Pike Fishing.

Pike Fishing.

CDNBear

#1May 17th, 2010

Now Pike fishing isn't really my thing. I've always been a river kinda guy, targeting Salmonoid species. All through my youth, we fed the Pike we did catch, to the dogs. A couple years ago, a friend of ours got us to try some Pike, and now we've added it to our list of edibles.

So I'm on my way to putting together a Pike load out. So far all we've done is a some trolling and dead sticking with minnows.

So I'm asking the Pikers here, if they wouldn't mind sharing some of their successful tips, tricks and sure shots.

petros

Re: Pike Fishing.

May 17th, 2010

00 red and white spoons cast long side the weeds. If you want deep water giants go for plugs.

karrie

Re: Pike Fishing.

May 17th, 2010

I've always just jigged for pike. Cheap jigs have good success since the greedy buggers'll eat anything. yellow or 'hornet' styled jigs seem to work well.

If you fillet them properly, cutting out the y bones, they batter up nicely. The more flavour you cook them with, the better, since they tend to pick up the swampy algae flavour of lakes worse than any other fish. Salty beer batter is my favourite method.

CDNBear

Re: Pike Fishing.

May 17th, 2010

Thanx guys...

As soon as SCB and Kooter get home, we're heading down to a spot we've found that produces some nice fish. We'll be fishing from shore, beneath a dam. We've had limited success pitching out red and whites, and jigs tipped with grubs. So tonight we're going to try a minnow rig, under a float.

petros

Re: Pike Fishing.

May 17th, 2010

pink or orange leaches on jigs work great by dams because they will sink.

CDNBear

Re: Pike Fishing.

May 17th, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by petros

pink or orange leaches on jigs work great by dams because they will sink.

I'll have to try that.

I'm not all that up to speed on grubs and leeches or plastic baits for that matter, lol. I've been curing and tying my own roe for years. Kooter, my youngest ties flies and well, the whole lure thing, plastic or otherwise, is quite new to us.

karrie

Re: Pike Fishing.

May 17th, 2010

yeah, pike don't need that kind of attention or effort. lol.

karrie

Re: Pike Fishing.

May 17th, 2010

actually, the easiest way to catch a pike is just to not want to.

CDNBear

Re: Pike Fishing.

May 17th, 2010

Lol...

lone wolf

#10

Re: Pike Fishing.

May 17th, 2010

I open them up to see what they're eating then judge the bait accordingly next outing

CDNBear

#11

Re: Pike Fishing.

May 17th, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by lone wolf

I open them up to see what they're eating then judge the bait accordingly next outing

I've always done that, I even have a stomach pump, I use on Trout when fly fishing.

The problem is, I can use perch for bait, lol.

bill barilko

#12

Re: Pike Fishing.

May 17th, 2010

1-Live bait

2-Spinnerbaits

3-Spoons not just R&W I like Williams Wablers

4-Topwater plugs if conditions are right.

karrie

#13

Re: Pike Fishing.

May 17th, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by lone wolf

I open them up to see what they're eating then judge the bait accordingly next outing

And when you open them up and find a walleye big enough to keep too?

They're tough to cast with ya know.

lone wolf

#14

Re: Pike Fishing.

May 17th, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by karrie

And when you open them up and find a walleye big enough to keep too? They're tough to cast with ya know.

It's when you find a licence plate - with the Buick still attached - you really gotta worry

DaSleeper

#15

Re: Pike Fishing.

May 17th, 2010

I normally don't like pike in the summer because with warm water the flesh tend to be not so firm, so when I catch one big enough that it's a keeper....do the same thing you would do for cat-fish. (clean and fillet it with no bones,The method I use is in the video)...
Like cat-fish I put it in freezer bags with water salted with pickling salt (Don't use iodized salt...it makes the meat even mushier) for a couple of days in the freezer.
When you thaw it out, it's just like winter pike.....

YouTube - How to Fillet a Northern Pike - Fillet a Northern Pike with No Bones - Pike Cleaning

Small frogs make good bait

petros

#16

Re: Pike Fishing.

May 17th, 2010

Saskatchewan slough sharks!

wulfie68

#17

Re: Pike Fishing.

May 17th, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by karrie

yeah, pike don't need that kind of attention or effort. lol

actually, the easiest way to catch a pike is just to not want to.

Thats what we always found too...

We always fished for walleye or perch and the slough sharks (or if you prefer, Northen Big Mouth Bass or Sewer Trout) would hone in. Sometimes we'd just put a big red and white (red devil) spoon on and go for it. The biggest ones I caught liked yellow or bumblebee jigs... seems like any bright colour really.

The firmness of the flesh in summer only seems to be an issue with water that really warms up. Mom would soak the flesh in a mild vinegar to take out the sliminess sometimes too.

petros

#18

Re: Pike Fishing.

May 17th, 2010

Anyone ever caught or tried eating mariah (burbot)?

karrie

#19

Re: Pike Fishing.

May 17th, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by petros

Anyone ever caught or tried eating mariah (burbot)?

I've heard of people eating the similar 'ling', but, the reviews were even worse than pike.

petros

#20

Re: Pike Fishing.

May 17th, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by karrie

I've heard of people eating the similar 'ling', but, the reviews were even worse than pike.

If caught from clean cold waters pike and burbot are really good.

karrie

#21

Re: Pike Fishing.

May 17th, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by petros

If caught from clean cold waters pike and burbot are really good.

The lake we used to swim at where people caught ling was a really cold spring lake, but, the ling still tasted swampy supposedly. I can't attest to that of course, I've never had the pleasure. But, I'm a brilliant cook and can make damn near anything taste good.

petros

#22

Re: Pike Fishing.

May 17th, 2010

Exactly. It is not necessarily the fish but the way it's cooked an who cooked it. Even sucker is excellent if canned properly.

Slim Chance

#23

Re: Pike Fishing.

May 17th, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by CDNBear

So I'm asking the Pikers here, if they wouldn't mind sharing some of their successful tips, tricks and sure shots.

If you're trolling and on any of the lakes in the Shield, you can try bottom-bouncers. They work well at slow speeds BUT you can't use them where there's lots of bottom vegetation or crap.

In the heat of summer, they're great to get down deep into the colder water.

eh1eh

#24

Re: Pike Fishing.

May 17th, 2010

I'm just glad this wasn't a history thread.

Nice fish btw.

MHz

#25

Re: Pike Fishing.

May 17th, 2010

Been so long I forget what the bait was. Cold water and colder beer seemed to make it memorable if you had real butter. (AKA cow)
In my neighborhood they are called 'slough sharks'. in the evening the bar(s) takes over as the local fishing pond. What the hell is a 'hilltop lake' BTW lol

MHz

#26

Re: Pike Fishing.

May 17th, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by karrie

The lake we used to swim at where people caught ling was a really cold spring lake, but, the ling still tasted swampy supposedly. I can't attest to that of course, I've never had the pleasure. But, I'm a brilliant cook and can make damn near anything taste good.

Improve on Ling cod and bacon.

petros

#27

Re: Pike Fishing.

May 17th, 2010

Quote:

What the hell is a 'hilltop lake' BTW lol

Water above the firmament.

MHz

#28

Re: Pike Fishing.

May 17th, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by petros

Water above the firmament.

Little more simple. a lake that can only be seen from a 'certain hilltop', thanks to the runoff from the farms you can walk on the algae by mid-august. The Perch can still be kept but the jack are returned as the slime seems to turn some people off, as it is it just slides down easier without the need for fire to make it tasty.

Johnnny

#29

Re: Pike Fishing.

May 17th, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by CDNBear

Now Pike fishing isn't really my thing. I've always been a river kinda guy, targeting Salmonoid species. All through my youth, we fed the Pike we did catch, to the dogs. A couple years ago, a friend of ours got us to try some Pike, and now we've added it to our list of edibles.

So I'm on my way to putting together a Pike load out. So far all we've done is a some trolling and dead sticking with minnows.

So I'm asking the Pikers here, if they wouldn't mind sharing some of their successful tips, tricks and sure shots.

you fed pike to the dogs? dude pike meat is the best when its caught out of cold water...

Basically wherever there is structure in the water, you want to fish. Trolling with a floating perch rapala or jigging out in front of some fallen tree offshore will work..

Best times to eat pike are the spring and fall when their meat tastes the best, in the summer they dont taste all that great..

Risus

#30

Re: Pike Fishing.

May 17th, 2010

Pike will hit anything that moves.
Catching them is not rocket science...

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