NORTHERN HELP

[FISHINGFARMER]

MAY I ASK SOME ADVISE AND HELP ON LURES TO USE TO CATCH NORTHERNS (GATORS)? MY HUSBAND IS AN AVID "EYE" FISHER, I LOVE THE TASTE OF NORTHERNS, BUT AM NOT SURE WHAT TO USE FOR LURES. WE ARE COMING UP TO THE ELY AREA THIS FRIDAY FOR A WEEK AND IT HAS BECOME A BATTLE BETWEEN US ON WHO WILL OUT FISH THE OTHER. NOT QUITE SURE WHAT THE TOP NORTHERN BAIT AND LURE WOULD BE FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR, PLEASE ANY ADVISE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED! THE FARMERS WIFE

P.S. THE DAUGHTER SAYS SHE WILL WIN WITH THE BASS AND SHE IS SET UP PRETTY MUCH ON HER LURES, ANY ADVISE FOR HER WOULD BE GREAT. WE WANT TO WIN --JUST ONE YEAR-- THANK YOU

[strat-o-caster]

For number,s wise I'd go with a Spinner bait... BLACK BODY WITH RED SPINNER'S. Pick up a few of them.... Good luck Strat P.S. Also try Some Lipless Crank Bait's

[msm1018]

I like pitching rattling shallow shad raps over weed flats. My buddy says the zip lure works wonders with northerns too.

[Leaky]

Where are you going to be fishing? If I'm northern fishing (which isn't very often)in the Ely area and I was on vacation, I may decide to tail hook the the biggest sucker minnow I can find on a # 2 plain hook, under the biggest bobber I can find, then sit back and enjoy a cold beverage. If you are in the right water, one of those beasts won't be able to resist and you may find the Haukee of your wildest dreams. Of course you will need to be in some fairly shallow water, preferably on the edge of some weeds casting into 3-6 ft for this particular technique.

Good luck and have a great time in the Ely area. My prediction is the Farmers Wife and the Farmers Daughter will definately kick some butt on this one.

[RowShow]

I've always had luck with topwater baits in the bays.

My Storm Rattlin' Chug Bugs took a pounding from those Northerns the last time I was up there. Even though I prefer the Smallies and Walleye, it's always exciting to see a Northern smash a topwater bait.

The largest Northerns that we have caught in the BWCA (Ramshead Lake) were caught exactly how Leaky previously explained.

[FISHINGFARMER]

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE POSTED GREAT TIPS FOR MY DAUGHTER AND I ON CATCHING NORTHERNS.

ANY MORE INFO ON SMALLIES FOR THE DAUGHTER?

LEAKY - WE WILL BE FISHING FOR THE FIRST TIME AT BEAR ISLAND LAKE AT TIMBERWOLF RESORT,(WE ARE BRINGING THE FARMERS LUND FISHING BOAT). WE USUALLY WENT UP TO BIG LAKE AND DECIDED TO TRY ANOTHER LAKE AND LODGE JUST FOR A CHANGE. I HAVE PLENTY OF #2 HOOKS AND WILL DEFINATELY BE LOOKING AT SKUBIES FOR BIG SUCKER MINNOWS.

QUESTION, WE STUMBLED ONTO RAPPALA'S NEW X-RAPS. I WENT AHEAD AND PICKED UP A PERCH ONE, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY INFO. ON THESE, WHERE THEY ARE NEW? THE ACTION AND FLASH LOOKS LIKE IT SHOULD BE A WINNER TO USE!

P.S. LEAKY, MY DAUGHTER AND I ARE HOPING TO OUT FISH MY HUSBAND (THE FARMER) NOT ONLY IN SIZE OF FISH, BUT NUMBERS. WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A BLAST KICKING BUTT!!! HE ALREADY HAS A VERY NICE "EYE" ON THE WALL- IT'S OUR TURN!

(ALL IN FUN- WE HAVE A BLAST ON OUR ANUAL FAMILY FISHING TRIPS TO THE ELY AREA)

THANKS TO ALL- "THE FARMERS WIFE & DAUGHTER"

[RowShow]

You can find out some more information on the X-Rap in the "Fish Info by Species" section of this site under "Bass" and "Muskies-Pike" categories. They were having some discussions about the lure there.

I also just picked up a couple X-Raps and plan on using them when I head up to the BWCA at the end of June. I purchased the Perch and Silver Blue colored ones.

[Papa Woodie]

FishingFarmer -

Is "The Farmer" Internet savy? He might find your posts, and work around the "tips" these awesome folks on here are givin ya! Always remember, watch your back!!! Good luck...Its always a good time seeing the wifes/girlfriends/daughters/grand daughters out fishing!

[bigyooper]

when we fish for pike, I usually fly fish but everyone that I bring just uses a meduim red and white daredevil.we have also used a red eye and picked up some big fish. the fish should still be in the shallows. toss the spoons by downed trees and weeds.

[Surface Tension]

Unless you're in your own boat or you're driving the boat your going to have to select your presentations according to what your hubby is doing. For example, If he's slow trolling with a spinner eyes, your not going to be trolling a Dare Devil for pike.

Being he wants eyes and assuming your hubby knows where to find them, your not going to be in good pike or smallie waters.

If you really want to put the hurt on this guy I'm going to suggest you out fish him at his own game and thats walleyes. Your hubby might have an advantage because he's probably looking at the sounder which enables him to adjust his lure depths when your trolling. Here is what you do to ensure your close to the bottom and thats where you want to be without dragging bottom. Throw your line out and troll a bit to let the lure takes its depth. With your rod perpendicular to the boat, drop the rod tip back fast toward your lure and look to see if any line runs out. If your not dragging bottom you'll see the line pulling out. Let more line out and give your lure time to adjust then repeat till you see only about 1' of line dropping back. If when you drop your tip back and don't see any line pulling out then your to deep and your dragging and thats not good. Keep repeating this every 30 seconds and you'll always be in the sweet zone. It also triggers eyes that follow to strike so after you drop that tip back, bring it back to its position perpendicular to the boat sharply. You'll find out that drop triggered a strike and your setting the hook. The perpendicular rod position gives you enough rod to drop the tip and feed line to an eye when you feel them bite. Once the tip is back your in a perfect position for a hook set. Now I'm assuming you hubby is trolling with a spinner rig or jig. Lets increase your hooking odds. I see a lot guys using 1 hook on their spinners with leeches and minnows. Get yourself your own spinners with 2 hooks. Can't tell how many fish are hooked on that rear hook. Thats all you need for a minnow, leech and crawler rig.

[FISHINGFARMER]

PAPA WOODIE & SUFACE TENSION -

PAPA WOODIE- YES, UNFORTUNATELY HE IS INTERNET SAVY BUT THAT'S OK, HE'S SNEAKY, BUT NOT AS SNEAKY AS US TWO FEMALES ARE

SURFACE TENSION- THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE TIPS ON LURE DEPTH!!! DAUGHTER & I COULD NOT MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET SOME GREAT WALLEYES, AS WE ENJOY THEM ALSO-

AS FAR AS THE BOAT, YES IT IS HIS TOY BUT THAT'S O.K., THE DAUGHTER & I STEAL IT TWO DAYS OF THE TRIP TO HAVE MOTHER DAUGHTER TIME, SO TARGETING OUR SMALLIES AND GATORS WILL BE PROMISING. YES HE HAS A DEPTH FINDER , ACTUALLY TWO, BUT THE ONLY ONE THAT IS WORKING RIGHT NOW IS THE ONE IN THE BACK OF THE BOAT THAT HE STEERS FROM (HOW CONVIENIENT ) BUT ON THOSE TWO DAYS, HER AND I WILL HOPEFULLY MAKE HIM DROOL & WIMPER WHEN WE RETURN IN THE LATE EVENING!! WE CAN STEAL THE BOAT FOR THE MORNING IF THAT WOULD BE A BETTER TIME? DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER TIPS ON GATORS AND SMALLIES FOR OUR BENEFIT- WE WILL BE ON BEAR ISLAND LAKE FOR THE FIRST TIME AND OF COURSE THE FIRST TWO DAYS ALL 3 OF US WILL BE TOGETHER TO GET FAMILIAR WITH THE LAKE, BUT NEED TO KNOW WHEN DAUGHTER & I GO OUT ANY HOT SPOTS AND TIPS? WE KNOW TO TARGET SHALLOWS, AND REEDS FOR GATORS AND HUMPS AND ROCK SHORE LINES FOR SMALLIES, BUT ANY PARTICULAR AREAS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED FOR THIS LAKE.

P.S. AS FOR THE FARMER, HE HASN'T BEEN ON THE NET FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, AS HE IS TO BUSY GETTING THE BOAT READY FOR OUR FIRST TRIP OUT THIS SEASON TO ELY.

ALSO, DAUGHTER & I WILL DEFINATELY GIVE A REPORT BACK ON THE 12TH TO LET EVERYONE KNOW HOW HE TOOK THE LOSS!!!! THANKS A MILLION!!!

THE FARMERS WIFE & DAUGHTER

[MuskyBrian]

Northerns in Mn, very simple....

Make sure you have a #5 Mepps Gold blade brown fur, Make sure you have 2 jointed floating rapalas( one fire tiger, one blue and white), and a gold and black husky jerk for trolling, all you need

[gshaw]

A good philosophy for catching Northern is to NOT fish for them. That's usually how I get them. I love the fight though, so it's all good.

[Steve Foss]

I have been fishing pike for nearly 30 years when all around me are wasting their time on walleyes.

The No. 1 pike lure, which will catch pike of all sizes, is a 1/2 oz (or 3/8 or 5/8) chartreuse spinnerbait. It can have one blade, two blades, gold or copper or silver blades, mirror finish or hammered, whatever.

As long as it's tipped with a 3 to 5 inch sucker minnow.

I've fished them with and without, with power grubs and other tips, and the all-time champ is the sucker minnow. You get some short strikes now and then, but for pike if you bring the hook up from underneath through the hard skull of the sucker and don't snap your casts hard (since most pike angler us baitcasting equipment, it's even easier to ease your casts) a sucker will last quite awhile.

You can buzz it on the surface. You can count it down and let it sink, you can work it along the bottom like jig. You can stop and go, you can retrieve it in a million ways.

I've even caught pretty good sized 'eyes on the rig, though it's targeted for pike, and the occasional big bass.

A note: When pike get bigger than six or eight pounds, they turn into fish that prefer cool and cold water, which is why you don't find big pike shallow in most waters after the shallows warm in June, unless there's coldwater inflow like a spring. So, if you're after big pike, let that lure drift down to where the 25 to 30 foot range contacts bottom, like sloping main lake points or the deep edges off sunken islands. Big ole pike will be down there in the cool water, slurping up suckers and other cool-water baitfish (like walleyes.)

Of course, this time of year, for the next week or two up here, big pike will still be shallow if you're on the right kind of lake.

Good luck. Always like to see someone try to beat a boring ole walleye angler with a big pike.

[msm1018]

I find the best time for Smallies is right before the sun goes to bed. look for Islands where theres a underwater rock bar jutting off of it. cast those floating rapalas on top of them and your bound to catch some smallies. I think their better looking than there toothy neighbors. (besides a nice 17" walter)

[Scroungin'Round]

Hey now, everybody knows that the best way to get BIG pike is to toss a big dead minnow into about 12 feet of water in a current area (inlet) about 30 mins before sunset. The monster will cut or break your line at least twice, but he'll (she'll) just keep coming back for more, and finally you'll get him in.

I'm suprised noone offered up this technique

If that doesn't work, put a few 17 inch walleyes on a stringer and watch them closely. The dinner-grabbing gators won't let go of a walleye, just grab the whole stringer and heave it into the boat & get ready for action! - that's how it usually happens to me.

[Steve Foss]

Oops, forgot to plug the best tasting fish in fresh water (well, best after lake trout). Fillet that pike and remove the strip with the y bones. You're left with two long strips of boneless meat. Cut them into fingers, roll them in your favorite batter or shore lunch mixture and fry 'em up, and you've got heaven at your fingertips (leave the forks in the pack and use your hands). I thought I'd died and gone to heaven for several years on pike fingers until I had fresh-fried laker fillet (18 inchers and under work best ) for shore lunch. But that's another topic.

Also, if you like pickled pike, keep those strips with the y bones in a freezer bag and keep adding to them as you get more pike. When you get enough to service your favorite pickling recipe, cut them into chunks and go to town. The y bones dissolve during the pickling process, so you don't waste any pike meat, eh?

[RowShow]

stfcatfish - I know this has probably been posted a thousand times, but do you know of any information out there that is good for explaining how to remove those darn "y" bones successfully? Or know of a web site?

You could e-mail me at rowedder @ jefferson-scranton.k12.ia.us if you have any helpful advice. Thanks!

[Steve Foss]

Sorry Row:

Do a Web search on Google and put in "y-bones" and "northern pike" and you'll likely find some diagrams to help you. It's too involved to try to explain it (it hurts a writer to admit that, but some things simply can't be captured with words).

If you were here with me it'd be a snap to show you, but . . . .

[FISHINGFARMER]

OH MY- DAUGHTER & I CAN'T THANK EVERYONE ENOUGH!!

FARMER'S DAUGHTER WANTS TO THANK MSM1018 FOR THE TIPS ON SMALLIES --SHE IS SET UP WITH A GREAT VARIETY OF FLOATING RAPALA'S --IS THERE SPECIFIC COLOR CHOICES THAT WORK WELL THIS TIME OF YEAR? SHE USUALLY GETS TO FISH FOR THE SMALLIES LATE JULY INTO THE FALL BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS.

STEVE- THANK YOU FOR THE INFO. ON NORTHERNS. I WILL DEFINATELY BE PRINTING THESE POST BEFORE WE LEAVE ON FRIDAY TO REMIND US OF OUR TIPS WE'VE RECEIVED. NOT TO MENTION THE ADVISE ON LURES FOR OUR STOP AT CABELLA'S.

THE FARMER CAME IN LAST NIGHT AS HE HAS HIS BOAT ALL READY AND GOT ON THE CHAT AND SAID

"GANGING UP ON ME- HUH - HA- WE'LL SEE"

THIS IS ALL IN FUN, BUT DAUGHTER AND I REALLY WANT TO MAKE HIM EAT OUR WAVE OR SHOULD I SAY SMALLIES AND GATORS WAKES! :grin CAN'T WAIT TO PULL IN THE BIG PIKE AND SEE HIM HAVE TO NET IT!!!!

I WAS GOING TO ASK THE EASIEST WAY TO FILLET A NORTHERN BUT IT LOOKS AS THOUGH YOU WERE ASKED THAT. THE FARMER DOES OK, BUT AFTER ALL HE IS BEST AT FILLETING THOSE "EYES". MY GRANDPA WAS THE BEST AT GETTING THOSE Y-BONES OUT, I SHOULD HAVE PAID MORE ATTENTION. MY DAD'S BEST ADVISE ON EATING NORTHERNS, "SLOW AND CHEW ALOT". I STILL THINK THEY'RE THE "BEST" TASTING!

MUSKY BRIAN- THANK YOU FOR THE TIPS- DAUGHTER AND I HAVE SEVERAL #5MEPPS BUT WILL NEED TO GET SOME JOINTED FLOATING RAPALA'S- ANY COLOR SUGGESTIONS. I DID FIND SOME MORE X-RAPPS- GOT THE DAUGHTER HER OWN PEARCH AND BOTH OF US THE SILVER/BLUE- TO RUB IT IN THE FARMER'S NOSE, I EVEN GRABBED HIM A FEW FOR NORTHERNS- HA HA!

SCROUGIN'ROUND- THANK YOU FOR THE TIPS- YES- DAUGHTER SAYS IF ALL ELSE FAILS WE'LL PULL HIS "EYES" OUT OF THE LIVE WELL AND PUT THEM ON A STRINGER TO GET OUR "BIG GATORS" ! WHEN SHE TOLD THE FARMER OF THIS TIP, HE SAID "I WILL HAVE TO FIND A PAD LOCK"

ONCE OUR GATORS ARE IN THE LIVE WELL, THEY WILL ATLEAST HAVE A SNACK OF "EYES" TIL WE GET TO SHORE!

THANK YOU AGAIN TO ALL WHO HAVE HELPED AND GAVE US ADVISE-

FRIDAY CAN'T COME SOON ENOUGH!!!!

"THE FARMERS WIFE AND DUAGHTER"

[gshaw]

Try these for the Y-bones:

http://www.onthelake.net/fishing/articles/ybones.htm

http://www.redrockstore.com/fillet.html

[FISHINGFARMER]

GSHAW-

THANK YOU FOR THE SITES- I WENT A HEAD AND PRINTED THEM FOR REFERRENCES. I'M USED TO FILLETING WALLEYES, PEARCH, CRAPPIES AND BASS BUT ALWAYS LEFT THE GATORS TO THE FARMER AS HE IS MORE PRESISE ON GETTING ALL THE MEAT. I MADE 2 COPIES SO I HAVE ONE INCASE HIS GETS LOST- HA HA! HOPEFULLY I WILL GET MY BIG WALL MOUNT GATOR TO PUT ON THE WALL AND THEN JUST ENOUGH GATOR TO EAT EACH DAY AND THEN RELEASE THE REST.

WE ENJOY THE CATCH & RELEASE, AS WE FEEL IT'S BEST TO NOT BE GREEDY AND LET OTHERS HAVE A CHANCE TO CATCH AND TO HELP KEEP POPULATIONS OF EACH TYPE OF FISH UP. LIKE WHEN MY HUBBY (THE FARMER) GOT HIS BIG BUCK ON THE WALL. HE PRETTY MUCH HUNTS DEER NOW TO HELP HIS BUDDIES AND GET OUR MEAT FOR THE YEAR AND TO GET OUT AND ENJOY NATURE, YET WE KNOW SOME IN THIS AREA THAT HAVE WALL AFTER WALL OF BUCKS AND THEY DON'T EAT THE MEAT . THAT IS A HUGE BOTHER OF OURS! I KIND OF GOT OF THE SUBJECT OF THE SITES- SORRY- THANKS AGAIN FOR THE INFO. IT WILL COME IN VERY HANDY- SUPPOSE THIS YEAR I HAD BETTER LEARN TO FILLET THOSE GATORS!! "THE FARMERS WIFE"

[msm1018]

Quote:

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FARMER'S DAUGHTER WANTS TO THANK MSM1018 FOR THE TIPS ON SMALLIES

--SHE IS SET UP WITH A GREAT VARIETY OF FLOATING RAPALA'S --IS THERE SPECIFIC COLOR CHOICES THAT WORK WELL THIS TIME OF YEAR? SHE USUALLY GETS TO FISH FOR THE SMALLIES LATE JULY INTO THE FALL BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS.

---

I can't really say which colors work best because each lake varies. I can catch my limit of 6lb largemouths on one lake with on a certain lure and catch none with the same lure on another lake. Just sit back and try every color that you have and have fun. try other topwaters as well. throw everything but the kitchen sink at them (if you want) fish eat some wierd things.

[Steve Foss]

Shad Raps are great for pike, and you don't have to get the big lures to catch big pike. I like medium sized ones (sorry, don't have the size number handy, but they are about three inches long). That way you can also nab smallies and the odd aggressive walleye as well. Shad Raps are great baits for all three species. For pike and 'eyes I prefer the natural or fluorescent perch patterns (natural for clear lakes, glo for stained or murky water), since in most waters both species key on perch. For smallies and largemouth I like the crayfish color/patterns.