late summer pike

Questions about Freshwater Fishing

late summer pike

Postby crazyted » Sat Jul 12, 2008 9:51 am

Hey larry!
i appreciate all the help you are providing on this site. I asked about sturgeon a few months ago and that resulted in a successful trip.(thank you). Know it is time to target a different species. Im in contact with a dfg officer were i am planning on taking my trip.(kalispell mt) there arent to many big pike but i do know of lakes that hold numbers of hammer handles.( up to 12 lbs). he is telling me that the pike will be really active during the first and last 1.5 hours of each day. the daytime higher temperatures cause the pike to go deep during mid-day. Is this accurate? I plan on trying suspending minnow baits, a soft plastic swimbait that i made, and a large assortment of different prop, pop, walk topwater baits. I plan on using about 6" of 20lb wire for the leader.
depending on regulations i was going to try to catch some live forage. I have caught numbers of pearch/squawfish and pending legality am going to try freelining some live bait.

Any advice on tactics for late summer aug 9-25? I appreciate any help.

:twisted: :twisted: TED
lets rip some lips

be a fisherman not a wisherman

Us young guns gotta pick up the slack in our generation!!!
crazyted
 
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Feb 26, 2008 11:38 am

Postby dahlberg » Sat Jul 12, 2008 12:21 pm

Hi CT
Glad what ever I suggested helped. I'd need much more info about what options the habitat offers.
Usually at that time of year pike will be relating to weedflats adjacent to deep water and will be eating the forage that visits those areas eating large mayflies, like Hex.
I'd try 6-7" musky type jerk baits, speed trolling cranks, and large swimbaits with safety pin spinners attached.
After spending hours on step ladders actually observing them,
I do not believe pike go "deep" then come shallow to feed. THey might vary depth daily one atmosphere or so, but generally I think they are either out from the areas they feed in suspended or they just park in a thick weed bed, or figure out where they can successfully forage in deeper water.
They do have the capability to move great distances chasing bait and often I've found numbers of mature fish actually hunting in packs.
Their behavior varies immensely depending on latitude, main basin depths and what cover and forage is available.
I've caught them, meaning fish over 20#, in everyting from 4' deep slop on buzzers to jigs and cranks over rocks in 25' at that time of year.
I've also observed them inhabit water that was far too warm, so warm stress after release was a factor, because that's were the large soft finned forage was staying.
As I've said before, the fish are where the fish are where the fish are...
good luck,
L
Larry Dahlberg
The Hunt For Big Fish
User avatar
dahlberg
Site Admin
 
Posts: 5279
Joined: Wed Oct 11, 2006 7:49 pm
Location: Taylors Falls, Minnesota

Postby crazyted » Sun Jul 20, 2008 12:45 am

[quote="dahlberg"]
As I've said before, the fish are where the fish are where the fish are...
good luck,
L[/quote]

somehow i knew you would say that. :o :idea: :idea:

ted
lets rip some lips

be a fisherman not a wisherman

Us young guns gotta pick up the slack in our generation!!!
crazyted
 
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Feb 26, 2008 11:38 am


Return to Freshwater Questions

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 18 guests

cron