In rivers, deep and calm backwaters are the place to be for pike, especially during winter and early spring when the river water is cold, the current is stronger and the fish have to gather energy for the upcoming spawning season. Backwaters are best fished with the float and a live baitfish, or with a dead bait on the ledger.
This is a great tip for the colder months of the year, as you will often find large schools of baitfish over the drop-offs in lakes when the water is cold. Naturally, the pike will follow these schools and lurk in the near vicinity. You can fish over drop-offs that are close to the shore from land or try to target the ones that are further out if you have a boat. Make sure to cover both the shallow and the deep edge of the drop-offs! Using a castable fish finder can help you find underwater features such as drop-offs. You can find a great and decently priced fish finder on Amazon here.
As tip #10 suggested, getting a few crankbaits can be a very good idea when it comes to pike fishing, especially for trolling. Crankbaits can both dive deep and will give you the very best presentation when trolling or slow-trolling them behind a boat. Something that you simply cannot achieve by using other types of lures. Check out my favorite crankbait for trolling pike on Amazon here.
Pick days with favorable weather conditions in order to increase your chances of catching. If you are new to fishing, a few early catches will boost your motivation immensely and you will want more after that, as opposed to blanking session after session and perhaps even giving up this wonderful hobby. Desirable weather conditions for pike include:
Learn more about the best possible weather conditions for fishing by also reading this article I wrote: The Absolutely Best Weather Conditions for a Fishing Trip
The period around dusk is another golden time to catch pike. The dwindling light gives the predators extra cover and creates the perfect hunting environment. Smaller fish also tend to get more active during these late hours of the day and become less careful. It is now that pike can get into a real feeding frenzy. Make sure to be on the bank inf and when that evening feats is about to happen.
Pike are very active during the early hours of the day, especially during summer, when the days are getting too warm. Getting up early can definitely pay off. Try to be at the water just before first light and fish into the dawn, more often then not, you will experience a lot of activity and get plenty of bites. Just don’t forget to bring some coffee with you to wake you up a little!
RELATED ARTICLE: Best Time of Day for Pike Fishing (All Four Seasons)
This often goes hand-in-hand with the vegetation tip. Shallower areas near the margins often hold more vegetation, are warmer, and offer better protection and ambush points.
Pro Tip: Especially in the dark, keeping close to the margins can be worth more than gold when it comes to pike fishing!
Pike love all types of vegetation. This they do for two simple reasons:
Now that you have all the necessary gear and end tackle to start your pike fishing adventures, you just have to grab a couple of pike lures and floats before it’s time to head out to the bank. Go to the store or check around online and get the following:
Many anglers prefer to use fluorocarbon leaders instead. Wire is of course the best and safest choice, but the right fluorocarbon leader can do a decent job as well! There are however two very important things to remember when using fluoro: