# Northern Pike



## Sandpike85

I was wondering if anyone knew of any good areas/bodies of water to catch pike in the areas of Oak Harbor, Cattawba, or the eastern harbor say Metsger Marsh or something along the lines. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!


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## I_Shock_Em

i've seen some good pike come out of metzger marsh


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## olderfer

I_Shock_Em said:


> i've seen some good pike come out of metzger marsh


How long ago was this? I'm not doubting your word, but I've kayaked and fished Metzger occassionally over the last few years (since they completed the break wall) and never seen any pike. None of the locals I've asked about fishing in there have mentioned pike either.

Jim


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## olderfer

sploosh56 said:


> There are pike in there, but they are not a heavily targeted fish. The few fisherman who do target them tend to keep their spots to themselves. Your best bet at catching them is to get some creek chugs or large minnows and fish them under a float. It'll be a hit or miss with fishing for them. I catch them every year fishing in the portage river for crappies and white bass.


Thanks for the info. I've caught loads of pike and really don't need any more of them. But Metzger Marsh is such a glorious place to kayak - you are up to your eyeballs in the natural world - that maybe I'll give it a try. If nothing else, I'll have a good paddle.

Jim


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## jonnyspeed

olderfer said:


> Thanks for the info. I've caught loads of pike and really don't need any more of them. But Metzger Marsh is such a glorious place to kayak - you are up to your eyeballs in the natural world - that maybe I'll give it a try. If nothing else, I'll have a good paddle.
> 
> Jim


Out of curiosity, where have you caught all your Pike? I'm finding them difficult to locate in Ohio.


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## olderfer

jonnyspeed said:


> Out of curiosity, where have you caught all your Pike? I'm finding them difficult to locate in Ohio.


Caught them in Ontario. I'm 70 years old, and have made maybe 50 trips to Canada, starting with family vacations in the 1940s. In later years, I made quite a few canoe trips in the White River - Hornpayne area. Went in by train a few times. Much of the water a few miles off the road is virtually paved with pike ... I've seen 20 or 30 of them laying together in holes in rivers, waiting for food to pass overhead. Nobody bothers to fish for them. To many Canadians, they are carp.

Jim


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## HOCKEY

I fish all the area creeks in toledo, were everyone things there are only carp,
i have been catching pike out of these creeks since 1970 avg. over a 100
per year, we use mostly small blue foxe spinners mepps, and rapala, you drive 
over these places every day, you need to stop and due a little exploring, and 
release your fish as not to ruin the fishery, most of these creeks are not 
fifty feet wide or over 5 or 6 ft. deep, they are also load with bass, crappie
blugills, and every thing else, look for area that has deep water close by, a 
possible dam close by or a feeder creek that runs into that has minnows, it may be only 1 foot deep. you will be suprised.


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## F1504X4

I have also made several trips to the Hornepayne area of Ontario for pike. There is nothing like it, it was nothing to have 100+ fish days, casting spinner baits, trolling spoons, you throw it out and they'll hit it! I would love to find someplace around Ohio to catch some pike!


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## olderfer

F1504X4 said:


> I have also made several trips to the Hornepayne area of Ontario for pike. There is nothing like it, it was nothing to have 100+ fish days, casting spinner baits, trolling spoons, you throw it out and they'll hit it! I would love to find someplace around Ohio to catch some pike!


One time around 1980 I canoed and portaged my way seven lakes
off the road in a chain south of Hornpayne. Made camp, then set
off to row around the perimeter of the lake towing a Dardevle, 
to see what I could see. Caught an eater walleye (hello supper),
then pike after pike after pike ... if I hadn't quit fishing, I 
think I'd still be trying to row my way around that little lake.

I don't know of any lakes like that in these parts.

Jim


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## fbcoachfisherman

No lakes like that around here. The water temperature just gets too warm in the summer to support them. It would have to be a pretty deep lake with the ability to escape deeper. Then they would scatter. I have a friend that lives on a small lake maybe 10 acres. They once dumped some pike in there. They have populated the lake pretty good, but they are very stunted for pike. Most are no bigger than hammer handles. Right now they hit like crazy. As the water warms we can still catch them, but they don't give much of a fight. Just too warm. Lake St. Clair has a pretty good population of pike (along with their Muskie). The North to Northeast part of that lake stays cool because of the water coming down from Lake Huron. As a matter of fact that entire lake stays considerably cooler than Erie from my experience and it is even way shallower. It basically it is a big filter from Lake Huron to Lake Erie.

You might present the question to those guys up there at:

www.lscn.net

Truly is a special lake up there and it isn't that far.


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## Smallmouth70

If you head to the eastern part of Ohio, you can find a few decent Pike lakes. Evans Lake by Youngstown has a ton of pike, with a good number of them 36 inches plus. Lake Mohawk by Canton has a ton of pike, too. In fact, the people who live there encourage you to keep every pike you catch to help try to control the numbers. Big bass, too.


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## fbcoachfisherman

I have never fished that area of the state. What is the method of targeting them? Spoons, spinnerbaits, etc.?

How big of bodies of water are these lakes? 

How do they react when it warms, do they disappear?


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## olderfer

If you live in NW Ohio, your best shot at "local" pike might be SE Michigan. Lakes 50 to 75 miles from Toledo, such as those in the Irish Hills and the state recreation areas along I-94 between Ann Arbor and Jackson have respectable populations of pike. Many of these lakes are glacial, which is to say they have lots of natural structure, with dropoffs and deep holes. I used to fish for bass from my kayak a whole lot in these areas, and never targeted pike but still caught a few. I think more are caught in winter than summer.

Jim


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## HOCKEY

besides the creeks I mention, the ponds , res, have decent pike populations
orlander park, slyvania, both delta res. fulton pond, all the creeks off the maumee, plus all the creeks that run thru toledo, I also have fish northern
mich. for pike, the action we get here in the creeks in mid summer match
that of northern mich. fish range from sixteen to 36 inches long. Just take
some time to explore its a virgin fishery.


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## sploosh56

awesome dude thanks


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## 454545mike

are you able to take a bass tracker with a 40 horse, or just use the electric motor in those lakes. (evans lake or lake mohawk). or you fishing creek opening this time of year or casting the shore. thanks. I live in northeast ohio. and this news makes me very happy.

thanks


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## tybo

Ever fished Baw Beese by Hillsdale MI. They have a lot of pike in there. Talked to guys during ice fishing and they said some up to 40" aren't too uncommon. I caught 2 over 25" while ice fishing for panfish. It's pretty easy to get to and theres a bait shop right next to it.


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## hartwigrc

what creeks in Toledo are you talking about catching pilke in?


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## AvianHunter

I've seen plenty of dead Pike in Metzgers.
Some while duck hunting, others in the spring.
Most of them in the 18-24" range.
I have never caught any while specifically targeting them but two of my closest friends have caught them accidentally while bass fishing.
They are in there that I know for sure.

I've fished the Portage for almost 20 years and never seen a Pike or Walleye caught. I've gone in there in March trying to hit it just right for Walleye thinking that there has to be a few that run it each year and have never found any myself. I used to fish Sugar Creek for Pike in early spring but never any luck there either personally. One of my attempted walleye outings in the portage turned into a smallmouth bonanza. I never thought I would catch so many smallies in one day in my life. I think they must have been running up the river as well. It was something else...


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## jay2k

> are you able to take a bass tracker with a 40 horse, or just use the electric motor in those lakes. (evans lake or lake mohawk). or you fishing creek opening this time of year or casting the shore. thanks. I live in northeast ohio. and this news makes me very happy.


Evans I don't know, but Mohawk is private.


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## partlyable

yes mohawk as private but it does have alot of nice pike. killbuck creek has a decent population of pike too.


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## bubba k

I used to sein the portage river near Bowling Green for creek chubs to use bass fishing. In doing so, I seined up a hand full of pike that were 6-8 inches long, and I saw one that was 22-25 inches. This was 13-14 years ago.


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## olderfer

sploosh56 said:


> AvianHunter,
> 
> That's weird how you have never seen a pike in the portage. The first one that I ever caught was during one of the hottest days in July about 10 years ago out of a shallow weed bed. It was prolly only 15" long. I've seen pike up to maybe 24" follow my lure while shore fishing before. I'm going to go out this weekend and try to catch a few.
> 
> I am going to have to figure out where they hide at in metzgers marsh. I went there the other day but that water is extremely shallow and it doesn't help that I have no idea where to start. I think I'm fishing the wrong area.
> 
> My dad works with a few guys who claim to have limited out on walleyes for about a one to two week period every year on the portage back in the 1980's. They then said that they just seemed to stop coming up the river.


Re: pike in Metzger. Water levels in the marsh are managed to produce grain for waterfowl, and over the last couple of years have been quite low, compared to what they were previously. I've depth sounded parts of the marsh and found the deepest water in the NE corner near the pumphouse. Eight or ten feet, if I remember right. Lots of bowfin and some bass in that area.

Much of the rest of the marsh is - or was - in the three to six foot range. Maps show a channel paralleling the road, tho I don't know how much water is in it now.

Seems to me that of interest to pike fishing are the two types of water. The large open-water area of the marsh always seems to be muddy, probably from carp and wind combined. However, in the weedy areas along the western and southern parts of the marsh, the water is often clear as tap water. There are channels among the tall weeds - beautiful, quiet places to kayak. Also to spook monster carp laying among the weeds on bottom. Puts your heart right in your mouth.

Are there pike laying in there too? In my experience, they do hunt from ambush, so if there's respectable-size prey in there that might just be the spot.

Food for thought.

Jim


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## AvianHunter

In my travels at Metzgers I have found dead pike IN the main marsh, along the newly constructed dike, and also up along the road very near the curve in the road where you go from heading North to East and follow Ward's canal. That is VERY shallow water in there and I found that pike in the spring. I can guess what it was doing though can't be certain.
The layout of that place seems perfect for pike if the water didn't get so hot in the summer. That makes me wonder if they make it year to year...

Both of my buddies caught the pike they caught with spinnerbaits while fishing from the dike.


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