Basic Northern Pike Fishing Tips

• Northern respond to action and often strike more out of anger or greed rather than hunger. There more action you give your lure the better.

• Look for Northern in relatively shallow water along rushes or weedbeds (or over weedbeds) and on bars or reefs.

• In mid-summer, however, they may be found in much deeper water (10' to 25').

• Northerns do not feed at night (unless there is a very bright moon). Their major feeding periods are mid-morning, noon and early in the evening.

• Northerns rarely hit a surface lure. Generally speaking they are most apt to see and to be attracted to lures fished about half-way between the bottom and the surface.

• When Northerns move into the deeper waters during the mid-summer, try bottom fishing. Lures worked over weedbeds (but just under the surface) are often very productive.

• Large minnows (6" to 9") are excellent bait for big northerns (suckers, chubs and shiners in this order!).

• Try minnows still fishing with a bobber or troll them hooked through the nose with a large Lindy Rig.

• Always give a Northern ample tim to take the bait-at least a full minute.

• Giant Northerns are often found in spring near sucker spawing grounds or in the fall where Crappies are schooling up.

• Spoons, bucktails, crank baits and large "plugs" are effective when trolled or retrieved rapidly and radically.

• When trolling, move at least two or three times as fast for walleyes.

• White jigs with red and white feathers often work well plain or baited. Use at least a 20# leader or the Northerns are apt to bite the lure off.