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I cast my spinnerbait into a little pocket that was surrounded by flooded timber and as the slap of the blade hit the water it exploded, as if some mischievous kid had thrown a cherry bomb behind my lure. As I set the hook on a chunky northern pike I wondered if there were any more in that same little pocket. I started to question how a fish that weighed about 12 lbs. could be in such shallow water. The back of the fish must have been about an inch below the surface, because my depth finder indicated that I was only in 1ft. of water. As I wrestled this fish to the boat, unhooked and released him, I quickly used my bow mount trolling motor to reposition myself directly in front of that pocket. With the next cast the same thing happened all over again. Spring is definitely pike season. Spring is also a good season to chase those walleyes and who can resist a bunch of nice crappies out of cold spring water. In fact, I can almost hear them frying in the pan as I write this column. Northern pike are early spawners and most of them have finished laying eggs before most anglers venture out on open water in the spring. Therefore, they are interested in feeding and replenishing their body weights that have dropped during the spawning cycle. This makes the pike one of the most explosive fighters in the spring of the year. Some of the largest trophy pike come from waters that border Minnesota. Lake of the Woods, in Ontario Canda, offers a lot of habitat for these monsters and they share some of the same locations as huge muskies. When it is early in the season and walleye fishing is slow to start I will pack up and move to Witch Bay Camp located on Lake of the Woods. Pike will seek out particular areas for spawning. In lakes they'll move into shallow bays near deep water. In rivers, expect to find them in back waters off the main channel. These areas warm up faster than surrounding waters and draw the most active northern first. If there is a feeder creek or a small river running into the bays, the spot will be even better. Look for beginning weed growth or flooded timber, and you will surely be in pike territory. Pike are aggressive, which is unfortunate for them but fortunate for fisherman. They lack judgement. Where a walleye would look at a minnow from six sides before believing it is a minnow, a northern will nail almost any glittering object that moves. Even better, northerns keep bankers' hours. You can sleep in, get up, and find the northerns pigging out at midday. My kind of fish. And, better yet, northerns go right on snarfing up the poor forage species even after cold fronts that cause so many fish to throw tantrums and go on hunger strikes. Finally, and best of all, northerns keep right on filling their bellies when hot weather arrives and other game fish become picky eaters. For the most part, pike are associated with weeds. They lie in ambush in weeds, then attack their prey with astonishing speed. You cannot move a lure too fast for a northern to catch it, either trolling or casting. In fact, a lure that zips past a pike at extremely high speed is likely to trigger a strike that a pokey lure might not. Summer pike fishing begins when the weeds become fully established. In fact, the first week or so after the weed growth becomes mature can offer fantastic fishing. But the northerns go right on hanging around the weeds for the rest of the summer. Sometimes they'll be just outside them. Wherever the weeds stop, that is the magic depth. It will be a certain depth that will remain constant throughout the lake. That is, if the weeds end at 15 feet at one point, they will probably end at 15 feet all over the lake. So if you troll at a constant 15-foot depth, you'll be presenting your lure right in front of the deepest edge of the weeds. And that's exactly where summertime northerns like to hang out. You'll need a good depthfinder to keep your lure right where it should be. This is also one of the best times of the year to get a trophy northern pike. These monsters move into the shallow areas and because of their unique cycle of spawning and feeding a number of larger fish are caught. Big northern can be very spooky fish, and in shallow water they become even more cautious. Quick movements and noises in the boat or a lot of splashing along the shoreline will scare the fish out of the area, or at least cause them to shy away for your bait. What baits work the best is a question that many anglers have asked especially for early season pike. Of course that will depend on the water clarity and the weather. Water clarity dictates that you use something that is visual to the northern. Specific colors might include white, chartreuse, orange, and red. Mix that with flash, like spinnerbaits with blades and you will have a dynamite lure for these early spring monsters. If the weather has been warming and bright for a couple days prior to your fishing and suddenly it is overcast, don't hesitate to go pike fishing and you will have one of the most memorable days on the water. Presentation of your bait should also vary. Many times anglers will throw a spinnerbait out and retrieve it with lightening speed. This might be fine if you are fishing in the middle of the summer, but in the cold water of spring slow down your presentation. You might even want to try a jigging presentation of you spinner. Allow the lure to sink and flutter towards the bottom then pick it up and allow it to fall again. If you happen to spot a fish in the shallows don't cast directly at them, instead cast past them and retrieve past them. Casting directly at them can spook the fish. Spinnerbaits are great and a lot of fun, but don't overlook stick baits like Rapalas and soft stick baits like Power Grubs and Power Slugs. A #7 or #9 Shad Rap can be great especially if the fish are a little finicky and holding close to cover. Again, here the presentation should be slow and steady especially along submerged logs and developing cabbage. If the conditions offer a lot of snags and crankbaits and spinnerbaits get hung up turn to the soft stick baits. One of my all time favorites is the new Power Slug. It is virtually weedless and can be presented in a slow erratic motion that simply drives those pike crazy. The northern pike fishing at Witch Bay Camp is magnificent, but the accommodations were even better. The owners Steve and Gail Hockett cater to the fisherman as well as the entire family. The stay is great from the meals, to the lodging, to exchanging information about where and when to fish. Witch Bay Camp also has it's own pro fishing staff who are always available to assist you in the pursuit of your trophy. The pro fishing staff offers guests tips and help in locating active walleyes, smallmouth, northern pike and muskies. If you want to experience this northern pike fishing this year give Steve and Gail Hockett a call or drop them a line at: Witch Bay Camp, P.O. Box 238, Kenora Ontario, Canada, P9N 3x3 Toll Free: 877-468-5838 or e-mail ghockett@kmts.ca.
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