# when do you guys start going for pike



## Fontebassfishing (Feb 25, 2012)

im wanna do some early pike fishing this year and was just wondering when you guys start catching them thanks


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## BASSINaDL (Aug 24, 2010)

Right now if the water is opened up


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## t.stuller (Feb 25, 2010)

Year round if there's open water.


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## wave warrior (Oct 2, 2005)

now thru march is good on rivers...:B


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

BASSINaDL said:


> Right now if the water is opened up


Yep! If there is ice, as soon as the ice is off. The pike are probably moving shallow right now.


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## castmaster00 (Oct 23, 2007)

What are we going to use though? Large spinnerbaits and minnow plugs fished slow? Swimbaits? I would prefer not using bait.


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


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## ramfan (May 6, 2008)

Breakneck Creek in Ravenna is a great place for Pike......Lures and Live bait produce there....So many spots on the creek to catch nice size Pike......


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## Fontebassfishing (Feb 25, 2012)

thanks guys im heading out monday and maybye sunday


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## gonefishinbaitandtackle (Jan 30, 2009)

Just like everyone already said, right now is the time for pike, as long as there is open water, there will be pike....Stop in at the shop or give me a call and I will tell some spots that I fish all along the Cuyahoga River.


Bill

Gone Fishin Bait and Tackle, LLC
1027 Munroe Falls Ave.
Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221
phone: 234-525-1900

We have SHINNERS everyday of the week

We are open 7 days a week

M-F 8am to 6 pm

Sat-Sun 8am to 4 pm


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## Berliner (Feb 23, 2011)

How big are the pike in the Cuyahoga River? What lb test line should I be using? 

Thanks


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## t.stuller (Feb 25, 2010)

Berliner said:


> How big are the pike in the Cuyahoga River? What lb test line should I be using?
> 
> Thanks


I've got them up 34" out of the cuyahoga. Most are 16-30" though, I use 20lb test with a 12" steel leader.


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

castmaster00 said:


> What are we going to use though? Large spinnerbaits and minnow plugs fished slow? Swimbaits? I would prefer not using bait.
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


Well, not using bait at this time of year can be problematic. Because you're right, you're going to need to fish really slow! At this time of year, with the winter we've had, the water is going to be stinging cold! Even cold water fish, like trout, get a little sluggish at these temps. I'm thinking, if you're absolutely dead set against bait, you might try "deadsticking" a swimbait in the shallows. It will be about as exciting as fishing a dead smelt on on a quick strike rig. If it turns out otherwise, please let us know!


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## wave warrior (Oct 2, 2005)

going to hit the tusc in a few, hope to get some creek chubs from a local stream for bait, and throw some cranks as well:B:B


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## jonnythfisherteen2 (Mar 5, 2011)

interesting. makes me want to get out there and find some pike. probably have to go it alone though, as I doubt and one will take me.


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## fishing_marshall (Jun 12, 2004)

Good luck Wave. I fished the tusc twice this week. Got a 24" on a rogue and missed 2 on glide baits. Had to fish way slooooooooooooooowwwwww.


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## buckzye11 (Jul 16, 2009)

Skunked in Massillon today, lost 2 husky jerks.... so i tried slow rolling a double willow spinner and also tried a 5" swimbait. Fished 3-6pm.
Just the anticipation of a Pike thrashing around was good enough today.


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## Fontebassfishing (Feb 25, 2012)

well we got skunked today to but are going out again tormmow gonna try shiners were have u guys caught them in the hoga so far this year


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## fish420 (Feb 25, 2012)

can you still catch them in spring and summer by fishing with big crankbaits and stuff? i wanna try to catch a couple this year after the crappie slow down for a bit..


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

fish420 said:


> can you still catch them in spring and summer by fishing with big crankbaits and stuff? i wanna try to catch a couple this year after the crappie slow down for a bit..


Yes you can. I have a couple of cases in point. One time, I and a buddy are fishing Mosquito in late Spring, early Summer for walleye. The water temps had risen to the point where Mosquito walleye go into that "Summer pattern" where you'd swear there wasn't an 'eye in the lake! We weren't catching squat, so, when in doubt, TROLL! We trolled around and eventually wound up trolling the old creek channel toward the Causeway. We were on the north end. I kept changing lures and finally tied on a magnum sized Hot 'n Tot in red and white. Hmmmm. Pike sized lure in a Pike color! Well, I started whacking them! Not just snakes, but some nice sized fish. The guys we saw who were kind of doing the same thing, fishing the deeper creek channel, but were using jigs and live bait, were catching dink, "cigar" walleyes. I figured that might have been what the pike were feeding on. 

The other instance occurred in Canada. We were there at our normal time, mid-June, but the pike in the shallow, weedy bays wasn't really happening. After a couple of days we ran into the outfitter out on the lake and asked him what the Spring had been like. He told us that Spring, and ice off, had come very early that year. So, we started thinking. Imagine that, a fisherman thinking! We had been going there for several years, and we knew the pike were shallow when the water temps were right. So we just started probing deeper and deeper water. My buddy hung a trophy. 44 1/2" that we guessed at 25lbs! Fat fish! 

You just have to look at the situation and adapt your methods accordingly.


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## vc1111 (Apr 13, 2004)

There is a period after ice out in which the fishing can be just about impossible due to the spawn activity. Before or after and you have a decent chance.


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## Lawman60 (May 17, 2010)

I know a little about northern pike fishing, but not fishing in a river for them. Actually, I take that back, I've fished them in Ontario on the French. But if you're in NE Ohio, you may want to give Mosquito a go. Pike spawn in shallow bays when the water temp gets into the mid 40's. The male fish most likely are already there, but the big females will come a bit later. Anyway, that water is cold, and the fish are VERY lethargic! 

It's great to catch them on spinners or swim baits, but honestly, your best bet at this time of year is live or dead bait. Suckers are by far the best option, but any big minnows will do. Creek chubs, emerald shiners, or golden shiners. You can free line or fish them under a float. What can be an issue is how to hook the bait. Pike generally strike a minnow side ways in their mouth. They may then move off holding the bait like this until they are able to maneuver it to go down head first. So the issue becomes when to set the hook. If you are using a single hook, chances are that you'll miss the fish if you strike too early. But the problem is, if you wait for the fish to swallow your bait, the fish will be gut hooked and will most likely die. It's your right to kill a pike if you wish to do so, however, if you want to catch and release, you may want to try another way of rigging your bait. You can use what's referred to as a "quick strike rig." These rigs come per packaged with two treble hooks on a length of wire leader. The bait is hooked lightly with one treble behind the head, and the other near the tail. Using this type of rig makes hitting the fish when it first bites more of a sure hook up. It also lessens the odds of gut hooking. I find these rigs to be rather "clunky" and over sized, but they do work. I make my own quick strikes using 40 lb. braid instead of wire. Yes, pike's teeth can cut braid, but it's pretty rare. I make my rigs with size 4 trebles. 

I mentioned "dead bait" earlier. Pike will also pick up a dead bait. I used to use fresh sardines when we had a fish market in the city of Warren, but all you can get around here now is frozen sardines, and they haven't worked for me. However, a dead sucker fished free line has been productive for me a good number of times. It's a shame when you buy a few big suckers and end up with only dead ones after a while of fishing. Don't despair, try plopping one into a back bay. It works. 

If you do fish Mosquito, try fishing along the causeway too. Remember, if a fish in that lake is swimming north or south, it has to pass under the causeway. I'm sure there a lot of OGF guys here that will confirm this fact! That goes for all fish in the lake, so why not cast for walleye or crappie while soaking a bait waiting on a nice big pike? 

I hope you can find something here that helps you out.


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## Rootstown308 (Mar 15, 2012)

still a little tough atm, but here in a week or two it should pick up. Ive done great in early march with snow on the ground, but mid october seems best for whatever reason. When theyre aggressive,i ditch my live bait for my all time fav. lure. AGLIAS! Preferably a #4 or 5. ALSO!!! What many people forget is pike love them some leeches. Hecks yeah theyre gross, but it also gives you a good chance to bag a pig small mouth. For that reason alone its my favorite live bait for the hoga.


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## fish420 (Feb 25, 2012)

i dont think ill be getting out anytime soon to do any serious fishing but thanks for the tips. im sure they would hit anything that moved in the summer when the water is warm. i cant wait to try ive never caught one, well i did once but it was only 13" long lol ive heard all my dads stories from canada fishing. i would love to go there. but northeast ohio is good enough for me for now... so they spawn after ice out? how long does the "impossible" stage last? just depending on the weather? oh and i love fishing mosquito i always hear people talking crap saying theres no fish in that lake i catch limits of crappie all the time and some walleye too. i hear there is a great northern population with some pretty big fish there i just want to find out for myself. again thanks for the info


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## Lawman60 (May 17, 2010)

fish420 said:


> so they spawn after ice out? how long does the "impossible" stage last? just depending on the weather? oh and i love fishing mosquito i always hear people talking crap saying theres no fish in that lake i catch limits of crappie all the time and some walleye too. i hear there is a great northern population with some pretty big fish there i just want to find out for myself. again thanks for the info


 
They spawn when the water temp is in the mid 40's, but they move in, or very near there spawning areas as the ice is coming off the lake. How long does it last? Well, not long enough. By the time the water hits the high 40's, it's all done. It may only be a window of a few days. The fish may hang around for a few days after they spawn, and then it's back out to the main lake. But now comes the time when they really start to feed. Spawning takes a lot out of them, and they need to get their energy back up. The problem is that it's a big lake with very little structure. The weeds are just starting to regrown at that time, so if you're boating, look for emerging weed bed beds on your electronics. If you're shore bound, look for points or fish the causeway. OGF member; EZbite, another Mosquito Lake fisherman and NE Ohioer, did some video last year when the DNR was doing it's walleye nets. I remember seeing one of the nets that was full of pike. I'm not sure if the video is still there, but his YouTube channel is EZbite1...I think?


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## fish420 (Feb 25, 2012)

im fishing from shore right now im working on getting a boat this year though. do you think they feed at night too? like if i get bored catfishing just throw on a big crank? ha that would be fun.


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