# Winter pike



## southern Dan (Sep 10, 2019)

I'm looking for any information on pike fishing locations this time of year. I'm going to be fishing from shore.. I'm from the Cleveland area. I have been at it for awhile now and havent had the first hit.. I am guessing wrong place or wrong lures.. any advice would be a blessing


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## Tall Tales (Aug 28, 2018)

Hi Danny, 

We have some customers that particularly target pike right before ice on and right after ice off. Now with the temperatures we have had, it hasn't made it easy, but those are ideally the conditions. Most successful times are late February-March They catch them not far from our shop about 2 miles from us near the Rockhill/Greenbower area. Most are caught on jigs/spinners, but actually drop shotting has become more and more popular for them. They are all fishing from shore with light or medium light action rods. I'm not as familiar with spots near Cleveland but do know there are a few other areas around us to target them, but those are the best times and spots local to us. 

Good luck!


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## Dylansmith54 (Dec 27, 2019)

Tall Tales said:


> Hi Danny,
> 
> We have some customers that particularly target pike right before ice on and right after ice off. Now with the temperatures we have had, it hasn't made it easy, but those are ideally the conditions. Most successful times are late February-March They catch them not far from our shop about 2 miles from us near the Rockhill/Greenbower area. Most are caught on jigs/spinners, but actually drop shotting has become more and more popular for them. They are all fishing from shore with light or medium light action rods. I'm not as familiar with spots near Cleveland but do know there are a few other areas around us to target them, but those are the best times and spots local to us.
> 
> Good luck!


If you don’t mind me asking what body of water are you talking about and would they be biting now?


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## DHower08 (Nov 20, 2015)

Dylan now is when you want to be targeting pike. Now through end of March / mid April is prime time in the rivers and even some flooded back waters


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## Dylansmith54 (Dec 27, 2019)

DHower08 said:


> Dylan now is when you want to be targeting pike. Now through end of March / mid April is prime time in the rivers and even some flooded back waters


Okay thanks


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## BuckeyeFishin07 (Apr 10, 2017)

Dylansmith54 said:


> If you don’t mind me asking what body of water are you talking about and would they be biting now?


Tall Tales is talking about Berlin Lake when he is speaking of Rockhill/Greenbower area.


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

check the back waters of the cuyahoga, west branch, mosquito, berlin, tusc river. and the mahoning river. pretty sure the harbors in Cleveland have a decent, albeit larger size but smaller amounts as well.


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## Investigator Bass (May 4, 2018)

There is a nice spot to get on the Tusc river directly below the dover dam, a walkway down to the water makes it easy access


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

Danny flathead chaser said:


> I'm looking for any information on pike fishing locations this time of year. I'm going to be fishing from shore.. I'm from the Cleveland area. I have been at it for awhile now and havent had the first hit.. I am guessing wrong place or wrong lures.. any advice would be a blessing


Try any of the Lake Erie Harbors... E55th for example. There have been some monsters caught there.


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

Intercity Yacht Club.... A guy named "Factual" used to catch some nice pike in Cleveland.


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## REEL GRIP (Jan 11, 2013)

Danny flathead chaser said:


> I'm looking for any information on pike fishing locations this time of year. I'm going to be fishing from shore.. I'm from the Cleveland area. I have been at it for awhile now and havent had the first hit.. I am guessing wrong place or wrong lures.. any advice would be a blessing


Danny... You're sit'in on the Grand River.... Not my business...But I would go fish some Steel Head


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## HeaVyMeTaLFiSHinGFiEnD (Oct 2, 2010)

A few years back there was an infestation of pike coming up through the mahoning at greenbower. You literally couldn't keep them off your line. Haven't caught any there since but i don't target them specifically.


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## southern Dan (Sep 10, 2019)

I do hit the grand up for the steelhead. Actually I just came out of the water lol. But it's really all I have fished for since I moved up here from southeast tennessee.. I have always wanted a northern and a muskie. I have the outfits for both species except knowing places to fish and the techniques to fish for them.. I have seen many people and sites say west branch east branch mosquito... But have you ever tried to fish for a fish you have never seen in person just read about and have 200 miles of shore line to fish? I'm lost.. I'm just another fisherman that love the sport that have a bucket list.. I dont keep anything it's all to learn and have fun.. who knows one day someone or a kid could ask me the same question I'm asking and I'll be here I help them out...


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## southern Dan (Sep 10, 2019)

Would you think he would be willing to help a guy out alittle? How would I be able to get ahold oh him


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## Tall Tales (Aug 28, 2018)

Dylansmith54 said:


> If you don’t mind me asking what body of water are you talking about and would they be biting now?


This spot is in the Mahoning River area where it spills into Berlin Reservoir.

Here is a map location:

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.9606534,-81.1138287,1168m/data=!3m1!1e3?shorturl=1


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## Tall Tales (Aug 28, 2018)

HeaVyMeTaLFiSHinGFiEnD said:


> A few years back there was an infestation of pike coming up through the mahoning at greenbower. You literally couldn't keep them off your line. Haven't caught any there since but i don't target them specifically.


That's the area I'm speaking about. It has days where it is loaded.


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## HeaVyMeTaLFiSHinGFiEnD (Oct 2, 2010)

Tall Tales said:


> That's the area I'm speaking about. It has days where it is loaded.


Ill have to dig through some pictures but 8 or 9 years ago Berlin flooded so bad that water was almost up over greenbower. I was literally snagging northerns with a rooster tail almost every cast.


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## HeaVyMeTaLFiSHinGFiEnD (Oct 2, 2010)

Danny flathead chaser said:


> I do hit the grand up for the steelhead. Actually I just came out of the water lol. But it's really all I have fished for since I moved up here from southeast tennessee.. I have always wanted a northern and a muskie. I have the outfits for both species except knowing places to fish and the techniques to fish for them.. I have seen many people and sites say west branch east branch mosquito... But have you ever tried to fish for a fish you have never seen in person just read about and have 200 miles of shore line to fish? I'm lost.. I'm just another fisherman that love the sport that have a bucket list.. I dont keep anything it's all to learn and have fun.. who knows one day someone or a kid could ask me the same question I'm asking and I'll be here I help them out...


Get ahold of me. Im no expert but defiantly can show you some good spots to try.


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## HeaVyMeTaLFiSHinGFiEnD (Oct 2, 2010)

i caught all 3 of those pike crappie fishing with bobbers and live minnows. They aren't overly picky, just get it infront of them. I really want to nail some this year on the top water.


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## DeathFromAbove (Oct 21, 2008)

Those are pretty fat looking Pike for not being all that long Especially the bottom one No Hammer Handles there Been feeding well Pike are very tasty


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## swone (Jan 24, 2007)

Cuyahoga River they love to hit large minnows on a float in any back water this time of year


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## swone (Jan 24, 2007)

I’m talking in the Akron area


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## southern Dan (Sep 10, 2019)

What about the tuscarawas river?? What about the places I dropped a pin


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## Dylansmith54 (Dec 27, 2019)

Danny flathead chaser said:


> What about the tuscarawas river?? What about the places I dropped a pin


If your going to drive to the zoar area I would check out bolivar dam/ sandy creek where it runs into the tusc River. I’ve never really fished it but everyone says it’s good pike fishing


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## southern Dan (Sep 10, 2019)

Yea it seems to come up alot. I'm going to need to go down and check it out


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## fishless (Sep 18, 2014)

Danny flathead chaser said:


> Yea it seems to come up alot. I'm going to need to go down and check it out


My son and I were there a couple weeks ago.You have to walk downstream some because its shallow and full of rocks and trees close to the dam .My son caught two but thet weren't being very agressive.One of them came up about 9 times before it actually struck.Chub under a bobber would be the way to go.Lots of holes but most are serounded by trees and its diffucult to cast


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## DQnit (May 8, 2015)

swone said:


> Cuyahoga River they love to hit large minnows on a float in any back water this time of year


How deep you fishing the minnows in the water column?


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## southern Dan (Sep 10, 2019)

I havent fished live bait for them yet...


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## swone (Jan 24, 2007)

My dad tears them up by catching fish out of the river and floating it. It's been a while since I did it, but it is really fun.


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## swone (Jan 24, 2007)

DQnit said:


> How deep you fishing the minnows in the water column?


Usually 18-24" below a float. I tend to think that fish like to strike prey from beneath.


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## Dan1881 (Aug 27, 2018)

swone said:


> My dad tears them up by catching fish out of the river and floating it. It's been a while since I did it, but it is really fun.


I don't really fish for pike but have been interested. Just curious when you float fish them is it necessary to have a wire leader or do you use a thicker fluro or something else?


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## swone (Jan 24, 2007)

Thick flouro works best. In my experience they just don’t hit a wire leader


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## fishmeister (Jul 29, 2004)

Way upstream on the Grand River is a good population of pike. Now, its been about 25 years since I lived in Cleveland, but I used to land a couple in my canoe. Even seined up some babies one year in a ditch that led into the river.


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## DHower08 (Nov 20, 2015)

swone said:


> Thick flouro works best. In my experience they just don’t hit a wire leader


I have never had an issue with steel leaders preventing pike from biting. I feel the biggest difference is that a flourocarbon leader will help maintain a more natural action


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## Jason Keppler (Aug 29, 2019)

The Cuyahoga in Kent has pike. I fished it probably 10-12 times last year. Netted one and lost another. Not sure if I was doing something wrong or it's been over fished. Other people have had success there. Both of my hook ups came on rooster tails. Also, if fishing there be prepared to lose lots of tackle. Lots of underwater trees.


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

The hoga in Kent gets a lot of pressure every year. It’s always mentioned where to get pike. But it has lots of other areas to try with less pressure. West branch and Berlin are good spring spots.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## bdawg (Apr 14, 2009)

I used to fish the Cuyahoga for pike a lot. Most of my success was on creek chubs in slack water pools with trees in the water. Had one pool that always held them. Tried many lures in there and never caught one. Creek chubs were way better! I used 50lb braided line. Worked better than wire leaders. 

West Branch has a ton of muskie and a good population of pike. In early spring, they hang around the same trees that the crappie are in. The crappie will be way back in the trees and the muskie/pike will be at the outside edge. When they hit, they hit hard and fast! Got my 1 and only muskie there a couple of years ago on a small minnow with a small hook and 6lb test line. It was 39" and 14lbs!


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## FlyFishRich (Feb 3, 2016)

Kent does get hit hard , plenty of YouTube videos to prove it. Any one ever try Mohicanville Dam over by Funk OH off 95 I believe. Used to catch Pike there , Creek chub and bobber. Fish down by the little building and right up against the shore. The pike follow the shore line as close to 3 to 4 foot out........Rich


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## Jason Keppler (Aug 29, 2019)

bdawg said:


> I used to fish the Cuyahoga for pike a lot. Most of my success was on creek chubs in slack water pools with trees in the water. Had one pool that always held them. Tried many lures in there and never caught one. Creek chubs were way better! I used 50lb braided line. Worked better than wire leaders.
> 
> West Branch has a ton of muskie and a good population of pike. In early spring, they hang around the same trees that the crappie are in. The crappie will be way back in the trees and the muskie/pike will be at the outside edge. When they hit, they hit hard and fast! Got my 1 and only muskie there a couple of years ago on a small minnow with a small hook and 6lb test line. It was 39" and 14lbs!


Bdawg- while in Kent- did you just float the chubs under a bobber? If so did you have to keep casting every time the bobber got too far down stream? I was there a couple of weeks ago with shiners. No bites. I found that the shiner would die after the 2nd or third cast. Had to cast alot..once it got down stream a little ways I'd reel in and recast.


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## KingSteve (Apr 9, 2019)

Have caught a good amount of pike out of LaDue in Auburn and the Cuyahoga near there. Caught all of them on swim baits that are 4.5 to 6in. They seemed to just love those. Also spinner baits have worked for me. LaDue doesnt have a ton of spots to shore fish but you can still bag a pike from shore. Fish the little bays. The River I just walk up and down the river until I find a good spot that holds some fish.


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