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Jay B
Joined: 29 Mar 2012
Posts: 43
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 Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 6:03 pm Post subject: Trying to learn about pike fishing |
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| Researching different lakes in the state for good pike fishing. Fished Bantam, but in a bass tourney and was looking for any help as to what lakes are good for pike and how to locate them. Really don't know anything about this type of fishing but would love to learn a thing or two. What size wire leader to use? Any insight on pike fishing would be greatly appreciated. Normally fish by myself on my G3 bassboat, but if anybody is willing to take the time out of there day to show me how it's done, I would be happy to have a fishing partner. |
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NWDarkcloud
Joined: 23 Apr 2012
Posts: 474
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| Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 6:24 pm Post subject: |
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I use a 6-8 inch leader 15 lb test same as my line ...they seem to like perch pickeral patterns ...And for me ive noticed they tend to strike more on the pause or sharp turn of the lure ...they allso seem to wait till last second to strike when nearing the boat.
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I Love to fish......Not a big fan of sitting in the boat alone ....the Conversation and the company make it perfect |
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NorthEastFisherman
Joined: 27 May 2012
Posts: 582
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| Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 6:56 pm Post subject: |
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The bigger the better. I use the same, 6ish inch leader or wire but i only use wire when ice fishing. The leader i have now is a coated wire i think. Its more flexible and not that easy to see from a fishes eye. But i dont go pike fishing that often. Im mostly bass, trout, walleye, or panfishing. When i do get a pike its not like im searching for them its luck i think haha. Id just go to the river fishing section on here. Almost every post in there is about the ct river pike. Good luck!
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PECo
Joined: 06 Oct 2009
Posts: 5203
Location: Avon, CT
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| Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 7:01 pm Post subject: |
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| NWDarkcloud wrote: | | I use a 6-8 inch leader 15 lb test same as my line ...they seem to like perch pickeral patterns ...And for me ive noticed they tend to strike more on the pause or sharp turn of the lure ...they allso seem to wait till last second to strike when nearing the boat. |
What he said  , although I like black six inch 20 pound test Berkley Steelon steel leaders on moss green 50 pound test Power Pro braided line. I've caught northern pike with a black buzzbait, various spinnerbaits and inline spinnerbaits, Perch Rapala Jointed Shad Raps (i.e., JSR05 and JSR07) and a perch patterned five inch slow sinking Sebile Magic Swimmer. Recently, mep21 (aka Mark) did really well with a small mostly white lipless crankbait. Although northern pike usually hit lures on a steady retrieve, sometimes a pause will trigger a bite. I start with a steady retrieve and start throwing pauses in if they're not biting.
Rivers are the best places to find northern pike in Connecticut. Any impoundment of the Housatonic (e.g., Lake Lillinonah, Lake Zoar) or the Connecticut River has big northern pike. In lakes or ponds (e.g., Winchester Lake, Beseck Lake), look for cooler moving water (e.g., near an inflowing stream). If there aren't any obvious inflows, look for a point.
Remember, northern pike are ambush predators and cold water fish. They'll sit in cover or on the bottom until something moves past their faces. Noisy is movement is especially good.
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Last edited by PECo on Sun Sep 23, 2012 7:10 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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NorthEastFisherman
Joined: 27 May 2012
Posts: 582
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| Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 7:09 pm Post subject: |
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oh yeah i forgot about what i use! I catch alot of pike/pickerel on shiny things that send off vibration waves. Spoons, spinners, spinnerbaits, frogs(floating), and medium sized twistertails. I like gold colors for spoons and spinners, but for frogs and rubber baits i chose realistic colors. I usually catch pike when i do a jerk/pause retrieve. Not when im winding in steadily. Also try different speeds.
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x182dan
Joined: 19 Mar 2009
Posts: 329
Location: Seymour, CT
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| Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 9:12 pm Post subject: |
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I do not use a steel leader as I feel that pike get spooked very easy and they tend to follow bait to the boat a lot and then make a last second swipe at it. I have noticed a huge difference in ice fishing for pike when I switched from steel leader to fluorocarbon. I use around a 50lb fluorocarbon leader when going specifically for pike or if am going in pike infested water like bantam. I have never had a bite off on a spinner bait and have caught many on 8-10 pound test. Pike like spinner baits, jerkbaits, inline spinners and crankbaits. However they really go after anything if its in front of them. I have caught a bunch on jigs when going for bass at bantam. They can be in extremely shallow water when feeding. I have found that pike fishing is usually on or off. Usually sunny days are bad days for pike and overcast days are more productive. I have zero experience fishing the ct river so it might be different over there. I usually fish bantam, lilli, and beseck for pike as they are closer to me. Hope some of this helps.
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NWDarkcloud
Joined: 23 Apr 2012
Posts: 474
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| Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 11:45 am Post subject: |
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Dan Ive allways used a steel but im old school we didnt have the hybrid lines back in the dino days it was mono or no go . lately ive beed changeing with the times Im likeing my spiderwire 15lb for most things I do use a a light floro leader for wacky rigging and drop shotting but take a hit from a toothy beasty on spider chops it of faster than my clippers. the 50 lb floro leader holds up that well when takeing hits from teeth?
What brand you useing im interested in looseing some of the bulk off the end of the line ive allways felt less crap betwen me and the fish s best so looseing the steel would be golden.
But most of all I would rather loose fish than gear I realy hate looseing a lures. 
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I Love to fish......Not a big fan of sitting in the boat alone ....the Conversation and the company make it perfect |
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x182dan
Joined: 19 Mar 2009
Posts: 329
Location: Seymour, CT
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| Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 2:03 pm Post subject: |
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| NWDarkcloud wrote: | Dan Ive allways used a steel but im old school we didnt have the hybrid lines back in the dino days it was mono or no go . lately ive beed changeing with the times Im likeing my spiderwire 15lb for most things I do use a a light floro leader for wacky rigging and drop shotting but take a hit from a toothy beasty on spider chops it of faster than my clippers. the 50 lb floro leader holds up that well when takeing hits from teeth?
What brand you useing im interested in looseing some of the bulk off the end of the line ive allways felt less crap betwen me and the fish s best so looseing the steel would be golden.
But most of all I would rather loose fish than gear I realy hate looseing a lures. |
No bite offs yet but to be honest the real test would be catching a huge pike a crank bait or jerk bait since they will usually inhale them and get line in their mouth. I haven't caught a huge one yet on those baits. Fluourcarbon is real stiff thats the only problem I see using it. I ditched all my steel leaders ice fishing like I said and haven't looked back.
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Michael
Joined: 28 Jan 2012
Posts: 3823
Location: Bridgeport
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| Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 10:02 pm Post subject: |
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I don't know if history with catching pickerel would make a difference.
I have caught many chain pickerel up to 3 1/2 pounds. Like pike, pickerel are predators that like to hang out in weeds and cover and wait for something to come by. When they see it or hear it, they come shooting out for the bait and chase it. They usually pause with suspicion when you pause the lure.
I've found that one difference between pike and chain pickerel is water temp and quality. Pickerel are more tolerant of warmer water temps than pike and pike prefer cooler rivers and deep lakes while pickerel can even be found in small ponds that have enough vegetation and depth.
Steady and fast retrieves they like. If using something suspending or topwater, start off with a few constant jerks before pausing. They follow it and then pause with suspicion. Pretty soon start the aggressive retrieve again and they'll eventually hit. Don't pause for too long cause then they'll turn back.
Live bait would include white suckers, golden pond shiners, yellow perch, crappie, creek chubs, and sunfish.
Colors I've caught lots of pickerel with are anything imitating perch, brown trout, baby bass, and a shiny or pearl shad pattern.
My PB pickerel came this year in Hamburg Cove on a Rapala Jointed Shad Rap JSR-4. The color was Silver Shad, which has a pearl silver grey shine in a natural shad pattern. |
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PECo
Joined: 06 Oct 2009
Posts: 5203
Location: Avon, CT
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 7:22 am Post subject: |
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| x182dan wrote: | | No bite offs yet but to be honest the real test would be catching a huge pike a crank bait or jerk bait since they will usually inhale them and get line in their mouth. I haven't caught a huge one yet on those baits. |
That's definitely true. If you're throwing a spinnerbait or a buzzbait, you really don't have to worry about a northern pike getting a tooth on your line. Lately, though, I've been using a lot of crankbaits and a leader is often necessary to save the lure. If you're fishing topwater with a frog lure, a leader is absolutely necessary.
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jjbassfishn
Joined: 17 Jun 2012
Posts: 209
Location: Northwestern CT.
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| Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 7:17 pm Post subject: |
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After some really big fish break offs at Winchester, We'll be looking at super lines or leaders when we fish there. My son had a monster 36" plus that broke off after a bull dog at the boat. I lost 2 32" ish. Some we never even saw as they were off in a jiffy!
We loose a bass once in a blue moon. But its like 1 out of 8 fish landed and the rest took our junk! Pretty bad odds with pike so far. 
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