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Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Northern Pike => Topic started by: Walleyeking2014 on Dec 01, 2014, 11:45 AM
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I'm planning on fishing a small lake tomorrow for crappie it's about 78 acres and max depth is 10 it's mostly about 3 feet deep and weedy and there is a 5 foot flat with a 10 foot hole. There is very little structure and the bottom is all mud. There is mainly pike and crappie should I just fish the deepest spot?
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Fishing fir pike not crappie
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I am not sure if this applies to your situation, but sometimes I fish a gravel pit near my house. It is probably 15 or 20 acres. The deep end is 12 foot deep and the shallow end is 6-8 foot. It holds northerns, crappie, bluegills, and bullheads. This year I have only fished the deeper end so far, and other than the occasional crappie, I have only caught the bullheads. I am thinking that the bullheads must stay in the deeper water during the winter, but I am not sure because I haven't fished the shallow end. Next time I go I am planning to fish the shallow end for the northerns and hopefully I will get some action.
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Are you using traps or jigging?
If jigging, plan on cutting many holes and moving around to get a feel for where the fish are so you can focus on where you are getting fish.
If using tip-ups, set up a spread that covers as much different water depths and bottom structure as possible and see what you get.
Then you'll know where to concentrate your traps.
The best approach is to figure it out on your own, that way you can be the mentor when someone else asks your help!
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I am not a pro but I would be up close to shore in the weeds this early in the season for pike, and possibly a trap or two on that flat right on the edge of that deep hole, there may be one or two big girls roaming around there. But I'm comfortable being in less than 3 feet of water this early, just try and keep your bait above the weeds, I've caught pike less than a foot off the reel. I honestly just started fishing pike the last two years, however; I did pretty well last year. I spend A LOT of time reading about their behaviors and other peoples techniques, etc. etc. and this is how I would attack that spot. I would really appreciate hearing how things go for you. Good luck.
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In Minnesota you can have two lines I was planning on using one tip up and jigging with one rod.
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I should also note there is a small channel running out of this laje to another and a large swampy area around it.
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Here is the lake
http://www.lake-link.com/Minnesota-Lake-Finder/lake.cfm/7773/Baxter-Lake-Isanti-County-Minnesota/?view=Lake_Map (http://www.lake-link.com/Minnesota-Lake-Finder/lake.cfm/7773/Baxter-Lake-Isanti-County-Minnesota/?view=Lake_Map)
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What is the other lake structure like? Does this lake have a source to keep it cool in the summer? Big pike can not tolerate temps much over 68*. With no significant depth present, I'm concerned you may only find small pike. If there is a definitive weed edge by that 10' hole, that's where I'd spend my time. But I personally would spend my time on a different body of water. Hope this helps and good luck. I hope you prove me wrong!
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Quite a few monster pike have been taken there, including a 15 pound pike last summer, there is an inlet and an outlet but tge inlets is mainly swamp
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I'd be concentrating on the weed edges, especially by the deepest part. Hope to see some pictures!
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I fish a similar lake. 100 acres. Lots of cattails most all the way around. You have the benefit of it not being too big you can't eventually fish it all. While you get two lines per person I'd take all the family and friends you got and make various sets for sure. With nearly no open lake weeds if fish, I make all my sets tight to the weeds. Maybe one good step away. Focusing on bends that jut out into the lake. Really like the look of that south bank just to the south southwest off the tip of the deep water. Anywhere along that bank to the east as well. I like to drill holes anywhere there is a pocket in the weeds. Big enough lake to grow good pike. With sective harvest you can keep it a quality lake. Good luck
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My brother caught one on the edge of some weeds its small but that was the only pike for the day also caught a few crappie gills and perch.(http://[URL=http://s1117.photobucket.com/user/dswood95/media/67C95C5B-119E-44A2-865B-745F60172ABB_zpsa8phyk6b.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k591/dswood95/67C95C5B-119E-44A2-865B-745F60172ABB_zpsa8phyk6b.jpg)[/URL][/img]
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http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k591/dswood95/67C95C5B-119E-44A2-865B-745F60172ABB_zpsa8phyk6b.jpg (http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k591/dswood95/67C95C5B-119E-44A2-865B-745F60172ABB_zpsa8phyk6b.jpg)
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I would set up as close to the stream/creek dumping into the lake as possible. I would not worry about getting into the swamp area, within 20 - 30 yds of where it enters the main lake is fine. 1 ft or more of water is plenty. Pike are ALWAYS attracted to water entering a lake ,be it a stream of any size,runoff from a spring or constant storm water release. Good luck.
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Id hit that finger area on the top of the pic, the deepest water i could find around it ill add... Small pike lakes you generally want to fish pinch points and funnels, this lake here is very shallow and looks like it has some very broad shoreline..As some one else said get a few people together to fish it.. One would think spanning the 5 -10' water towards that finger would produce..
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I would set up as close to the stream/creek dumping into the lake as possible. I would not worry about getting into the swamp area, within 20 - 30 yds of where it enters the main lake is fine. 1 ft or more of water is plenty. Pike are ALWAYS attracted to water entering a lake ,be it a stream of any size,runoff from a spring or constant storm water release. Good luck.
I agree there as well. Crazy idea but you can catch fish where you think they can barely fit under the ice. Fished a spot a.few.years ago the day after another group slaughtered them. Blood on the ice everywhere. Punched the first hole and ran my auger right into the mud. We caught fish there as well.