Pike Fishing

Ontario Ice Fishing Huts and Rentals

Ice More Northern Pike
By: Tyler Dunn   Tyler Dunn Guiding

Winter has fallen upon us and anglers throughout Ontario have begun to switch gears from the open water to hard water. Chasing northern pike or should I say, trophy northern pike has become an addiction for me on the ice. A few encounters with big pike while perch fishing and suddenly I had an unsatisfied appetite for the toothy fish. Once I put a few patterns and presentations together it all seemed to make sense. The following tips are offered to help you land more pike through the ice anywhere in Ontario where pike are available.

Location
Winter is the time of year northern pike become much easier to find compared to the hot summer months. Not only do pike move into shallow bays with the colder water temperatures but winter pike especially like bays that still have remaining green weeds. These bays are beneficial to a pike in two ways. They provide cover and they provide food. The healthy green weed growth brings in baitfish like perch. They too are feeding on the smorgasbord of minnows and invertebrates found in the healthy, green weeds. I like to set tip-ups suspended in the deepest part of a shallow bay or along the edge of the first or maybe only drop-off. First and last ice are typically the best times throughout the entire winter season with the last 2-3 weeks of ice being exceptionally well because of the majority of fish moving into pre-spawn areas.

Set Lines
A set or still line is definitely the most productive method for catching pike consistently through the ice. When I put a set line out for pike it is almost always under a tip-up. There are several different styles of tip-ups but what they all offer is a magnificent drag- free system once a fish strikes the bait. This drag-free system is especially important when targeting northern pike because they are notorious for striking baits and keeping them clenched in their jaws while swimming away. If tension is felt, pike have a tendency to drop the bait. This is why it is so important to get over to your tip-up once your flag is triggered. To set the hook just firmly, tighten the line. This is all the pressure you will need to drive the hooks home. Refrain from the exaggerated hook set in fear of pulling the bait right out of the pikes jaw. Another mistake often made by anglers is to let the fish take line and wait for it to stop to eat it. During that time you wait, they often drop the bait or completely swallow it. The quicker hook set not only gives you a better chance at hooking the fish but it also gives the fish a greater chance at survival if released. The hook system I use is a simple quick strike rig that consists of 40-60 pound fluorocarbon with 2 trebles matching the size of the bait used. I have used braid as a leader and although it has landed some big fish, I have experienced bite offs. When deciding on bait there is much to consider before choosing. Obviously your first task should be checking the regulations to know exactly what is legal to use. Common baits in any pike ingested waters are smelt, shiners, suckers and ciscoes. There has been much debate on which is better, dead or alive. Personally, I prefer dead but there are days throughout winter when live bait has out fished dead. These are the days I find the pike extremely active attacking my jigging presentations. Often these jigging presentations are not even intended for pike but instead perch.

Jigging Presentations
Pike are probably most famous for their extremely aggressive behaviour. Even during the cold winter months, northern pike are ferocious eaters. With this in mind there are times on the ice when I decide to jig. My underwater camera and flasher are the two tools that give me a visual on how the fish are reacting to my bait. These tools show exactly how aggressive the fish are and give me an idea of what lures and at what speeds to present them. As far as lures go, there is a vast variety available for pike but honestly the sky is the limit. Any open water lure that can be presented in a vertical manner could possibly be a phenomenal pike lure on the hard water. Hard baits with loud rattles such as lipless crank baits have quickly earned themselves a permanent spot in my pike arsenal. These open water baits sink, rattle (rather loud) and have a subtle side to side action when jigged. More commonly used baits are large Jigging Rapalas, Jigging Shad Raps, Williams jigging spoons and various tube jigs. These are tipped with either a head, half or whole smelt or shiner. Longer rods (30”+) that have soft tips with backbone similar to a lake trout rod are good matches for icing winter pike. Although tip-ups will usually take more fish, catching active pike through the ice on a jig rod is an experience all in its own. Northern and Southern Ontario both have some of the best pike fishing North America has to offer. Take advantage of arguably the most aggressive fish, freshwater has to offer.