I would like to target large pike this next summer, fish over 40". Can anyone provide some tips, lake type, time of year, lures, etc. I'm not looking for specific locations, but rather patterns or habitat. Thanks.

Kiana has some nice pike in it, Insula, Alice, Oyster, Gebe-on-e-quat, Little Loon... just to name a few!

Bruce

(big crooked)

Thanks, an Insula Lake monster later year got me think about these big fish, 43" long, 21" girth. This may have been an accident, and I'm trying to figure out how to pattern them? Any recommendations?

suicks and bulldawgs. the bulldawgs are poorly made for the sharp teeth but they work good for 2 or 3 fish, bring sodering iron to glue tail back on.

8-10wt flyrod, steel leader, 3-5 inch long hair leech or something similar with mylar in it.

The key to catching big pike in the summer months is going deep. The bigger pike get, the colder water they seek. If you go in July or August, try trolling deep diving crank baits like a Rapala Deep Tail Dancer. They will be down 15 to 30 feet in the middle of the summer.

I've seen two pike over 40" pulled out the Boulder Bay area on Lac La Croix and Lake Agnes has produced a 39" and 40" four us, all but one of these on dead ciscoe on a jighead and a slip bobber. Mid-May in water 12'-16' deep. Old fashion, but it works.

Though we didn't catch anything near 40", we has 10-12 pike 32-36 inches using the same presentation on Lake Gabbro in mid-May right from our camp site.

We caught 5 pike in one day between 39.5 and 43.5. 4 on a large banjo minnow and 1 on a slip bobber and leech

Bromel is right about the deep, cool water. Try trolling very largs, deep running cranks over the deepest basin in the lake. Deep trout lakes like Tuscarora and Gillis are prime targets. Bigger lakes like Ensign and Fourtown will produce over 35", but nrarely over 40". BIG water, like Basswood, Knife, should get a hard look. Try trolling the biggest model Bomber minnow bait over 25' deep over the deepest part of the lake, Trout or white in color. Use a long(7', for leverage) rod and a reel with a big line capacity. 10lb. or 12lb. will be strong enough, and you need the line to be light enough to let the lure work correctly(15lb. and above really inhibits lure action). BIG Pike are solitary and like cool water. Be a fanatic about sharp hooks!

Try a dead smelt or ciscoe on the bottom near shoerlines. We have caught some large pike right from camp fishing this way. Just make sure you leave the bail on your reel open. Izzy

Tobin lake in Saskatchewan I caught 20 fish over 40in last year and lots of 38. would highly recommend not brining the canoe real big water.

trock84, have caught my biggest Pike on a slip bobber with minnow or leech.
I try and find the bait fish and weeds/cover during the daytime, then sit outside them with a bobber in the early morning and before sundown when the Pike come in to feed.

Great advice here. No one has mentioned seasonality yet, so when you mention "summer", the best time to catch big pike is spring/fall when they'll be a little shallower & more accessible.

Chalk up another fan of the big pike of Insula.

Izzy's right. Dead smelt, bigger the better. Then I take a small piece of cork (size of a pencil eraser), jam it down it's mouth into it's gullet. This gives the apperance of a near dead bait fish just barely floating. Lindy rig it, and hang on!

How is the smelt hooked? Do you put a large single hook right to the snap on the leader then hook it under the jaw?

Sounds like something I want to try. The dead smelt fishing, that is.

Reminds me of my youth when I'd go to the local pond and throw out corn meal balls and put my rod on a forked branch with the bail open waiting for a huge carp or bullhead.

With the dead smelt rig, do you typically use a circle hook?

Spring and Fall the best times, Fall say mid/late Sept after a couple of frosty nights to cool the water and they will start going on a feed.

Use a 1/0 or 2/0 hook (circle hook might work good), depending on how big the bait. Go threw lower lip, then turn it and bring it back behind head and push it up so just the tip is pokeing though. Steel leader catches more fish, but I've been playing with heavy duty florocarbon leaders and seem to get more hook ups, but loose more too. Fish it SLOW, twitch it, let it sit, you're trying to imitate a dying fish.

Ramshead sshhhhh

Thanks Silverback. I'm gonna definitely try this one.

The only consideration I have is that the pike will swallow the hook with the leader. I don't plan on keeping big pike so I hope they would recover if I have to cut the line.

I probably won't wait too long before setting the hook.

im not sure about the BWCA but I have great luck on Lake of the Woods using big suspending jerk baits,, slash and pause,, they always kill it on the stop..I also run into Muskie with that,, its definitly better in the spring,, The Lucky Craft pointer series 100, and anything in a Firetiger color works great,, just make sure you use a strong steel leader,, Lucky Craft is very proud of their lures and charge you for that pride!!
We also caught some monster Pike on big Zara Spooks,, you talk about fun,, nothing more beautiful than a big Pike killing a top water lure,, color didnt seem to matter,, boulder structure in deeper water was great,,
The biggest Pike ive ever caught though,, was on a big, Firetiger colored Spinnerbait with a silver and brass combo Willow spinner,, and no leader!!! when i set the hook I knew i was in trouble,, 10# test Trilene Big Game ,, I landed him ,, it took a while!!!
I look for spots where the wind is just howling into a bay,, rock ledges coming up and making low water dams in channels,,, the wind blows baitfish into these bays and the big Northerns feed,,
Good Luck,,,