4 "Quick Hit" Pike Fishing Tips

Catchign a pike can be a huge challenge. One of the biggest reasons is that they are not a schooling fish. They are lone wolves, and move around a lot.

The "quick hit" pike tips will help you get the most out of your pike fishing trips.

A few important notes on finding them: pike typically stay close to the shore and rarely will be found in water more than 15 feet deep. This fact really narrows down the search. Look for them throughout weeds, rocks, lily pads, brush piles and submerged timber. They also prefer clear water.

Here are a 4 more "quick hit" tips that can boost your catch count.

Tip #1: Find The Baitfish

Yes... Northern Pike move around a lot. The good news is, most of the time they are moving around looking for food. And if you find bait fish, you'll typically find pike already there... or soon to arrive.

Tip #2: Wire Leader Line

Pike have a bunch of sharp teeth, and can easily snap standard fishing line. I suggest a wire leader to prevent this from happening. And do NOT use your hand to remove the hook once you get him up. It could get ugly. Use pliers (or a hook remover) instead.

Tip #3: Experiment With Bait

Jigs, plastic worms, crankbaits, and spoons have all proven to work well for catching Northern Pike. Choose your colors wisely though... color does matter. Test, test, test. If you can use live bait, I recommend it. Try sardines, herring, trout, eel, or mackerel.

Don't try "quick settting" the hook when you first feel a bite. Give the pike 3-7 seconds to swallow....sometimes they hit it multiple times before taking it down.

Tip #4: Fish At Night

Because they have such good eye sight, and see very well at night, Northern Pike avoid direct sunlight and feed most aggressively at night time.

That means you will get best results at night if you're able to find them. If you're not a big fan of night fishing, then stick to early morning, just before dawn, and the late evening - dusk and beyond. They are still considered "active feeders" during these times.

Tip #5: Trolling, Casting, Drifting

My rule is...start off with some slow trolling or drifting through likely areas. Then, one you find one, do some cast fishing in the spot.

Finally, remember...pike is an agressive species and will hit your bait out of anger as well. Try invading their space, and you'll get some bites as well.