Tough Pike Bite

Questions about Freshwater Fishing

Tough Pike Bite

Postby Matt B » Wed Oct 25, 2006 3:12 pm

Larry,

First off I like the new format.

I've encountered a situation recently that I just can't seem to remedy. I fish a river system here in MA, with an excellent population of pike. Right now is always the best time to put a fish over 15 in the boat, and the river receives the lest amount of pressure...with that said, i've been have a good amount of fish get up on the bait, but not commit...i've varied my retrieve speeds, bait style, colors...even figure 8ing...i can get the fish to come up, and even get them more agitated by speeding up the retrieve, but at the last moment they bail on the offer...

any ideas? In the summer time i've seen this, and what I did was as soon as the fish bailed, i would pick up a second rod, with a soft plastic swimbait and follow up with the fish...they bit about 90 percent of the time, but these were typcailly juvenile fish...

Confused in MA,
Matt
Matt B
 
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Postby dahlberg » Thu Oct 26, 2006 5:22 am

HI Matt,
Bet the temps this year are a little cooler than normal.
First thing I'd try is positioning the boat at a steeper angle down stream and make you casts almost straight up stream so your retrieve is as down stream as possible.
Use a slow, sliding, stroke and lures that are either slow sinkers or neutrally bouyant. Small reef hawg, neutral minnow lures.
Let me know if it works.
best,
L
Larry Dahlberg
The Hunt For Big Fish
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Postby Matt B » Thu Oct 26, 2006 8:19 am

Thanks Larry,

Boat positioning never really crossed my mind...thanks for the info.

Hopefully I can report back with some success...the weather has been very strange so far this fall, and I really think its messing with the fish...the next week looks like consistent weather and stable temps...i'm hoping the bite picks up!

Thanks!
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Postby Matt B » Wed Jan 10, 2007 10:57 am

Larry,

Just an FYI for you...your idea worked pretty well...never scored a big fish, but got the followers to committ...ended up getting them on suicks and a squirrley burt...9 to 11" was working better...and of course boat positioning helped out!

my assumption would be forage would be close to or at its peak size for the year at that point...

also been a weird winter here in MA...still no ice, but plent yof open water action...

again thanks for the tips...they put me on fish
Matt B
 
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