Author Topic: What depth to target Northern Pike in?  (Read 3236 times)

Offline shawno

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What depth to target Northern Pike in?
« on: Dec 09, 2017, 09:46 PM »
Hey Guys,

What depth do you usually target northern pike in?  Most of the prairie lakes we fish here in Saskatchewan are featureless bowl type lakes that hit a max depth of 30-35’.  The fish we catch usually tend to school around so you’ll have slow times quite often. We put down a ton of holes and try and stay on top of them if possible. I have been having a hard time establishing a good depth this year for my tip ups though. We are only allowed two lines here, so putting down a bunch of tip ups isn’t an option.

Thanks, shawno

Offline SeisMec

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Re: What depth to target Northern Pike in?
« Reply #1 on: Dec 10, 2017, 12:32 AM »
I've had them run in just a foot of water underneath the ice to just off the bottom in 15 foot of water in those same type of lakes here in North Dakota. I caught pike just under the ice in deep water or right off the bottom. I try to find a point that comes out of the bank and make a line of tipups down either side. Or along a roadway, sometimes you can find a ditch along the roadway instead of just a raised road and found the pike hanging in the ditch. A colvert under the road or bridge is a nice place to setup too or along the outside of weeds or cattails. Since you can only run 2 tipups I would run 1 deep and 1 shallow until you find the pattern. Hope this helps!

Offline shawno

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Re: What depth to target Northern Pike in?
« Reply #2 on: Dec 10, 2017, 08:56 PM »
Thanks. I’ll give it a shot.

Offline theangling1

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Re: What depth to target Northern Pike in?
« Reply #3 on: Dec 10, 2017, 09:17 PM »
2 of my 3 best spots are both bowls of 15-20 ft depths surrounded by 3-6 ft water in bays off the main lakes, if the gills are there the pike will be also. In spot 1 I set up in the cabbage about 2-3 ft off bottom right on the break... on spot 2 the rim between the main lake and the bowl is only about 10-15 ft wide and the lake has natural springs... For this spot I set up between the main lake and the rim in 23 ft of water, 3 ft off the bottom, near where I know of a natural spring.... they seem to hang out there waiting for the gills to come past heading to the bowl... I’m not positive but believe the spring has something to do with it as well be it warmer water or water having
More oxygen.... either way, it’s an awesome spot and I can consistently take 1-2 if not my 3 fish limit most of the winter there.... the 3rd spot is a shallow system of channels that are about 30-40 yrds wide and a max of 6-8 ft deep, in front of a dock that leaves a pump running.... again, moving water likely at a different temp and or having more oxygen.... That’s what works for me, hope it helps.


Offline river_scum

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Re: What depth to target Northern Pike in?
« Reply #4 on: Dec 12, 2017, 05:41 AM »
 featureless bowl lakes make it harder to decide where to set up for sure.  depth is a day by day hour by hour thing so that changes and you need to figure it out. you can draw them in to you too.  scent is the longest reaching attractant and pike have great ability to smell/taste. some kind of bait juice dribbled in the holes and on a chunk of sponge at your hook can do wonders.  chum if legal can also be impressive.  the trouble with that is it draws catfish too.

 another way to draw them in is sound.  you dont hear of it much but its important.  i commonly tie a rattle on my line just above the hook, so the live bait can rattle them in.  its like a live rattle trap constantly working for you. lol

 sight is the shortest distance attraction but maybe the thing that seals the deal.  to help with this i use small blades, or at times when down sizing(clear water) large sequins, on the line above the hook.  a little flash mite be just what it takes for them to rush in an nail it. smaller in clear waters large copper or blades for muddy water. dont forget about glow blades either! speaking of glow blades, you ever try at night for them? i know most think pike dont bite at night but ill assure you that they do.  ask any crappie fisherman that night fishes in pike waters. 

 another thing that helps, you already do, search. keep them tip ups hole hopping.  we are allowed 3 lines so i run 2 flags and a rod.  the rod will most likely have a weighted rattle trap, or other aggressive lure on it.  i run and gun all around my flags with it, rip jigging, to call fish in.

use all the tools at your disposal and ill guarantee your numbers will go up! 
real fishermen don't ask "where you catch those"

OANN the real story

- member here since -2003- IN.

Offline 52isntbigenough

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Re: What depth to target Northern Pike in?
« Reply #5 on: Dec 21, 2017, 01:47 PM »
Late season, pre-spawn, up in LOTWs, we'd fish in 6 fow with 36" of ice. Just drop it below the hole is all we had to do.

Offline Martian

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Re: What depth to target Northern Pike in?
« Reply #6 on: Jan 02, 2018, 09:39 AM »
 might sound a little generic, but if I am unsure, I set them at 2/3 the distance from top to bottom

 



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