So, what if I want to dump in Pool 4 and chase pike?

[Cove]

I have fished out of Wabasha, once, in August, for bass. So I know roughly the lay of the land, the wing dams, the back waters.

I have a hankering to chase Northern in the next few weeks. Do I just slip into shallow, quiet waters and start casting spinners like I was in the big bay of a lake or what? In lakes would be looking for shallow bays where water was warming to the 50 degree range which would draw the big pike in. What happens in a river?

[mrcrowley138]

I believe your assumptions about finding a backwater bay would work just fine. Most of my pike fishing is done in a bay off of the Black River near Onalaska, Wisconsin, and it produces well. I would say look for the weeds and fish the edges. I'm not an expert by any means. Thats just my experience with a similar situation.

[Cove]

Thanks McCrowly. Most of the chatter is about walleye & sauger and I'd like to chase them too but my son coming back from college wants pike so pike it will be

[Brad0383]

I have been wondering, is using frozen smelt legal in Minnesota? We used that all the time back in North Dakota. I haven't tageted pike in MN yet.

[JBMasterAngler]

It's very legal and very effective.

[Brad0383]

OK great, now the question is where to find frozen smelt. I just looked at all the grocery stores this weekend and could not find any.

[castindad]

duluth harbor castindad

[GoggleEye]

The smelt run is starting as we speak. It will be going on for the coming weeks. Get up to Lake superior and do some smelting. You will most likely collect enough smelt for bait for the next couple years. I got so much last year I didn't know what to do with it all. It's pretty good tasting too if you cook it right. I usually go up to Ashland, WI to do my smelting. Good luck.

GE

[JBMasterAngler]

Wouldn't frozen shad work just as good? Especially since they are the dominant forage in the river anyway. I know cruising along lake pepin with a dip net (especially at night) you'd be able to get all the shad you'd need in a lifetime.