Ontario Northern Pike Fishing

Pike Fishing Tips!

The majority of northern pike are caught by trolling or casting, and they attack with ferocity. You can tell when a northern smacks your lure. It’s not the type of fish where you can say, “I think I felt a bite kind of fish.”

Spoons, spinners, hard plastic baits, and even jigs are popular lures, though the latter tend to catch smaller fish due to their smaller size. Spoons work well because their shiny side reflects sunlight and resembles the white belly of certain prey fish. Also, because spoons are relatively heavy, they can be cast long distances and even fished at different depths depending on retrieve speed. Hard plastic baits are another good option because they are shaped and painted to resemble prey. Spinners are also effective because they are visually appealing and generate a lot of noise.

Though medium-sized lures are a safe bet, don’t be afraid to use larger lures because a northern pike will readily attack prey up to one-third its length. If you’re targeting northern pike weighing 10 pounds or more, an eight-inch lure or larger is a good bet.

Because northern pike are accustomed to bursting into action, you must retrieve lures quickly. In fact, swimming the lure quickly just above the top of underwater weed beds is a common technique. You can also troll fairly quickly. Drag lures over the tops or just outside of underwater weed beds is a common trolling technique. This technique allows you to cover a large amount of water in a short period of time.