# Big Pike on the HOT Spring Days



## Bob50j (May 20, 2006)

Hello all,

Just found this site and have been cruising around it a bit, very interesting.

My Brothers and I have been fishing Canadian Pike lakes for 20 years now, with great success. Our favorite technique(by a wide margin) is early spring fishing with dead smelt. We set up very shallow, in a narrows or outside any inflowing creek and the action is usually just fabulous. Over the years, this has accounted for uncountable 20+ lbers with the biggest a 48.5"er that buried the scale at 25lbs. She was released, so no true weight was ever recorded.

My first question to the board is this. The one circumstance that we've never been able to figure out are those sunny, very hot, totally windless days that sometimes happen in spring. We can never hook up with the big ones under these conditions. We've tried going deeper. Tried trolling the drop-off edges. NOTHING. Any suggestions? We can usually land all the hammerhandles we can stand, but the big guys(10lbs. +) just can't be had. Are they just laying down, not feeding on these days? I just have a hard time believing this, but I guess it could be true

Any help would be appreciated. This has driven us nuts for quite a while now.

Bob


----------



## waterwolf (Oct 15, 2003)

Welcome to the site.

I don't know if I have an answer, but we struggle for the big ones when the sun is out and is high. It seems when it tucks behind a cloud for even a small amount of time the fish turn back on.

We have gone deep with better success when the sun is high and it's warm out, and that tends to be a little better.

We usually troll in 18'-25' of water with deep diving baits. I like to keep moving to find the fish that might be in the feeding mood.

Good luck


----------



## Fossilman (Mar 12, 2006)

For one thing they are lazy(when huge)...So they just wait till something goes right by their nose's,then strike.


----------



## Invector (Jan 13, 2006)

Large pike avoid warm water...I mean if they could 50 degrees is the warmest they would ever see. Around here as things warm the fish turn on then drop off and only return to the shallows to feed then leave again. Musky on the other hand like the warmer water and can be found shallow all year long while feeding or sunning. Warm water speeds up the Esocidae's metabolic rate and when it comes to pike they end up not being able to feed enough to grow properly or to maintian proper body weight. A few years back on Pipstem some guy landed a 52" pike that only was 14 lbs. That fish should have been close to or over 30lbs. So when it comes to water warming and warm days BIG pike tend to move to the deapest parts possible and they tend just to sit there, as if pouting. Wind, rain, cooler weather can and sometimes does put big pike on a feeding binge. But remember this...big pike will school in shallow water if there is a spring. I happend to find such a underwater spring one hot (one day the temp hit 100) day in july and over the two days nabbed 15 pike from 32 being the smallest to 45" being the biggest. We were in only 5-7 ft of water when we found them.


----------



## shawnk (Jun 11, 2006)

My best action on those dismal days is fishing mid water humps with deep water all around. My mid water humps are usually 8-3 foot with 25+ feet of water on all sides. Nice humps for me have been around 1-4 acres with some vegitation on them. The pike I have caught hang on the points in 10-15 feet of water. Troll troll troll around the hump. Great if you ahve a mice Motor Guide series electic motor that can keep you on a certain depth but, I don't have one as they cost $2k+ Good if you have a GPS with a lake map. That can keep you close. If your weeds are starting at 15 feet, try sticking to 16-18 feet while trolling a lure that goes to about 10-12. Good guides out there for lure depths. My favorite is "Muskiemike's Trolling Secrets" Has all the big 6 inch plus lures in it with trolling depths using specific line and feet out from the boat.

Good luck!


----------



## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

Would it make more sense to sit on the hump and cast out away from it......I am no expert but it seems that would be less boat action to disturb the fish. :huh:


----------



## shawnk (Jun 11, 2006)

djleye said:


> Would it make more sense to sit on the hump and cast out away from it......I am no expert but it seems that would be less boat action to disturb the fish. :huh:


Pike and muskies don't seem to care about boats. Also, you want to cover as much water as you can. Sitting does not allow a large area to be worked well. If you have a good electric motor (24v) go slow and work the area from the shallow or deep side. I like working from the deep so I can let my lure fall as I bring it in or if I use a deep diver I can run it down along the drop. Otherwise, I pick a good depth and troll.

Just my opinion,
SK


----------

