Anyone, Please.

[huntn30inchers]

Is there anyone that can tell me where and how to catch a pike. I just moved to Missoula from Nevada and have never caught a Northern and I'm dying to. I know there are pike in the Clark Fork but when I go after them all I ever catch is rainbows (not complaining by the way) but anyone have anywhere to start? Preferably relatively close to Missoula. I'm not looking for a monster just a good chance at catching some fish.

 

[huntFX4]

Your best bet is to go to Fort Peck in my opinion. In spring, spoons around the weed beds up shallow. I fish the Redwater river too. It runs into the Missouri round Fort Peck.
I've never fished Clark Fork but I'd use spoons or plugs too big for the trout.

 

[huntn30inchers]

What about fishing for them like, now. I dont know if I can wait until the spring. And what I've been catching the bigger trout on mostly is herring, the big trout love them for some reason. But I have caught them on big spoons though that I though were too big for most of the trout. I know that there is a decent number of pike in the hole that I fish and I know lots of people that catch them in there but for whatever reason I cant. Are they just getting lazy? Because I have spent countless hours throwing husky jerks and big spoons and top water lures and have not got a hit by anything that I believe to be a pike. I did though hook a decent sized one an a nightcrawler but wasnt fishing for them and didnt have a steel leader on and when he turned at the shore got my line in the corner of his mouth and busted me off.

 

[huntn30inchers]

Well, I did it. Tonight I caught my first pike. By no stretch of the immagination a monster, but it was fun anyway.

 

[ismith]

They can be a very picky fish, but when they are biteing you better hold on tight!
ismith

 

[huntn30inchers]

Haha, Ill say. I was fishing under a bobber and everyone has told me to wait at least 30 seconds after your bobber goes to set the hook. Well my bobber went and in about 2 seconds the fish had taken the 10 feet of slack I had and just about up-rooted my rod holder. Anyone know about how much a 27-ish inch northern weighs?

 

[old_man_of_the_hills]

A 25 inch nothern usually will weigh about 5-6 lbs, and a 30 incher will usually go 8 or so. I've weighed 10lb-ers anywhere from 32-36 inches long. If you really want to catch some notherns, get a boat and take a trip up to either Noxon reservior or any of the several warm water lakes in the Flathead valley this spring.

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This is my post

I've just pissed in my pants.......and nobody can do anything about it.

 

[mtmuley]

Listen to old man. There is some great pike fishing in the Seeley Lake area also. The river is great but you may need a boat. Less than 3 hours or so from Missoula depending on how far you go. mtmuley

 

[huntn30inchers]

Thanks alot guys. Ill get out this spring for sure. Not ive got another question. I finally figured out how to get them to bite but I am having a really hard time getting hook-up's. I am getting hits and when I set the hook I can feel the fish but my one single hook just Isn't doing the trick. So I was reading online about quick-strike rigs, anyone know where I can get one? Sportsmans doesnt sell them.

 

[driftersifter]

Infisherman magazine use to have a section on a back issue that showed you how to make your own. If you are using live bait like a sucker minnow. Slip the hook through the minnows mouth nd out the gill. Bury the hook point in the back of the minnow and set it up so the hook point is buried with the point about to break through the sucker's skin when you set the hook. Do not use leaders or you won't catch very many big ones as they inspect your setup like a trout. I use fireline for a leader and 20 pound for my backing some use 30. My biggest so far is a 51 incher out of Canada but I have nailed some in the 45 range in Wisconsin as I was fishing for Muskies. If you have a boat and can troll go about 1.5 mph and drag a husky jerk or Shad rap behind your boat with rod lifts every 5min or so. tossing these same lures into any creeks that empty into the river. will trigger action too.
Driftersifter
P.S. I like to fish for muskies anyone want to trade a trip. I will be your guide and have 7 boats to choose from.

 

[mntman]

I am sure your lakes are frozen by now, but next fall once the lake turns over, try trolling deep running lures like grandma's, Big Ernie etc. off of a drop(parraell and perpendicular). Ideal is to find a flat with a depth around 15-20' then immediately drops off into deep water 30-any depth. The big ones like the deep water in the fall.

If you can use live bait there. Tip-ups are a fun way to fish pike. get some 4-6" suckers and find a weed bed that is located near the drop off. We usually fish in the 9-15' range. drop the sucker to where it is about 2-8' off the bottom on the outer edge of the weedbed(depending on weather front) or 1-2' above the weeds.

During the summer the Big pike like the cooler water. Troll the deepest holes 12-18' feet down where ever you see baitfish on your depth finder. While trolling use "S" patterns and give your rod a pull at random times to simulate a dieing prey fish.

Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"