steven (CA)

 By Steven Wintemute:

Ever wonder what it would be like to have a 15-20lb Northern pike with razor sharp teeth on the end of your line. Believe me it’s a blast!

Spring Pike fishing in Manitoba is exciting! Once the northern have completed spawning the large female pike can be spotted cruising the shallows looking for an easy meal. During this time of year male smallmouth bass that are defending their beds are an easy, full-course meal for an average size northern pike. The larger pike will even attack and eat smaller pike up to half the length of themselves.

Some key locater lures for spring pike are large spoons such as the Williams. These lures can be worked fast in shallow and deeper water to cover a lot of area in a short time. Spinner baits and large Mepps spinners are also good choices for spring pike. If these lures are not triggering a lot of action, try switching to large Rapala floating minnow baits or even some Musky baits. The irregular twitch motion of these baits can be critical for triggering strikes if the fish are being a little sluggish. Another favorite pike lure, throughout the season, is a larger plastic, un-weighted minnow or fluke with a 5/0 hook threaded through the head of the plastic bait.

Perhaps the deadliest tactic for BIG spring pike is bobber fishing a frozen ciscoe or herring. Very rarely will a large pike turn down the easy opportunity to feed on an oily ciscoe dangling in her area. This tactic will produce many large fish, especially on a pike that follows in another artificial lure, but does not take it. Work these lures in the shallower, large spawning bays with black muck bottoms. These bays warm up fast and draw in baitfish and spawning small mouth. If the pike are not up in the shallows, try casting the edges/drop-off areas at the mouths of these bays. Also, current areas can hold nice pike early in the year, as they will spawn in creeks and small rivers.

So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start doing battle with some big toothy pike…Manitoba has many lakes and rivers where big pike are more than ready to give you the fight of your life!