Autumn's Awesome Pike
Autumn's Awesome Pike
Muskie maniacs and steelheaders will disagree, but I think fall pike are bigger, tougher, and meaner than any other fish in Ontario. They're also among the most mysterious. I'm convinced that really huge pike, the ones said to eat adult loons and pull stringers of walleye off boats, are most catchable in fall, when their preferred forage species move shallow to spawn. The rest of the time, except after spawning in spring, monster pike are feeding deep in the bowels of lakes, out of reach to most anglers.
My best fall pike measured 46 inches (117 cm) and weighed about 30 pounds (13.6 kg), but I've had bigger fish follow baits. These 50-inch (127-cm) creatures, with the girth of a pickle barrel, are frightening. I love muskie, but given the option of tackling a 30-pound muskie or a pike, I'd take the pike any day. The reason is simple; a 30-pound pike is a rarer beast and will fight harder and longer than a muskie. It's also a tougher fish to fool. Giant pike like cold water. This is a good thing for autumn pike anglers, as fall brings a massive cooling trend to the pike's world. Pike over 20 pounds (9 kg) are uncomfortable in water much warmer than 65 F (18 C). In fact, some of my best fall pike have been taken in water below 50 F (10 C).
There are natural clues to watch for if you like pike too. Stable high-pressure systems in fall mean it's time to go fishing. Bright days and cool nights are also a good bet after the first hard frost. When these events occur, giant 'gators get growly sounds in their stomachs. Cooling water sends them out hunting.
Much of their fall forage is on obvious structure. Fall pike areas include main-lake points, extensive rock reefs (look for marker buoys), saddles between islands, and remaining green cabbage weeds. If these simple lake elements are associated with deep water, so much the better.
Green weedbeds are a key fall element. One late-October day, friend Gene Balec and I probed a bay that had thick weeds all summer. We found most of the salad was brown and dead, save for two small patches of bright green tobacco cabbage. Balec threw a slip-float and frozen herring to the edge of a bathtub-sized weed patch and was rewarded immediately with a hard strike. The ensuing dust-up included clearing large dollops of weed off the line, but he managed to wrestle a 42-inch (107 cm) pike into the boat.
As fall wears on, pike seek rocky areas to set up shop. With so much walleye, bass, perch, cisco, and whitefish activity on reefs, pike don't have to move much to catch food. The more expansive the reef, the better the chances of big pike being close by. On systems that have both lake trout and pike, you can be sure the largest pike will be up on trout spawning reefs eating lakers.
Fall pike also seek current. As waters cool, soft-finned forage such as whitefish enter rivers, creekmouths, and main-lake flush areas to feed and ultimately spawn. I know a lady in Thunder Bay who used to net whitefish in a local river during the full moon in October. She once told me "a pike as long as an Impala" had shown up in the creek and was feeding on spawning whitefish. She and her husband ended up capturing the fish, which topped 25 pounds (11.4 kg), although she wasn't quite clear on how they caught it.
To target fall pike, use the KISS rule - Keep It Simple, Sir (how's that for respect). Trolling large crankbaits, such as a Rapala Super Shad Rap, Bagley DB08, or a 7-inch Swim Whizz, is the most efficient way to cover water. Since trophy pike are as aggressive as they get in fall, simply putting a bait in front of them is a large part of the battle. The problem with trolling is that fall pike areas are often fairly small, and repeated passes can spook fish off a spot. If you know one or two areas that hold fish, casting is the way to go.
Medium-sized 1-ounce in-line bucktail spinners are tough to beat when casting. They always get a pike's attention. In fall, retrieve spinners slowly. You should feel the slow thump of the blade. In waters that have a cisco or whitefish forage base, use silver blades and black or white bucktail skirts. In dark or stained water, a fire-tiger blade and green or red skirt is effective.
A glide-bait is another great casting option. I've had luck with several, including the Pig Jr. and the Eddie Bait, but my favourite is the Hellraiser Cherry Bomb. This 6-inch lure looks like an undersized baseball bat, and when given sharp jerks by the rod tip, it darts like a panicked whitefish. Perfect.
Dead bait under a float also does a number on pike, but I think it's too inefficient to use consistently in fall, compared with spring, when pike are said to cruise and pick up winter-killed fish off bottom. Generally, in fall, dead bait is best where you know a stubborn fish lives, in thick weeds with open pockets, or when sight fishing. A suspended dead bait will pull even the wiliest pike out of the weeds for a sniff. Use a large slip-float, a quick-strike rig with no more than four hook points (to stay legal), and a frozen herring or smelt. Check the regulations in your area before using smelt, though..
For tackle, I use a 7-foot one-piece bass flipping stick and a baitcasting reel spooled with 17-pound-test line. If you prefer spinning gear, go with a 7-foot medium-action rod, large reel, and 12-pound line. Steel leaders with quality snaps and at least 30-pound-test multi-strand wire are a must. These fish bite.
Finally, please consider releasing pike exceeding 20 pounds. Pike are long lived, but grow slowly. Killing too many giants from a lake soon leads to a stunted population of snot-rockets. You'll catch lots of smaller pike while seeking trophies anyway, and their firm white flesh makes for a fine pot of fish chowder - perfect for ending a chilly fall day on the 'gator trail.
This article is written with permission by Fish Ontario. Visit their website, http://www.fishontario.com, for more Ontario fishing information.
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