# northern pike fishing



## smalliediehard (Oct 28, 2005)

i don't fish for northerns but im thinkin of trying it.what would you prefer to use or what do you suggest to use for northerns in the winter on a creek or small river?any suggestions would be very appriciated!


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## liquidsoap (Oct 22, 2005)

i am interested to see what everyone else has to say also, i never fished for them intentionally, i plan on expanding my horizons fishing wise. 
how big is the creek or small river you plan on fishing, and which one the only places i know of in ohio that have pike are the cuyahoga, and some river in near norwalk i fished, and from what i heard rockys got some upstream by lake erie, never fished the ohio, but there prolly there too
thanks added onto your post


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## smalliediehard (Oct 28, 2005)

i was planning on the cuyahoga,sandy creek,below atwood,and a few others.thanks for your reply


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## freyedknot (Apr 10, 2004)

i would use some big minnows,either lake erie shiners or some creek chubs if you could get a few. if not i would go with a minnow bait worked slow like a rapala.


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## Steel Cranium (Aug 22, 2005)

Other late winter/spring locations in your area:

Ladue, west of 44
West branch
Mosquito (big ones, north end)
Tuscararus river, Massillon area. Also some downstream (Bolivar thru Dover)
Below beach city dam.
A few tribs of the Tusc south of Canton
Lake Erie harbors - edgewater and east 55th

In over 30 years fishing the rocky, I've only witnessed a handful of pike caught in the lower sections of the river. Back when hinkley lake was stocked, we would catch a few of them in the east branch of the rocky from rte 303 thru Berea.


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## liquidsoap (Oct 22, 2005)

does hinkley still hold them i heard of em being caught never seen em caught though

edit: i heard of people catching pike at the rocky river marina, it has pike as a listed fish there


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## archman (Apr 30, 2004)

How come there aren't very many pike in the Rocky or Chagrin, but there are in the Hoga?


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## Steel Cranium (Aug 22, 2005)

I don't think that Hinkley has many pike anymore, unless the metroparks is still stocking without the advertising that they would do in the past. It doesn't really seem like classic pike water to me, just a dammed small creek. Many that were stocked went over the falls, thru the swimming area below the dam, and to some of the holes downstream. We probably should ask the metroparks fisheries employee (Mike -- user 'Cleveland Metroparks') if any pike are being thrown in there. Most stories I hear are from quite a few years ago.

The cuyahoga's population of Pike are probably reared in prime upstream areas (lake rockwell, edison pool, etc) and washed downstream to other deep areas in the rte 82/pleasant valley area. They probably survive there due to an abundance of deep water, which the rocky and chargin lack. Most pike in these two probably move in from Erie during the spring, then leave once the water gets too warm.


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## liquidsoap (Oct 22, 2005)

thanks for the input id be interested to catch a nice pike ive only caughten dinks while wading in creeks


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## firetiger (Jul 24, 2004)

I did best at Beach City dam spillway. and most recently i did even better at atwood spillway. I just use a bobber and a 4-6in shiner or creek chub. cast upstream and let it float down of course that depends on how wide the river ur fishing.Beach city dam i let the current take it along the steep bank of rocks.Atwood i might of got lucky but i did the same there. but only down the middel of the river. There its not more than 30-40ft wide if that.


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## Steel Cranium (Aug 22, 2005)

"id be interested to catch a nice pike ive only caughten dinks while wading in creeks"

Probably the best chance in the area would be the cuyahoga between Ladue and Cuyahoga Falls. Closer to home, start throwing suspending stickbaits (slow) in the cuyhoga national park property between route 82 and pleasant valley road in the spring. Unfortunately, you can't (legally) use big minnows for bait in that area. Some steelhead available during that time as well.


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## lunder (Aug 23, 2005)

Places I've done well:
Cuyahoga- Russell park to 422
East Branch Reservoir-Especially North End even shore from causeway.
Ladue west of Rt 44- especially the last few years until about june.
Long time ago Springfield by Akron 

I want to try Cuyahoga Rt 82 to Pleasant vally this spring. I wonder if using dead shiners, shad and smelt is illegal?


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## Steel Cranium (Aug 22, 2005)

"I wonder if using dead shiners, shad and smelt is illegal?"

Yep. Illegal.

http://www.nps.gov/cuva/management/fishing.pdf

"Also prohibited -- possessing or using as bait live or dead minnows or other bait fish, non-preserved fish eggs, or fish roe".


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## collinwoodie (Sep 23, 2005)

Archman,
the main reason there are many northerns -and some biggies-in the upper Cuyahoga(upriver of Akron)and not in the Rocky or Chagrin is like the EPA has always said -much better water quality.Note that the lower Cuyahoga (downcurrent from Akron)is little better than any of the other tribs for just that reason;it gets some stragglers from upriver, but they're noticeably skinnier and smaller.No comparison.The underwater springs that are numerous throughout the rock-bottom Cuy.Falls stretch probably don't hurt, either.


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## homeworker (Oct 3, 2005)

not all that long ago the Tackleshack in the Falls used to hold actual catch-&-release northern pike tournaments on the river.Great fun ,though we never did very well.In those days we were like most of the others:shiners or chubs under a bobber/we simply didn't know any better.Not exactly the way to cover much water!
In those days, most guys still fished for them like that.We really got schooled by the guys using big stickbaits and especially big spinners like the Harassers.They always won.Saw some major northerns come out (and released)from those events.There are still films somewhere,so we here..


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## littleking (Jun 25, 2005)

i do all of my pike fishing at fletchers pond in michigan, check my gallery for pics


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## Baitkiller (Sep 1, 2004)

There will be alot less now that they busted the dam @ Munroe Falls (my old honey hole). They say better water quality but go fish Mogadore if they were to bust the dam there, lol.

They can be had above the next dam down in the park there with lively large baits. Go early Nov. till it gets toooo dang cold. The females at this time are fatting up for the early spring spawn and they will average about 28-29 inchers. Just before and AFTER DARK are the best times. I've caught 187 there this way and only seen one person out fish me. He was using a 6-7 long rattle, silver jerk bait.

Now I only go fer the big boys........FLATHEADS!!!!!!!!

<><Baitkiller><>


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## fishholio (May 13, 2004)

i get pike all the time from waterworks up or down the river .dont really target them caught a few this fall in the same spot lost a few as well because i use light line .all on rubber worms if ya can believe that.just look for deep pools .the river is very odd looks deep but isnt deep at all.


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## fishin4five (Dec 2, 2005)

In response to the Hinckley comment - they have become very rare. One gets caught every now and then. I've heard of a couple out of the river below the dam and have seen one brought the boathouse a few years back. Some reports of small ones a couple years ago as well, don't know how true those report were. I worked there all through highschool and my first summer back from college and only saw 1 pike. I pretty muched lived there in the spring and summer.


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## Fishinmagician (Jun 1, 2004)

Try going to Breakneck creek or fish as close to Lake Rockwell as possible. I grew up in Kent on the Cuyahoga and have caught hundreds of Northerns. For this time of year I would float a chub under a bobber or take my chances and throw a Bomber Long A. Good Luck.


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## catfishrich (Jul 14, 2005)

Shiners or creek chubs under a bobber for live bait. A good old spinner bait works too! Well with the dam gone in Monroe Falls I wonder if the cuyahoga is going to be any good?
Thats gona make it real shallow in the Kent area that I fished.


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## fishing_marshall (Jun 12, 2004)

Lots of pike in the Tuscarawas river and the creeks that flow into it , sandy creek , sugarcreek. Like other people have said chubs are the way to go. I also get a lot of them on spinners , spinnerbaits. Get them on tubes in the spring while smallie fishing.


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## Fishinmagician (Jun 1, 2004)

Here is somethin for all you pike fisherman. This is what happens when you come back from Vegas with a pocketful of dough. I always wanted this tattoo and when I won the money there wasn't a second thought. Yes it did hurt. Thanks.


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## ChardonRob (Apr 7, 2005)

Just to add one to the list, the upper Grand River has a decent pike population plus a chance at getting a muskie. Access is a little bit limited but there are a few spots to get in. Chubs and large golden shiners will catch either as well as medium sized spinners. Orange colored Flatfish is the bait of choice the locals use for the muskie. The water is almost always muddy in this area so you have to take that into consideration for lure color. Shore fishing is okay but yak and canoe fisherman will have the best chance at seeing some action. There are some holes as deep as 20 feet upstream from Mechanicsville RD.

This used to be my favorite place to fish until the state released river otters in the area. I'm all for the reintroduction of critters back to their natural habitat but as far as I'm concerned the otters destroyed this fishery. I know it sounds crazy that a few otters could wipe out a fish population on a large river but every year the fishing has declined and every time I see an otter there's a fish in its mouth. There are pike and muskie in there so its still worth a shot but its nothing like it was ten years ago.


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## Big Daddy (Apr 6, 2004)

Now THAT is a cool tattoo!!!! NICE!!


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## smalliediehard (Oct 28, 2005)

thanks alot for all the info guys  ,that is an awsome tattoo!i think i'm gonna try it this weekend,maybe saturday,sunday its suppose to snow.every weekend the weathers different,one week warm and rain,next week snowing and cold.ohio weather,wait five minutes and then it will change.good luck fishing to you all if you are able to get out,i'm already getting cabin fever.


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