In Search of Big Pike
by Adam Johnson

Hooking up with a big northern pike can provide a fishing lesson. Having a 10 to 15 pound pike on the end of the line can teach you if your fishing abilities are finely tuned or if there are some areas in your program that need some refinement.

Consider the time when a fishing buddy and I were chasing big pike down on the Mississippi River south of Wabasha, MN. We were using spinnerbaits in a backwater area and had been consistently hooking five to six pound fish when a fish over ten pounds exploded on his lure.

“This is what we’re after,” he howled as the fish made a run and the drag on his reel started working.

Questions began surfacing in my mind as he tightened down the star on his baitcaster to increase the tension on the drag. When he started cranking hard and bearing down on the big fish more questions arose, but I bit my lip. Maybe he knows something I don’t?

When the rod pumping started I crossed my fingers and hoped for luck. I wasn’t a bit surprised when the pike surfaced about five feet from the boat spinning and thrashing and when the bent up spinnerbait was spit back at the boat I just shrugged. “What happened!” he cried. It wasn’t a good time to explain.

On the other side, I recall a trip to a northern Wisconsin lake in the spring when another fishing buddy and I were chasing big pike. He was using a medium weight rod with 10-pound test line and a medium-sized crankbait with a short leader. A 15-pounder hit the lure as it suspended next to the boat on a retrieve where the fish followed the lure right in. Instead of tightening the drag my well-versed fishing buddy loosened it, to let the fish run.

Keeping the tip high, this smart fisherman let that pike go where it wanted to. He kept enough tension on the line to keep the fish from spitting the lure, but never lost control.

When the fish would come towards the boat, he would take up line. When the pike made a run, he just kept the tip high and let the fish go.

After about 15 minutes the big pike was laying docile by the boat and I reached down with my left hand and gripped the big pike’s tail. Setting the rod on the floor of the boat my buddy put one foot on the handle, grabbed a hook-out pliers and popped the crankbait loose. He gently lifted the fish from the water, we snapped a couple of photos and he then released the fish.

Ten casts later that crazy pike was following the lure back to the boat. We could tell it was the same fish because of an old scar that ran across its back. That pike must have been curious as to what kind of minnow could take it on such a ride. It followed a half-dozen times but never hit again.

I’ve been in boats where I, or my partner, have caught 15-pound pike on six-pound test line while jigging for walleyes. It’s a testament to a good angler’s ability to fight and land big fish. The approach is simple.

You can get away with anything when the fish are small, when you control the entire situation. But, when you have a big fish on the line you have to give up some of the control or they will win. This is one of those times when it’s better to share and have some patience. If you are in a hurry, you will lose the fight.

Big pike not only put a lot of stress on line, they can also straighten a hook or just pull free from those fine-wire treble hooks on a crankbait. Set the drag so you can keep tension on the fish, but not so much that you push line and lure to the limit. I’ve been with guys that hook big pike with jigs and when the fish gets off we discover their hook has been straightened. Too tight a drag.

I prefer to use drag instead of backreeling, but there are anglers that can effectively keep the pressure on and backreel during the runs.

The key if to take your time. Some guys think they need to get the fish in immediately; but where’s the fun in that? If you keep some tension on the rod and let the fish run when they feel like it, they eventually give up and come to the boat.

Slack line is a real problem anglers have when they’re fighting big pike. A lot of big fish get lost when the fisherman loses their grip on the fish. What I mean by that is they drop the rid tip and let the line go slack. Those big fish just shake their head and throw the lure. Pumping the rod does the same thing. When you drop that rod tip you give the fish an opportunity. A big pike will use it.

Although some anglers can subdue a fish at boatside I recommend a big net. Netting a fish is where a lot of big fish are lost, but if you do it right it’s a good way to get a big pike in the boat.

Put the net in the water when the fish is close to the boat, but slip it in slowly so you don’t spook the fish. Let the fish swim head first into the net, then point the handle straight up and lift the net into the boat. It’s really that simple. Too many anglers stab at the fish with the net or try to scoop the pike tail first. Both are formulas for a bitter ending.

For more of Adam Johnson’s fishing insights visit his web site at www.adamjohnsonoutdoors.com.