How is the Pike Bite this time of year

[reelinginthebigone]

Hey guys,

I've been to Nipissing many years in a row for pike, but haven't gone for a few years.

How is the pike bite this year around this time? I'm thinking about bringing my boat up for a day or two. I've always nailed some good-sized pike on Lake N in the past.

[Fozzy47]

When you fish Nip, expect 3 things,
a) a very good Pike bite.
a complete shut-down on all bites, all species
c) somewhere in the middle.

Just hope for over-cast skies, threatening rain, warm weather (no cold front) and you just may hit it at the right.

Good Luck,

[reelinginthebigone]

Haha, you described my experience with Nipissing just perfect

[ldub]

I've found plenty of pike in weedy bays. Not much for size though. The only sizable pike I've caught have come of shoals, just live bait fishing with a big minnow or sucker.

[Fozzy47]

I've found the same thing.... in grassy or weeded bays you are most likely to connect with 'Grass Pike' or 'hammer handles'. We found that on the French River last week. In the weedy areas we must have caught 75-100 "hammer handle" Pike (15"- 24"), but had to go deeper for larger Pike, which we did and were successful.
The larger Pike seem to prefer deeper water, near shoals or deeper weed beds, but adjacent to shallow weedy areas where their dinner awaits.

Good Luck,

[Sterling]

Shallow areas are too hot for large pike. Their metabolism just can't handle it. 20f+ for larger pike this time of year.

[Jerkbaiter]

Agree with everyone Larger pike is now in deeper , cooler water , but not too far from its forage I would say breaklines adjacent to weedy points and similar areas. Can be even on completely weedless bottom in 20-30 Fow , ambushing perch or walleye

[reelinginthebigone]

These are great tips folks, thanks.

When you find them in 20-30 FOW, are you finding them near the bottom or suspended?

[Grumpa]

We come in contact with the larger trophy pike all summer long...while fishing for muskie out in the mid lake basin.
Generally without targeting them, we'll find them on many of the same sunken reefs, humps, saddles and islands that summer muskie frequent. Wind and wave pounded islands and reefs are some of my favorite locations.
Normally, we'll find them below the muskie in slightly cooler water.
They relate to food and structure much the same as other larger predator species.
Deeper running or positioned baits are generally required to haul them out of the depths.
Precise depth can vary by structure and the availability and position of bait on the structure.
The more productive the structure is at holding prey species and bait fish...the more pike and muskie we find.
We'll also find them on the deepest thickest weed edges and mid lake weed flats that border much deeper water, on at least one side, throughout the warmer summer months as well.
The pike will often venture up into mid lake weed flats to feed during windy or overcast days, if there's sufficient food to hold and entice them.
The presence of a food source is the key to finding big summer pike.
Find their food, on structure, surrounded by deep water on Nipissing...and you'll find big pike.
We don't often find many fish following bait fish schools just roaming the open basin...unrelated to structure. I've never wasted a lot of time trying a presentation to find any open water roaming pike on Nipissing...maybe others have.

The days of finding the bigger trophy pike way up in the shallower weedy spawning bays...is pretty much over by mid summer.
Although, one or two often surprise me each year.

The bigger trophy pike definitely prefer cooler water haunts during the warmer summer months.

[morecowbell23]

Two weeks ago I was trolling a weed line in the bay for walleye and picked up this one
About 20fow 730 at night
Measured 42”
Google said 23-25 lbs approximately 22 years
Back swimming
Picked up 32” last Saturday,same conditions

[morecowbell23]

Number 2