Pike in shallow bays, when do they show up?

[isthereice]

I'm thinking of chasing pike soon when they come into Lake Ontario's shallow bays to spawn. I haven't done it before so am wondering: when do they appear? Is it late February or do they come in mid March....or does it vary year to year?

[tnm19.12]

They usually start in January coming in, atleast in the lake o bays I fish, if you're in GTA you want to target them before the alewife come into spawn , last year was real heavy with them and the day they came in numbers marked the end of my spring pike season, every single cast regardless of what j was using or where on the bay I would atleast foul hook one alewife, when there's millions of baitfish your chances are literally one in a million, colder water slower/smaller presentation the day that water heats up 5 degrees the fish will know and eat accordingly, they wait for that day all winter lol

[rayray89]

I think we've talked in the past about the spot I think your going too

Rippin Raps work well all the time for pike

[tnm19.12]

Well , sorry for that horrific attempt at reasonable punctuation,my phone threw in periods where unnecessary and got rid of commas where they were necessary lmao

[isthereice]

Thanks for the info guys. I bought a uv green tiger husky jerk for the occasion and I do have some rippin raps. I was also thinking of white tube jigs to slowly drag on the bottom and hop up and down, maybe even a senko dragged slowly as I catch pike on them while looking for bass in summer. I've seem some videos of swammer swimbaits working well too. It should be fun.

[Tommy_Niagara]

Go when you can as long as season is open.

[Jerkbaiter]

They are already there, but very moody (biting window is short, need slow retrieve close to the bottom, average and smaller size swimbaits work best)

I have been fishing for them since late January, mostly 30-34" fish for me but some big ones are there as well, just have not caught them yet.

PM me if any questions.

[isthereice]

thanks again for the info. I hope to get out soon, will post any success.