Personal blog about states
Our Colorado northern pike fishing guide charters offer the heart-pounding adrenaline thrills of catching huge monster northern pike near Denver, Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak, Pueblo, Breckenridge, and Steamboat Springs on Eleven Mile Reservoir, Spinney Mountain Reservoir, and Williams Fork Reservoir.
With its Great Lake border, NewYork is an excellent pike state, as are Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The Dakotas and Colorado have good pike fishing in reservoirs, and Alaska has some fine pike fishing . The wilderness waters in the Canadian provinces have the least fishing pressure—and the biggest pike .
Regardless of where you fish , late May and early June is a prime time to target big pike . The majority of pike will spawn around the full moon cycle in April whether under ice or open water. By mid-May the spawn is over and the big fish look to regain all the weight they lost during the spawn process.
The top 10 northern pike lures are; Eppinger Daredevil Spoon. Booyah Pikee Spinnerbait. Rapala #14 Shad Rap. Mepps Musky Killer Spinner. Livetarget frog. Rapala Stitter Prop. Johnson Silver Minnow Spoon. Acme Kastmaster Spoon.
Northern pike occur in warm and cool water reaches of the Yampa River, Colorado . Northern pike escaped from Elkhead Reservoir (a reservoir on Elkhead Creek, a Yampa River tributary) where it was originally stocked in 1977 to provide public fishing opportunities.
Navajo, Eleven Mile, William’s Fork and Stagecoach, which produced the current state record (over 30 pounds), are among over a dozen quality pike fishing reservoirs in Colorado . Spinney Mountain Reservoir is also excellent for pike fishing .
Fish Age-Size and Male/Female Ratio Chart
Fish Age | Length | Weight |
---|---|---|
19 | 39″-99cm | 18lb |
20 | 40 “-101cm | 21lb |
21 | 41.5″-105cm | 23lb |
22 | 43″-109cm | 25lb |
Best conditions are mild weather , cloudy, and the river(if you fish rivers) is at normal level and is fairly clear. Prolonged cold spells makes fishing more difficult, pike seem less interested in chasing lures or taking deadbaits.
Contrary to popular belief, northern pike are actually a deliciously tasty fish if done right. They are chock full of bones; however, with a little care and know how, one is able to fillet a pike such that there won’t be a bone to be found. See the video for tips on how I like to clean pike .
It eats mainly fish and frogs, but also small mammals and birds fall prey to pike . Young pike have been found dead from choking on a pike of a similar size, an observation referred to by the renowned English poet Ted Hughes in his famous poem ” Pike “. Northern pike also feed on insects, crayfish, and leeches.
Because they have such good eye sight, and see very well at night , Northern Pike avoid direct sunlight and feed most aggressively at night time. That means you will get best results at night if you’re able to find them.
The rain can definitely help improve the fishing for northern pike . You can find plenty of pike in the shallows feeding on bait fish during the rain , but don’t rule out the deep water bite as well, especially during the summer and fall.
Pike are visual feeders, and tend to be attracted to bright colors. Use high-visibility colors like white, chartreuse , and bright orange . They also respond well to baits that put off lots of vibration or sound.
Sometimes a small size 1 spinner is a great first lure choice at a new venue if you want an idea if predatory fish are even present as they can trigger hits from the smallest perch or the biggest pike .
The best live bait for northern pike are baitfish like ciscos , suckers, alewives, and shad along with yellow perch and bluegill . Northern pike a whole range of food items but artificial lures actually work better and offer more benefits for pike fishermen than live bait, in my opinion.