Northern Pike

Top lures include spoons (red-and-white, gold, or silver), especially 3-4 inch models; jerkbaits; swimbaits and paddletails (4-6 inch); spinnerbaits; bucktail jigs with plastic trailers; and large crankbaits (2-3 inch floating perch or gold-colored).

Effective patterns include Chip's Northern Magic and Monster Magic, Barry's Baitfish 2.0, Poor Man's Whistler, Pike Bunny, Lefty's Deceiver, SeaDucer, and Half and Half.

Early spring (post-spawn) and fall provide the best opportunities, along with late winter ice fishing. Pike spawn almost immediately after ice-out (late March to early May) when water temperatures reach the low 40s, and this spawning period should be avoided by anglers.

Deploy multiple lines when ice fishing (up to 4 allowed) with three dead baits and one active jigging rod. Ice fishing techniques involve tip-ups with large baits positioned 18 inches to 3+ feet off bottom, aggressive jigging with vibrating lures. Fish leeches under bobbers and dead smelt fished on bottom.

Pike are voracious predators with diverse diets consisting primarily of fish like fathead minnows, yellow perch, shorthead redhorse, white sucker, cisco, and goldeye, but they'll also consume baby ducks, reptiles, amphibians, baby muskrats, frogs, mice, small birds, snakes, and even other pike.