Author Topic: Best time for Northerns (Read 4143 times)

NanookofN-MN · « **on:** Jan 11, 2013, 11:44 AM »

Planning to hit the lake this weekend and see about pulling a few northerns through the ice for pickling. I have never actively sought out snot rockets and am wonder what time you have had the best luck. I know each lake can be different just looking for impute and I will likely take an average of all the comments and start there then adjust if needed.

Thank you

jaysun23 · « **Reply #1 on:** Jan 11, 2013, 11:46 AM »

Seems I've had my best luck right at sunrise and again at sunset. You'll pull them all day long, but it seems the most action usually comes during those times.

Drifter_016 · « **Reply #2 on:** Jan 11, 2013, 11:59 AM »

^^^ What he said.

Beets · « **Reply #3 on:** Jan 11, 2013, 12:09 PM »

http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?board=39.0

fortybelow · « **Reply #4 on:** Jan 11, 2013, 12:37 PM »

I've always liked 9-10 AM.

Swaintrain23 · « **Reply #5 on:** Jan 11, 2013, 12:44 PM »

First light has always been the best for myself.

fishinfool96 · « **Reply #6 on:** Jan 11, 2013, 12:46 PM »

From my experience first and last light seems to be best for all types of fish. Northerns will bite all day long though.

PondPerchPounder · « **Reply #7 on:** Jan 11, 2013, 01:31 PM »

I seem to catch northerns throughout the day. In South Dakota many people consider them a trash fish and don't do anything but feed them to the cats.

pike4some · « **Reply #8 on:** Jan 11, 2013, 02:08 PM »

Between 8am to 10 am then it seems like the bite slows down until around 2pm when it picks up again with hit and miss until dark.

ZACHAKABIRDIE · « **Reply #9 on:** Jan 11, 2013, 02:31 PM »

Yea what they said lol. Morning and evening. (crack of dawn & end of daylight)

slipperybob · « **Reply #10 on:** Jan 11, 2013, 03:23 PM »

First light and last light. The thing about midday fishing is...the little ones come out.

Drifter_016 · « **Reply #11 on:** Jan 11, 2013, 03:38 PM »

Quote from: slipperybob on Jan 11, 2013, 03:23 PM

The thing about midday fishing is...the little ones come out.

Not always.
Got this pig on Jan 6th 2013 @ 1:00PM.

pike4some · « **Reply #12 on:** Jan 11, 2013, 03:48 PM »

Very Nice Drifter.

slipperybob · « **Reply #13 on:** Jan 11, 2013, 04:23 PM »

I think that Drifter just catches big fish all the time.

deadsmelthead · « **Reply #14 on:** Jan 11, 2013, 04:37 PM »

Well ive always read northers cant see worth a crap at 1st light and at dusk something about inbetween lighting doesnt work well for the way their eyesight is designed...

That said, my best days for pike have always been from mid morning till mid afternoon...sure ive caught them 1st light but flags always fly mid morning..

jerrife · « **Reply #15 on:** Jan 11, 2013, 04:50 PM »

morning and afternoon, I like to fish them in kind of shallow water with my bait about a foot off the bottom

slipperybob · « **Reply #16 on:** Jan 11, 2013, 04:53 PM »

LOL...I know on a certain lake, the best time for Northerns was the late evening crappie bite time around 8-10pm. Catching them down deep to 35-40'. That said, if I was getting any crappie, I was getting northerns. They just be typical average size 16-24" in length.

bwana72 · « **Reply #17 on:** Jan 11, 2013, 04:58 PM »

3:21-3:42.13 p.m.

Whopper Stopper · « **Reply #18 on:** Jan 11, 2013, 05:06 PM »

[/quote]

Very nice!

WS

ICatchLilFishy · « **Reply #19 on:** Jan 12, 2013, 09:32 AM »

Most of my big pike that I have caught have been almost exactly at noon

saxmatt · « **Reply #20 on:** Jan 12, 2013, 09:56 AM »

Most of my big fish have come between 11:00 and 1:00

BCice · « **Reply #21 on:** Jan 12, 2013, 10:34 AM »

I think it depends on the lake. Some very clear lakes near me is an early morning and late evening bite. Some lakes you can't buy a bite before 9:00 am and seem good until dark. It might depend on how deep you're fishing, too.

Svengalli · « **Reply #22 on:** Jan 12, 2013, 02:16 PM »

In S Manitoba and in NW Ontario, for me it's always been 2 Pike bites. First 9:30am - 10:30am and then a lull in the action with the best Pike bite being 1pm - 3pm. It's almost like clockwork for that a flag goes off within a few minutes of 1pm. You can always catch 'em but those times seem the best. If I only had a few hours it would definately be the afternoon for them.

tt350z · « **Reply #23 on:** Jan 13, 2013, 09:00 PM »

I notice that I have pretty good luck from about 10am-4pm.

Before 10am, I'm still sleeping.

After 4pm, they don't seem to be very aggressive, I can see them on my flasher but they generally aren't interested. Same with dead smelt on the tip ups, flag will go up but they wont actually take the bait with them.

mempfree · « **Reply #24 on:** Jan 14, 2013, 10:15 PM »

My Northern Pike was caught at around 1pm. It weighed in at 12.62lbs. In about twenty feet of water. Oh, it was in the middle

of February, with a single, #2, red hook, with vanish, lb test of 14lbs.

farmboy · « **Reply #25 on:** Jan 15, 2013, 09:29 PM »

If I only had a few hours to fish for pike in a day it would be from 3pm until sunset hands down. That's just been my experience for action as well as for big fish but judging by the responses your getting, any time of day can be great.

piketrout85 · « **Reply #26 on:** Jan 16, 2013, 09:01 AM »

I typically start seeing pike around 8am, and expect a bite anytime after that.

nitram · « **Reply #27 on:** Jan 16, 2013, 02:19 PM »

My experience Depends on the lake, One of my favorite lakes I only get bit late in the day 1 hr before the sun goes down. Other lakes all day long,
The one lake with the late bite seems to be the exception.

MRC2572 · « **Reply #28 on:** Jan 17, 2013, 04:18 PM »

Quote from: nitram on Jan 16, 2013, 02:19 PM

My experience Depends on the lake,

Well said

bearbgone · « **Reply #29 on:** Jan 24, 2013, 07:08 AM »

Quote from: saxmatt on Jan 12, 2013, 09:56 AM

Most of my big fish have come between 11:00 and 1:00

Same here on my favorite pike lake. I'm sure it changes from location to location.

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Author Topic: Best time for Northerns (Read 4143 times)