Author Topic: Pike at night? (Read 3549 times)

Water Wolf · « **on:** Feb 15, 2006, 12:47 AM »

Have any of you ever caught pike in the middle of the night open water or on the ice?
I have caught them to an hour or so after sunset but nothing in the pitch black both seasons.

WW

iceintheveins · « **Reply #1 on:** Feb 15, 2006, 12:55 AM »

A know a guy who catches them on buzzbaits at night during the summer. I have caught pike on ice after sundown but never a flag after total darkness sets in.

Smeltecca · « **Reply #2 on:** Feb 15, 2006, 07:49 AM »

I've never caught one myself but I was out fishing with a guy who caught a 12.6 lber at 11:30 pm. It was caught at a highly pressured lake where I believe some of the fish have resorted to feeding at night to avoid all the commotion.

rumblefish_1 · « **Reply #3 on:** Feb 15, 2006, 09:57 AM »

I personally have never had any success after dark.

Auger · « **Reply #4 on:** Feb 15, 2006, 10:18 AM »

Never any success after dark for me.

busler15 · « **Reply #5 on:** Feb 15, 2006, 02:02 PM »

In the summer, I hear that big pike float up to the top and rest. When you night fish and cast, you hear them jump once in a while.
On the ice ive never had any at night, but really earlly morning at 530ish ive had flags while setting up!

grumpymoe · « **Reply #6 on:** Feb 15, 2006, 02:19 PM »

Very very seldom......recall a fisherman casting from shore for nighttime eyes, and he managed afew northerns as well....but it was adjacent to a hotel/parking lot built on the shoreline & waterfront.....the lights probably had something to do with the pike feeding.....Grump

Pasquatch · « **Reply #7 on:** Feb 15, 2006, 05:01 PM »

To the best of my knowledge, pike do not bite at night with any type of regularity.

Lobes · « **Reply #8 on:** Feb 15, 2006, 05:32 PM »

I used to fish for them at night but very with little success. Did catch bigger (over 30") ones when I did.

Water Wolf · « **Reply #9 on:** Feb 15, 2006, 10:29 PM »

Quote from: Pasquatch on Feb 15, 2006, 05:01 PM

To the best of my knowledge, pike do not bite at night with any type of regularity.

That's what I always thought to, thanks guys.

billybono · « **Reply #10 on:** Feb 15, 2006, 10:39 PM »

they bite...its just a slower bite than during the day

billybono

Quote from: Smeltecca on Feb 15, 2006, 07:49 AM

I've never caught one myself but I was out fishing with a guy who caught a 12.6 lber at 11:30 pm. It was caught at a highly pressured lake where I believe some of the fish have resorted to feeding at night to avoid all the commotion.

there is a lot of truth to that

billybono

GAMBELL · « **Reply #11 on:** Feb 17, 2006, 10:20 PM »

I caught one pike at night 3 years ago. I was fishing open water walleyes at night. I was shocked when the toothy critter slammed my stick bait.

Water Wolf · « **Reply #12 on:** Feb 18, 2006, 07:38 PM »

For those of you who caught the pike at night was there a full moon present? Maybe the extra light from a full moon would be enough light for the pike to still see.
Just a thought.

WW

billybono · « **Reply #13 on:** Feb 18, 2006, 07:43 PM »

no. the only time i ever targeted them at night was a month ago. a certian few lakes we have been fishing, flags all day then died off at 3 -3.30 every time we fish these certian lakes. but we had our tip-ups setup with the alarms and lights, and there was some booze involved

so we sat after dark. we landed 3 or 4 in complete darkness, with lots of flags. we were fishing in 4 fow on almost a foot of ice. also during the spring bullhead run, i always pull in some northerns

billybono

Bob_D · « **Reply #14 on:** Feb 19, 2006, 07:15 AM »

It's rare for me. We got these 2 (actually got one more smaller one) long after dark back in January. There was clear sky and a full moon that night, which I think made the difference.

A friend of mine got this in Dec of 2004, but there was not a full moon. Or any moon for that matter.

They can be caught at night, but I don't think I'd waste the time trying to target them after dark. At night they are a bonus by-catch to me.

pikemonster1441 · « **Reply #15 on:** Feb 19, 2006, 08:45 PM »

the latest i ever caught a pike on the ice was about 6oclock ish when we were packin the tip ups in...when fishing off shore in the summer time i use those plastic worms that you hook in the middle and this pond i fish its like the pike enhale them at night me and my buddy use catch 15+ with them after the sun sets.Top water baits have also been effective..

michpike789 · « **Reply #16 on:** Feb 20, 2006, 09:14 AM »

We cast for walleyes in teh fall from shore on lake st clair, after dark. There has been several times weve hooked pike. weve got a couple of pike at night and my uncle even got a 40 inch muskie. Other than that ive never gotten them after dark, especially throught the ice

TroutFishingBear · « **Reply #17 on:** Feb 22, 2006, 06:59 PM »

Caught em a bit before sunrise and just after sunset icefishing. Open water we did really good at stagecoach throwing buzzers and catching some. Course we were catching dozens and dozens of pike during the day without trying hard at all. On the yampa river we also were catching some pike up to about an hour past sunset, then we had to float down cuz it was pitch dark. I bet we could've caught a few others if we fished all night. Although I've caught some night fishing, the best times are sunrise-10:00 and 4:00 to sunset for icefishing. I've noticed open water fishing some lakes are strictly a morning bite (crawford, rifle) while others are strictly an afternoon (rio blanco). Night fishing isn't the best for pike (it sux actually because pike are site hunters more than smell hunters), but they can be caught. I would focus during the day though, during the times I specified.

GAMBELL · « **Reply #18 on:** Feb 23, 2006, 03:08 PM »

Quote from: Water Wolf on Feb 18, 2006, 07:38 PM

For those of you who caught the pike at night was there a full moon present? Maybe the extra light from a full moon would be enough light for the pike to still see.
Just a thought.

WW

Waterwolf,

The night I caught the pike at night it was cloudy and raining. This is the only one I have caught in many hours of night fishing for walleyes.

IceTroll · « **Reply #19 on:** Feb 26, 2006, 09:31 PM »

Although I have never seen the action fast and furious at night, I have caught plenty of night time Pike. This includes nights when there was little to no ambiant light from the moon. To say that Pike are not active or dont feed at night could not be further from the truth. Pike are opportunists and will feed just about anywhere at anytime if the opportunity presents itself. I think more Pike are not caught at night simply because they dont have the night time vision that Walleye and some other species do. The common thread to people who have caught them at night would probably be a highly visible bait (possibly even some glow characteristics) that also most likely make alot of noise or water disturbance. I would attribute my night time Pike to the glow beads that I just love to put on my leaders. All of the Pike I have caught at night have been through the ice because I rarely fish for Pike during open water times.

iceintheveins · « **Reply #20 on:** Feb 26, 2006, 10:11 PM »

I landed a small pike and a small Channel cat last night on our tip ups as we were picking our stuff up to leave. The pike had taken out every bit of line and we didn't even know we had a flag.

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