Late Season Monster Northern Pike Fishing

Feeling the sweet brisk fall breeze being out in the open waters is what every man dreams of. The first cast, the first fish, the first smell of landing that gigantic northern pike. Feeling the line torpedo off like a cannon shooting a cannonball while your hanging on for dear life, as you get the first glimpse of the monster Northern Pike that inhaled your bait. Have you ever felt these extravagant feelings or if you have and you would like to know and understand more, than this is for you.

Location….Location…Location…
You need to find a lake that has and is known for big pike fishing. There is nothing quite like the lakes of Northern and central Manitoba because they are abundant with trophy pike. Once you arrive to the lake, the next question is where do you start? I’m sure you’ve heard of the rule…. 80% of the fish are caught in 20% of the water, and this rule especially applies here. In late fall the cabbage weeds have established full growth and as fall and winter approach the pike are looking for a large meal that will sustain them for the grueling winters that this portion of the globe has.

When you spot a good cabbage weed bed, work the outer edges of the weeds. Approach the weeds slowly so you don’t scare off the large pike. After you have fished the outer weed edges, start working the center and then the backside of the weed bed.

If you are catching the smaller pike, although it’s fun, it usually is not a good sign of finding the giant northern pike there. If the smaller ones are around, that means they are in no immediate danger of being eaten by larger fish, therefore the likelihood of a big pike being around is not very good. Giant Northern Pike are very territorial and usually hold in the “prime real estate” of the weeds. Prime cabbage real estate can be defined as transitional edges of the weed beds such as drop offs or rocky terrains adjacent to the weeds, which sometimes can be inside void areas as well.

As the fishing season progresses, the key for catching larger northern pike is to use larger fishing lures. No lure is too large. I have had many twelve inch fishing lures swallowed all the way down. Large buck tails or jerk baits usually have the best result.

One of the most exciting things to see is seeing a giant northern swimming right after your bait, but seeing the bite also can be one of the biggest downfalls. The most common downfall fishermen run into is trying to set the hook before they feel the bite. Ninety percent of the time if you set the hook and you don’t feel the bite; you’ll not hook the fish. Always feel the fish before you pull.

The best sign of a good cabbage weed bed is when you have set the hook on a monster pike and you see numerous weeds getting sawed off with your line. That is when you know that you may have hooked a trophy fish of a lifetime.