If you’re like most Pike fisherman you either switch to ice fishing with dead bait or give up all together when the weather starts turning cold, but I’m going to tell you how to catch some big Pike all winter long fishing from the comfort of your boat using only lures. I’ve had days where my partner and I landed over a dozen fish, so it can be very productive. I just pick a somewhat warmer day above freezing, so the ice doesn’t clog up the guides on the rod and a portable heater helps keep the hands warm. The key to winter pike fishing is finding the right open water to fish. I have many places here in N. Idaho that either rarely or never freeze over. Some of them are on lakes and some on the river which is always fishable.
In lakes you need it find deep water weed lines (Cabbage or Kelp looking weeds that grow up from deep water where the water are best) Weed lines that come up from say 20 feet or more to a shallow flat and there is a hard edge of weeds in the 8 to 14 ft depth into open deeper water. So look for shallow weeds on one side of the boat and deep water on the other. The edge of this weed line is where the Pike love to be and where Pike will live all winter long. Continue reading….