spooled with Sufix’s 832 Advanced Lead Core, which I’ll use with a 7-foot leader of 12-pound-test Berkley 100% Fluorocarbon line.
The Outer Limits
In the smaller, mesotrophic lakes—including the tannic filled lakes in Canada such as Granit Lake where I take an annual fly-in trip to PK Resorts every summer—you will see me targeting pike with both trolling and casting techniques.
Although the equipment will most likely be the same when I am trolling in the Canadian Bush as anywhere else, my Rapala crankbaits selection tends to be slightly different here. This is because the lakes are shallower and often packed with weeds, so I use lures that don’t dive quite as deep. Overall, Rapala’s Original Minnows, Shallow Shad Raps and X-Rap Shad Shallows have produced well for me here.
When casting for pike, I’ll use those same crankbaits. But knowing pike love lure with lots of flash and vibration, I’ll also cast Blue Fox in-line spinners, Northland Fishing Tackle’s Magnum Series Reed-Runner spinnerbaits and Holographic Forage Minnow Spoons.
When casting Rapalas, I’ll use a medium-action Fenwick HMG spinning rod and ABU Garcia reel filled with 10-pound-test Berkley FireLine. When using the spinners and spoons, I’ll beef up my equipment to medium-heavy spinning gear and use 14-pound-test Berkley Trilene XT.
If bite-offs and lost lures become an issue, I’ll use a 6- or 12-inch 15-pound-test Terminator Seven Strand Titanium Lightweight Leader. This leader is thin enough not to impede the action of your lure, yet strong enough to bring in largest without fear of it slicing the line.
When targeting northerns in shallow lakes in summer, it’s best to look to the outer edges of weed beds that are adjacent to the deepest water in main-lake basins, or, nearest the mouth of bays. Sunken islands, saddles and steep breaks near points are always worth a look, as well.
Twist And (Don’t) Shout
One of the many reasons anglers don’t like catching pike is because they never give up a fight – even after in the net and on the floor of the boat. There are several items you can use to make life easier after landing.
Well, the first item is used during the landing procedure, and that is a Frabill net with “Crankbait Net” webbing. It’s the unique design of the coated mesh that allows a pike to twist up in the netting, then unroll and be easily removed (lure and all) without hours of untangling. Also, there are the multitudes of pliers and mouth spreaders that are essential for a quick unhooking of the lure from the fish’s mouth and without harm to both the fish and the angler. One thing to remember is to release those trophy-size fish to fight again. Keep smaller fish as they are for excellent table fare if a fresh fish dinner is your prerogative. And if you’re taking a photo of a big fish before releasing it, place it back in the net place it back in the drink so that it can catch its breath, then get your pictures.
Deep thoughts
Looking to land the trophy pike of a lifetime? Troll crankbaits high in the water column in deep, cold and clear lakes. Target the deeper edges of weed beds in shallower, warmer lakes. Chances are you’ll catch the biggest northern of your life.
Mark Martin is a professional angler and walleye tournament pro, as well instructor with the Fishing Vacation/Schools, who lives in southwest Lower Michigan. Check out his website at markmartins.net for more information.