pike fishing

[tulikow]

When do th big pike start to bite? What lures are best?

[Steve Foss]

Tuli:

Take a scroll back through previous pages of posts and you may learn all you need about pike on URL.

FM folks are really helpful, but the help you're asking for has been given before, and after awhile it's hard to make your hands type the same words over and over again.

If you still have unanswered questions or the post archive doesn't go back far enough to last season, ask again.

Of course, maybe you already paged back through all of them and didn't find what you need. If so, sorry.

[This message has been edited by stfcatfish (edited 12-27-2002).]

[tulikow]

stfcatfish,
Thanks for the help.

[Steve Foss]

Tuli:

Now, for what it's worth, I'll throw in my 2c on the only direct experience I've had fishing pike on URL. Done lots of pike fishing with tip-ups. Been to URL four times on ice, only targeted pike there once.

It was in March, when the whitefish were in shallow spawning, would have been three winters ago. Whitefish come in, pike follow, although I expect there are some pike shallow all winter, as well as lots out there in the "deep" water eating crappies and perch.

Anyway, we sight fished through our holes for whitefish with little jigs/waxies and small spoons/waxies. And we'd each leave out a tip-up for pike as well. Got some nice pike that way. We were in six to eight feet of water or so, sometimes only a few feet of water under the ice.

We went out of Rogers Campground, and if you go that way, you'll see people out only a short distance fishing pike, maybe all winter long.

Anyway, if you want to target pike at URL, just head up there. Since you'll be heading out on one of the resort ice roads, paying their road fee, buying their bait, etc., they'll tell you where to go . Their livelihood depends on being helpful and giving good info to people with money.

For tip-up bait, live suckers and dead smelt are always top choices. If you're doing tip-ups only, I'd put one a foot off the bottom and one a couple feet under the ice. Pike (and other predator fish) often cruise not far under the ice and scavenge dead fish pinned against the underside of the ice. Don't forget the quick-strike rigs!

Good luck.

[tulikow]

Thanks for the help stfcatfish.

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kow

[minneman]

seems to me season closes around the mid part of feb..?

[Steve Foss]

Yep, my dates are off. Good catch.

[joefishin]

Tuli, they are biting always, was just at URL the last 4 days caught some in the morning and the big ones around lunch time. Three of them over 37" in one hour. Good Luck to ya.

[tulikow]

Thanks for all the help! I will take your advice while i am up on Red.

Good luck fishing!

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Tuli

[Dan Thompson]

hey is there a slot size on the pike on url i have never fished for pick there always at LOW thanks for any help

[Steve Foss]

No slot. Yet. Lots of big pike being taken out the last several years. Although with whitefish and perch by the millions, those pike can grow big fast, not to mention the great munching offered by little crappies and walleyes. It's all gooood pike food.