The best seasons for pike
Early spring, before the pike have spawned, they weigh the most and now is definitely the chance to catch really big ones. However, fishing can often be erratic, one day the lake feels dead and the next day they can be on the prowl. The best tip is to look for the pike near the spawning bays where it borders on deeper water. The pike usually gather there before and after spawning and if you’re lucky, the big ones are on the prowl. The larger pike females often eat some younger pike males after spawning and it can often be worthwhile to use pike-colored baits for this very reason.
During the summer, pike find it too hot in shallow water and you should therefore seek out the larger pike pelagically in deeper water. Trolling with deep-draught lures or a deep-draught caravan can be a very effective alternative.
In the fall, pike head for shallower waters again and you can look for them along reeds, shallows and areas with vegetation. The strongest tip for fall fishing is to find the baitfish that often gather in specific places. The pike will follow their food and once you find the baitfish, it is worth spending time there, the pike are never very far away.
Bait for big pike
In recent years, large rubber baits, jigs and jerkbaits have become incredibly popular. These are lures that require a little more of the fisherman as you have to give the lures life yourself with your rod. If you want to become really good, it takes a little training but the reward is all the greater when it works. But, if you don’t have that many fishing days per year, we recommend you to start with classic lures like Bomber 16A, Zalt or why not a good Atom spoon lure. The most important thing is to find a bait that you fish well with in the right color for the day.
Five more hot tips for those who want to catch more and bigger pike:
- Adapt the speed of bait intake to the temperature of the water. If the water is cold, you should bring the bait home more slowly and vice versa if it is warm. A cold pike will simply not want to take a bait that is taken too quickly.
- Every throw counts! It is important to concentrate as much as possible at all times. If you’re slacking off, it’s easy to miss a counter-cut and then the dream fish may be gone.
- Remember to make a lot of crank stops. Often the bite comes just when you start the bait again, but it often seems that the crank stop is the trigger for the pike.
- Fish in the windward direction. If the wind has been in a certain direction for a few days, the pike will gather there.
- Remember the big pike. Make a note of when you have caught a bigger fish. Often that place can produce more big pike. Some places are just hotter than others without us humans always understanding why, it can be about underwater currents, oxygen levels etc. But one thing is for sure, places where you have previously caught a big fish are worth trying again.
Finally, we can’t emphasize enough how important it is to have good equipment. Buy lures with sharp hooks, a line that can handle really big fish and a rod that will both allow you to cast far and then also withstand the pressure of a big pike. If you need to stock up for your next fishing trip, buy fishing tackle at Tradera!
Text and photo: Pierre Norberg, hunting and fishing journalist
