04-10-2009, 09:49 PM
I agree with Pezvela about those Esox being very unpredictable. Some people say they get those fish figured out, but most of us just do what we can to lessen the risk of failure and hope for the best.
The weeks after ice off are generally good for shore fishermen for all kinds of fish, and pike are no exception. The shallower water warms first, and attracts the smaller fish, and in turn the hungry predators. The spring run-off also raises the water and floods any brush or structure (if you can find it at Yuba). That's bad for snags but good for the fish. Again this is generally speaking. My best tiger musky (42") came from fishing shortly after ice out in some shallow flooded brush at Pineview at high noon. You could see little fishies using it as cover too. In summer they are the most active, and can be caught in shallow areas adjacent to deep water. In the fall and winter they can be just about anywhere, but most fish will move deep with the perch and such.
Now, from what I've heard on various sites and on the fishing channels, and from my limited experience, the spring is a good time to use a variety of smaller pike lures. The summer is when you use the fastest, most aggressive approach. And the fall is when you use the largest lures fished deep and slow.
That's not to say that other approaches and mixing it up won't work either, but everything I've mentioned is the general pattern I follow.
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The weeks after ice off are generally good for shore fishermen for all kinds of fish, and pike are no exception. The shallower water warms first, and attracts the smaller fish, and in turn the hungry predators. The spring run-off also raises the water and floods any brush or structure (if you can find it at Yuba). That's bad for snags but good for the fish. Again this is generally speaking. My best tiger musky (42") came from fishing shortly after ice out in some shallow flooded brush at Pineview at high noon. You could see little fishies using it as cover too. In summer they are the most active, and can be caught in shallow areas adjacent to deep water. In the fall and winter they can be just about anywhere, but most fish will move deep with the perch and such.
Now, from what I've heard on various sites and on the fishing channels, and from my limited experience, the spring is a good time to use a variety of smaller pike lures. The summer is when you use the fastest, most aggressive approach. And the fall is when you use the largest lures fished deep and slow.
That's not to say that other approaches and mixing it up won't work either, but everything I've mentioned is the general pattern I follow.
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