It comes as no surprise that when August begins losing to September, for many North Dakota residents hunting starts to win out over fishing in the competition for free-time activities.

But I’d also suggest, if you’ve bagged plenty of days pounding the North Dakota prairie, without experiencing the thrill of fall fishing, you might be missing out on one of North Dakota’s best kept secrets. Not that anglers don’t know about the potential that fall fishing offers. It’s just that when hunting geese, grouse, ducks and then pheasants becomes an option, people who fish and hunt must make choices.

Those who do make time for fall fishing benefit from that array of choices because of reduced competition and congestion. Boats that once share a landing with you are sitting in garages and driveways, while other anglers have abandoned their favorite shoreline hangouts to chase pheasants, ducks and geese.

In the summer we often associate fishing congestion with a hot bite. In the fall just because the banks are empty doesn’t mean you won’t find a hungry walleye, pike or bass waiting to bend the rod a bit.

Greg Power, North Dakota Game and Fish Department fisheries division chief, explains some fish behavior to better help anglers searching for a fresh fish dinner, and provide some insight as to why your late summer fishing may have been a bit slower than you’d prefer. “Typically, fishing does slow up in August because warm water temperatures cause species such as northern pike and trout to become lethargic and somewhat stressed and show little interest in feeding,” Power says.

But as fall arrives, the weather cools, water cools and conditions change. “The fish respond by going into fall feeding mode,” Power continued. “Northern pike, for example, become much more active in fall in pursuit of forage, and become accessible to shore anglers again. Various species of fish that hatched in spring are now big enough to interest pike and walleye in an easy meal.”

When you sit down and pencil out the seasons and priorities this fall, I completely understand why hunting often trumps fishing. But even when a hunting trip takes top priority, it’s still relatively easy to allow for a possible fishing diversion.

Fishing rods, reels and bait are more portable and effective than ever. A collapsible pole along with a small box of artificial bait takes up very little space in a vehicle, but can add another level of enjoyment to a hunting trip if an opportunity for a few casts presents itself.

Even if nothing is biting, absorbing a simmering fall sun while in a boat or sitting on the bank of a favorite fishing hole is an excellent way to steal some more time outdoors before winter changes the landscape. After all, its fall and your outside!

Leier is a biologist with the Game and Fish Department. He can be reached by email: dleier@nd.gov

Not once but twice, the devil’s fork tail turned short just feet in front of the dock at the family cabin. The fish, a muskie of nearly four feet in length had given chase, even bumping the lure halfway through my first retrieve, and exerted a considerable rush of effort before slamming on the brakes and making a u-turn in the blink of an eye – make that both eyes. On back-to-back casts the fish of ten thousand casts showcased it’s ability to thrill, frustrate, and vanish, all in just a few moments.
After shouting to my brother the details of what I had just witnessed, he jumped from the dock into the Grumman and began cranking the lift down into the water. Within a few moments, he fired up the motor and pulled to the end of the dock. I stepped from the end of the dock, onto the bow of the boat and began my fervent casting once again. Letting my brother know that the weekend’s company would be arriving soon, he agreed to stay in the area in front of the inflowing creek near the cabin.
A few dozen casts over the east edge of the delta produced nothing, and the buzz from my esox-induced adrenaline overdose began to fade. Pounding the water with the custom baits I had tied earlier this year, my brother and I tried frantically to call the fish back in with the thump of the dual magnum blades and pulsating skirts. I was crashing from a combination of the recent rushes of the near misses, a two-bratwurst lunch, the repeated hurling of half-pound baits with a telephone pole for a fishing rod and my four a.m. wakeup call, courtesy of calling loons early that morning.
As we continued our onslaught, making two passes over the sandy-bottomed inflow, my brother and I commiserated on the topic of the hour and wondered what was that caused muskies to bail at the last moment, when their kin, the more aggressive and less selective northern pike would smash a bait at first blush. As we guessed away at the reasons, I eyed two large patches of thick weeds bunched up just at the edge of the creek delta.
I completed my figure eight at boatside and seamlessly transitioned into my cast, loading the eight-foot rod with the clanking metal and shimmering flash of the heavyweight spinner. It hurtled through the air, splashing down like the winner of a belly flop contest. I engaged the reel and the blades began thumping their way toward the grass patches. As the lure buzzed the first clump of weeds, a green missile darted from the ether and smashed the bait. My rod doubled and I hollered out “fish on!”
It took a few seconds to gauge the size of the fish as the sunlight traced the edges of the green monster, and it was a blur as it swam some thirty feet from the boat. It was a mid 30-inch muskie by my first estimate; not a monster by any means but at least I was finally on the board with a beast. I battled it to the boat and saw it turn revealing a side filled with white spots and a menacing grin. It went from being a low-end muskie to a high-end northern in just a matter of minutes.
Thick from head to tail, the pike made a number of powerful runs next to the boat, bringing the tingle back to my fingers and sending the endorphins back through my bloodstream. Once in the net and quickly held aloft for the camera, the fish measuring just over the 32 inch mark swam off toward the weed patches, leaving me with a feeling of success and fulfillment. Even if it wasn’t the exact member of the esox family I had been looking for, it was still one of the biggest pike I had caught on our little lake in my life.
I smiled at my brother and we figured the fish was a worthy consolation prize for our efforts and headed in to meet our friends for some afternoon events. For whatever reason, I was sure glad that pike were more aggressive than their fussier finned family members…in our outdoors.

Attitude, Character, and Enthusiasm are the keys to muskies

It sounded like the hardware store jingle as the long-time guide laid out his simple plan for muskie fishing. “ACE is the base for success with muskies – Attitude, Character, Enthusiasm,” he bellowed to those of us in attendance at the banquet. Simply, he summed up what makes a good angler – the mindset that a person can catch fish, the integrity that we will do so responsibly and the enthusiasm of childhood extended into every cast and crank of the reel handle. I left the lecture surprised at how easily it was all put together.

Attitude

Generally, we as sportsmen go on the water with the idea we will be catching fish, approaching each point or piece of structure with the know-how and experience to locate, entice and fool fish with our offerings. Even in new situations, where we might not be too sure of the basic elements – where the fish are, or what they want to eat – we apply previous knowledge and adjust our plan from there.

It has also been said that good anglers go fishing, but great anglers go catching. The positive attitude only results from experience, from mastering one situation and moving on to another. Contentment generally leads to a plateau in the fishing experience. To the inexperienced the plateau seems like the apex, to the experienced the plateau seems like an enjoyable, yet unjumpable hurdle. The importance is to expand horizons, fish for various species on various waters, expanding horizons and seizing new opportunities.

Doing so isn’t always easy; it means breaking out of comfortable patterns, locating new spots, adjusting old tactics, burning calories, gallons of gasoline, yards of line and a selection of lures in an attempt to find what combination is needed. Through it all, the stick-to-itiveness pays off with heightened knowledge and that perseverance through the trial-and-error phase, as the Good Book says, builds character, the second element for success.

Character

Character means doing what is right, even when no one is watching. One doesn’t have to lapse too philosophical to understand good character on the water. Being courteous to nature, to fellow anglers, to property owners and ultimately to all who come after you is the right thing to do. Picking up after yourself and others, respecting the resource by staying within the legal and ethical limits, limiting your footprint and caring for the catch are signs of good outdoor character.

These behaviors not only enhance personal enjoyment, but also the enjoyment of others, and hopefully fuel the fire and excitement in the next generation of sportsmen. You don’t necessarily have to point everyone who asks in the right direction every single time you catch a few, but making sure the right direction is still somewhere out there is the responsible thing for all anglers to do.

There’s a karma that goes with it too. What goes around comes around – and bad lapses in judgment beget worse consequences in the long run. Good deeds, while they may be their own rewards, often bring other perks with them and they seem to be both immediate and long-lasting. That’s not to say that every day will be a success, but then if every day was, we’d never grow.

Enthusiasm

Regardless of the outcome, which obviously varies day-to-day even for the best anglers, there is a reason we are out there punching holes in the ice, or casting at shadows under the surface – and that is to have fun. There’s a joie de vive peculiar to anglers. It is pretty obvious that we do what we do for the love of it all – for the challenge of our skills, for enjoying nature, for just getting out of the office or away from the TV.

Modern angling is found at the crossroads of simplicity and complexity. The activity is so basic – just man versus nature. But it too is complex – weather, time of year, water, air pressure, moon phase are elements provided naturally; now add in electronics, 6.1 gear ratios, and the endless debate of green pumpkin versus watermelon. Each part of the puzzle is exciting. We attempt to understand them, and enjoy unlocking the mysteries and combinations. When we do, the result leaves us with memories that are relayed again and again until they are tall tales amongst family, friends, and if we’re lucky, whole communities.

Most all of us have gone through our tackle boxes at one point or another, and just thought of the memorable fish we’ve caught on the lure we happen to be holding – a Senko, a Daredevle, a firetiger Shad Rap. And of course, it is natural to picture fish we COULD catch next time out with those lures. That hope, that enthusiasm for things to come, is something particular to anglers.

As the New Year approaches, focus on these three things, a simple summation of what it takes to be a successful angler. The same can be applied to hunting, and probably to most pursuits in life and life in general. In the end it really isn’t surprising to those who love the outdoors that much of what we need to know to savor the amazing journey through life can be learned season after season…in our outdoors.

If there’s a fish species that gets fired up for cold water, it’s the northern pike. Especially big ones, with distance between the eyeballs. If you’re a little fish, a big pike is your worst nightmare–but if you are an ice angler, a big pike can be your favorite dance partner.

Big pike are active right away under the ice, but they’re jumpy and have to be approached with stealth. The ice is thin and clear and often there’s little or no snow to hide your overhead approach. The goal is to target high-percentage hangouts with several of the right baits. If you’re sneaky you will get bit, because northerns are not nibblers.

Finding Northern Pike at Early Ice

Brian ‘Bro’ Brosdahl looks like a composite of every Viking that ever lived. Appropriately cast as a backwoods guide, he has risen to a position of modern ice fishing prominence. A key Clam Corporation pro and Ice Team Power Stick, he travels to far-flung winter destinations to teach secrets learned through a life on the ice.

When it comes to cornering big ice pike, nobody does it like Bro. But you can do it like Bro, if you follow his formula.

“It’s all about big water when it comes to northerns,” he begins. “Especially where you have a lot of fishing pressure, big lakes still have big fish. Whether it’s one of the Great Lakes or any lake of 1,000 acres or more–or a smaller lake that’s connected to a bigger lake–those are what I key on.”

Bro, although he looks like he could punch a hole through the ice with his bare hands, is a really nice guy, so he will not leave you hanging there.

“Within the lake,” he continues, “the number one thing I key on at early ice is any place where a river channel runs through the lake. Most lakes that have a river running through them (apologies to Norman Maclean) have a main depression (the old river bed) that’s a little deeper than the surrounding bottom. Where that riverbed enters and exits the lake are key areas. Some of these areas have current. It’s often very light, but it’s still there. These areas are important pike spots right after the ice forms.

“A lot of these are the same places pike run up to spawn, but the difference at early ice is they don’t go as far upstream. They stay in the lake, but will hang around in the mouth, or the source. Really, these are phenomenal spots from fall through freezeup, then as the ice gets thicker, most northerns disperse out to the main lake.”

It should go without saying, but anywhere there’s current ice anglers should venture forth with safety in mind. Never fish an area with significant current, and test areas with slight current carefully.

“You have to be cautious,” says Bro, “but I’m not talking about areas with heavy current. I’m not in the bottleneck where the current picks up; I’m out where the current gets diffused by the lake.”

These areas are typically flush with panfish, bullheads, suckers, and other preyfish in late fall and through ice-up, a big reason big pike are there.

Clarity Considerations

“I go to lakes that have a history of producing big pike,” says Bro. “I dont’s care if it’s clear or dirty water–although if I have a choice I’ll always go to dirty water in the daytime. But there can be advantages to fishing clear water, because the fish can see to hunt from longer distances. In clear water they can see your bait from farther away, unless it’s hidden in thick weeds. They are spooky, so to fish clear water, get there early. You can’t drill holes over the top of the fish all morning.”

Again, because of safety concerns, Bro scouts the day before, to confirm ice thickness and find key ambush points. “Never walk out onto early ice in the dark if you haven’t been there before,” he says.

During scouting runs, “use the Vexilar right on top of the ice to search out the main channel and weed edges,” advises Bro. If you’re serious about it, fire up the Strikemaster and drill all the holes while it’s still dark. Flags start popping as soon as those rays pop through the trees.

What Else?

On waters without distinct riverbeds, large weedbeds can be primary early-ice pike locations. “Patches of green weeds live, year to year, after average weeds die off,” hints Bro. “Avid fishermen know these spots, but you can find them on any lake if you work at it. Best time to look is early ice, when you can walk around and look through the ice. Find clearings in those green weed patches.”

On lakes with a distinct riverbed, follow that bed seeking places where it bends around an obstacle, such as an island or shallow structure (such elements are often obvious on contour maps). “If you find a place like this that also has a beautiful weedbed nearby,” laughs Bro, “don’t tell anybody else except me.”

Bro likes to set out Arctic Warriors and Arctic Fisherman tip-ups, to place baits in several spots at once.

“But even where it’s legal to use a lot of lines,” he says,”I like to set about two or three at a time until I find an area that’s producing. I always jig with one rod. I like the big (Lindy) Flyers with a big ol’ sucker minnow on the back. I believe the jigging bait brings in fish from a distance, and even if they don’t bite it they might bite one of the other baits.

“On my tip-ups I use a variety of things. Dead smelt or other dead bait, rigged with a big circle hook (1/0 to 3/0). You never set the hook with a circle hook; you pull, the fish pulls and they almost always get hooked in the corner of the mouth.

After finding a productive area, Bro often maxes out the spread, setting the legal allowable limit of lines per angler. To monitor a ‘field of flags,’ Bro says, “I set up base camp. I use two Clams or Fish Traps (portable shelters) and zip them together with the Trap-Link. We can keep warm and keep an eye on everything. But it still takes a lot of maintenance. You have to make sure tip-ups don’t freeze into the ice, and change bait, and rush out there every time a flag goes.

“I personally pack a kit with minnows, chisel, scooper, extra hooks and line onto my (Arctic Cat) Bearcat and drive around slowly, stopping short of each hole, then walk in quietly. I used to freeze my hands, but now they have those (Ice Armor) waterproof gloves and you can stick your hand down the hole and do what you need to do, even land fish. The Ice Armor suit is awesome, too, with padded knees and butt. I’m a lot more comfortable than I used to be.”

When it comes down to it, nothing warms the soul like finding your own fish, then fooling them into biting.

Article provided by the Ice Team.

Pickled Northern Pike Recipe

This recipe can be used with any fish but northern pike works best. Before using this recipe be sure to freeze the fish at least 5 days. This will destroy any parasites that are present in the fish or bacteria that may have been picked up during the cleaning process.

Ingredients

5 pounds of fish chunked
2.5 cups of canning salt
1 gallon of bottled water
1 quart distilled vinegar
5.5 cups of sugar
4 teaspoons pickling spice
1 cup dry white wine
1 onion cut into pieces

In a plastic container dissolve the 2.5 cups of salt in the gallon of bottled water and add chunked fish. Refrigerate for 48 to 72 hours. Remove fish and rinse in cold water. Cover fish with white vinegar for 24 hours and refrigerate.

Remove fish from vinagar and pack in jars with pieces of onion. Cover with the following solution.

–1 quart distilled vinegar
–5 1/2 cups sugar
–4 teaspoons of pickling spice
–1 cup dry white wine

Bring all ingredients to a boil except the dry wine. When solution has cooled add the dry white wine and cover fish. Seal with lids that have been scalded. Refrigerate at least one before eating.

Grilled Northern Pike Recipe

(5-7 pound northern work best)

Fillet Northern and remove Y bones. Place whole fillet on tinfoil that has been greased with cooking spray or butter. Baste fish with a combination of lemon pepper and liquid butter. The size of the fillet will dictate cooking time. Start off with low heat to make sure the fish does not burn.

This is really simple and is one of the best ways to enjoy northern pike

Author with a nice C&R spring walleye

The season for big fish has come! The snow is rapidly melting, the ice is weakening, and the fish are preparing for the spawn. It is a picture perfect time for spring angling. If you plan to take some photos of your angling success this openwater season, here are some tips for ensuring a safe release for your subject matter and taking some quality pictures to detail the event.

Fish handling

Before the fish is even landed, proper care and respect should be shown. Anglers should not over-play a fish, or fight it into complete exhaustion. Like humans, fish get sore from prolonged activity and studies have shown that the buildup of acids in the fish’s body after being caught are similar to those which cause people to get sore after a hard workout. In the case of a walleye or a pike, those acids build ups can kill.

When landing a fish, it is best to use a net. A gaff is certainly off limits for landing spring fish that are to be released. The best nets are those designed to impact fish as little as possible. A rubber net, or a rubber-coated nylon net does the least damage to a fish’s protective slime coat. Furthermore, pike are notorious for twisting and wrapping a net around their bodies once they have been landed. This “gator-roll” results in lost slime and scales. Rubberized nets prevent this damage.

Once landed, the fish should be kept off the ground to minimize the impact of dirt and dust on slime, gills and eyes and to keep the fish clean for the picture. Pike and walleye should not be out of the water for more than 40 seconds. Think of a human venturing into the aquatic world, one breath wouldn’t last much longer than that. Acting quickly and knowing how to handle the fish prevents any extra strain on the beast.

When removing a fish from a net, it should be held in a manner that supports the girth. Place one hand near the head and the other about two-thirds of the way down the body of the fish. A vertical hold should be avoided in the case of extremely large fish, such as pike over 20 pounds or trophy walleye. Fingers can grip the gill-plate, but should never touch the gills – the most sensitive and vital area on a fish. Once a good grip is established, let the shutter fly on the camera.

Camera Skills

Holmsvc from Nodak Outdoors with a nice pike

It is best to fish with another person at all times, not only for safety, but also so you have someone there to back up your fish stories. However, many cameras offer timer-rigged photo options to help capture the moment while you are by yourself. If you are fishing alone, make sure you know the workings of your camera and the timer function.

When using a camera, especially a digital model, it is important that everyone knows how the device works. The best idea is to snap a few photos before fishing, or use it on smaller fish that you plan to keep. This way the person using the camera becomes familiar with it and can react quickly once a big fish has been landed.

The person taking the picture should make certain that the sun is shining on the front of the subject, as photos where the sun is behind the subject result in pictures where the fish is dark and hidden in shadow. The photographer should take at least one picture (more if time allows) and the fish should be returned to the water.

Having a pleasant scene in the background is nice, but not as important as a clean release. If there are some trees or vegetation that compliments the picture, the photographer should take a second or two to line up a shot and direct the angler where to stand.

While holding the fish, an angler should keep it slightly away from the body with the two-hand-hold explained above. If holding the gill plate for stability, the angler should grip the inside gill plate, not the one facing the camera as this breaks up the fish’s profile and provides a less ideal shot of the creature.

I’m a smiler. Half of the time I’m laughing, shouting and carrying on after landing a big springtime fish, so there’s usually an ear-to-ear grin for my pictures this time of year. Some people don’t smile even when holding the biggest fish of their lives; I call them “serious” outdoorsmen. If you have the time, take two pictures – one smiling and one serious. See which one looks better.

Once the photo session is complete, the fish should be gently returned to the water. Don’t toss or heave the fish back. While releasing the fish, inspect it closely for injury, be certain it can swim under its own power and be make sure it has a good chance of survival.

By following these tips, you’ll make a lifetime of quality photo memories and it is quite possible that you or another angler will have the same chance to stand smiling with that same fish next spring…in our outdoors

If there’s a fish species that gets fired up for cold water, it’s the northern pike. Especially big ones, with distance between the eyeballs. If you’re a little fish, a big pike is your worst nightmare–but if you are an ice angler, a big pike can be your favorite dance partner.

Big pike are active right away under the ice, but they’re jumpy and have to be approached with stealth. The ice is thin and clear and often there’s little or no snow to hide your overhead approach. The goal is to target high-percentage hangouts with several of the right baits. If you’re sneaky you will get bit, because northerns are not nibblers.

Finding Northern Pike at Early Ice

Brian ‘Bro’ Brosdahl looks like a composite of every Viking that ever lived. Appropriately cast as a backwoods guide, he has risen to a position of modern ice fishing prominence. A key Clam Corporation pro and Ice Team Power Stick, he travels to far-flung winter destinations to teach secrets learned through a life on the ice.

When it comes to cornering big ice pike, nobody does it like Bro. But you can do it like Bro, if you follow his formula.

“It’s all about big water when it comes to northerns,” he begins. “Especially where you have a lot of fishing pressure, big lakes still have big fish. Whether it’s one of the Great Lakes or any lake of 1,000 acres or more–or a smaller lake that’s connected to a bigger lake–those are what I key on.”

Bro, although he looks like he could punch a hole through the ice with his bare hands, is a really nice guy, so he will not leave you hanging there.

“Within the lake,” he continues, “the number one thing I key on at early ice is any place where a river channel runs through the lake. Most lakes that have a river running through them (apologies to Norman Maclean) have a main depression (the old river bed) that’s a little deeper than the surrounding bottom. Where that riverbed enters and exits the lake are key areas. Some of these areas have current. It’s often very light, but it’s still there. These areas are important pike spots right after the ice forms.

“A lot of these are the same places pike run up to spawn, but the difference at early ice is they don’t go as far upstream. They stay in the lake, but will hang around in the mouth, or the source. Really, these are phenomenal spots from fall through freezeup, then as the ice gets thicker, most northerns disperse out to the main lake.”

It should go without saying, but anywhere there’s current ice anglers should venture forth with safety in mind. Never fish an area with significant current, and test areas with slight current carefully.

“You have to be cautious,” says Bro, “but I’m not talking about areas with heavy current. I’m not in the bottleneck where the current picks up; I’m out where the current gets diffused by the lake.”

These areas are typically flush with panfish, bullheads, suckers, and other preyfish in late fall and through ice-up, a big reason big pike are there.

Clarity Considerations

“I go to lakes that have a history of producing big pike,” says Bro. “I dont’s care if it’s clear or dirty water–although if I have a choice I’ll always go to dirty water in the daytime. But there can be advantages to fishing clear water, because the fish can see to hunt from longer distances. In clear water they can see your bait from farther away, unless it’s hidden in thick weeds. They are spooky, so to fish clear water, get there early. You can’t drill holes over the top of the fish all morning.”

Again, because of safety concerns, Bro scouts the day before, to confirm ice thickness and find key ambush points. “Never walk out onto early ice in the dark if you haven’t been there before,” he says.

During scouting runs, “use the Vexilar right on top of the ice to search out the main channel and weed edges,” advises Bro. If you’re serious about it, fire up the Strikemaster and drill all the holes while it’s still dark. Flags start popping as soon as those rays pop through the trees.

What Else?

On waters without distinct riverbeds, large weedbeds can be primary early-ice pike locations. “Patches of green weeds live, year to year, after average weeds die off,” hints Bro. “Avid fishermen know these spots, but you can find them on any lake if you work at it. Best time to look is early ice, when you can walk around and look through the ice. Find clearings in those green weed patches.”

On lakes with a distinct riverbed, follow that bed seeking places where it bends around an obstacle, such as an island or shallow structure (such elements are often obvious on contour maps). “If you find a place like this that also has a beautiful weedbed nearby,” laughs Bro, “don’t tell anybody else except me.”

Bro likes to set out Arctic Warriors and Arctic Fisherman tip-ups, to place baits in several spots at once.

“But even where it’s legal to use a lot of lines,” he says,”I like to set about two or three at a time until I find an area that’s producing. I always jig with one rod. I like the big (Lindy) Flyers with a big ol’ sucker minnow on the back. I believe the jigging bait brings in fish from a distance, and even if they don’t bite it they might bite one of the other baits.

“On my tip-ups I use a variety of things. Dead smelt or other dead bait, rigged with a big circle hook (1/0 to 3/0). You never set the hook with a circle hook; you pull, the fish pulls and they almost always get hooked in the corner of the mouth.

After finding a productive area, Bro often maxes out the spread, setting the legal allowable limit of lines per angler. To monitor a ‘field of flags,’ Bro says, “I set up base camp. I use two Clams or Fish Traps (portable shelters) and zip them together with the Trap-Link. We can keep warm and keep an eye on everything. But it still takes a lot of maintenance. You have to make sure tip-ups don’t freeze into the ice, and change bait, and rush out there every time a flag goes.

“I personally pack a kit with minnows, chisel, scooper, extra hooks and line onto my (Arctic Cat) Bearcat and drive around slowly, stopping short of each hole, then walk in quietly. I used to freeze my hands, but now they have those (Ice Armor) waterproof gloves and you can stick your hand down the hole and do what you need to do, even land fish. The Ice Armor suit is awesome, too, with padded knees and butt. I’m a lot more comfortable than I used to be.”

When it comes down to it, nothing warms the soul like finding your own fish, then fooling them into biting.

Article provided by the Ice Team.

A tipup rigged for pike and ready for action

If you are tired of finicky panfish or walleye with lockjaw and the slow bite that the area has been experiencing throughout this unstable portion of the winter, turn to an old favorite to heat up the action on the ice.

One of the most exciting fish to catch in our area is the northern pike. The pike, for many anglers, has gone from a childhood trophy to a secondary fish. However, winter is the time of the water wolf, there’s no better time to rediscover tip-up angling for northerns.

Pike are readily available in many lakes throughout North Dakota thanks to stocking and great spawning over the last decade. Furthermore, when other fish shut down during the fickle winter weather, the pike seem to always be on the prowl. The sight of a blaze orange tip-up flag tripped by a northern is a challenge welcomed by all ice anglers.

A nice pike ready to be pickled

Getting started

 

It doesn’t take much to get in on the action for pike in winter. A $30 stop at the fishing section of any department or sporting-goods store for tip-ups, some line, leaders and trebles will have you all set for tip-up fishing. I prefer to use a single treble hook attached via 12-inch leader to 25-to-40 pound test nylon line on my tip-ups. Others may prefer heavier line or longer leaders depending on clarity of the lake being fished. If you’re fishing catch and release, try a variety of quick-strike rigs to lessen impact on the fish.

Set ‘em up…

The legal number of lines that can be used in North Dakota is four. This provides tip-up anglers with a chance for some hole-dashing action.

By setting three tip-ups in high-percentage areas such as channel edge flats, or along last summer’s weedline, anglers can capitalize on known pike cruising strips. By drilling holes in other areas nearby, an angler can jig spoons or baited hooks for pike and hop around while still keeping an eye on the flags.

There are a variety of tipups available on the market today

There are several brands of tip-ups, but the one I recommend and use primarily is the classic Polar Tip-Up. Its simple design and bright color make it a shoe-in for inclusion in any angler’s arsenal. Its flag-holding notch also prevents the wind from tripping the flag and sending out a false alarm.

Other options, like a variety of hole covering thermal tip-ups and the new Jig-Up, which mechanically moves your offering up and down, are available. Take a look at several different models and see what is best for your angling style.

…Knock ‘em down!

You may be dozens of yards away, in the truck, on shore, or in the icehouse when a flag trips on the tip-up. Don’t worry about missing the fish. Pike, by nature, tend to grab bait and run with it before turning it and swallowing it. As you approach the tip-up you can see the spool turning the flag trip mechanism as the pike runs. Watch for the spin to slow or even stop. A good idea once the flag pops up, is to count to twenty and then grab hold of the line. If you can see the line angling off under the ice, there’s a good chance the fish is on. Feel for tension and prepare for battle.

"Slammers" are basically fishing rods designed to work like tipups, where a bite will trigger the hookset

The hook is set with a swift upward pull on the line. Make sure to lay the line as neatly as possible next to the hole as the pike nears the surface. In case of a quick run by the fish, the line will smoothly flow through your hands and back down the hole, instead of tangling on the tip-up, your leg or other obstructions.

Once the pike is iced, look for any serious damage to the gills or gullet. If the fish is bleeding, keep it; if not, you have the option of releasing the fish, especially trophy pike. It is a rush to remember.

So when the walleye won’t bite, and the perch are a pain, try some tip-ups on the pike filled waters…of our outdoors.

Early ice offers some of the best opportunities at trophy northern pike fishing.

If there’s a fish species that gets fired up for cold water, it’s the northern pike. Especially big ones, with distance between the eyeballs. If you’re a little fish, a big pike is your worst nightmare—but if you are an ice angler, a big pike can be your favorite dance partner.

Trophy pike are active right away under the ice, but they’re jumpy and have to be approached with stealth. The ice is thin and clear and often there’s little or no snow to hide your overhead approach. The goal is to target high-percentage hangouts with several of the right baits. If you’re sneaky you will get bit, because northerns are not nibblers.

Finding Trophy Pike at Early Ice

Brian ‘Bro’ Brosdahl looks like a composite of every Viking that ever lived. Appropriately cast as a backwoods guide, he has risen to a position of modern ice fishing prominence. A key Clam Corporation pro and Ice Team Power Stick, he travels to far-flung winter destinations to teach secrets learned through a life on the ice.

When it comes to cornering trophy ice pike, nobody does it like Bro. But you can do it like Bro, if you follow his formula.

“It’s all about big water when it comes to northerns,” he begins. “Especially where you have a lot of fishing pressure, big lakes still have trophy fish. Whether it’s one of the Great Lakes or any lake of 1,000 acres or more—or a smaller lake that’s connected to a bigger lake—those are what I key on.”

Bro, although he looks like he could punch a hole through the ice with his bare hands, is a really nice guy, so he will not leave you hanging there.

“Within the lake,” he continues, “the number one thing I key on at early ice is any place where a river channel runs through the lake. Most lakes that have a river running through them (apologies to Norman Maclean) have a main depression (the old river bed) that’s a little deeper than the surrounding bottom. Where that riverbed enters and exits the lake are key areas. Some of these areas have current. It’s often very light, but it’s still there. These areas are important pike spots right after the ice forms.

“A lot of these are the same places pike run up to spawn, but the difference at early ice is they don’t go as far upstream. They stay in the lake, but will hang around in the mouth, or the source. Really, these are phenomenal spots from fall through freezeup, then as the ice gets thicker, most northerns disperse out to the main lake.”

It should go without saying, but anywhere there’s current ice anglers should venture forth with safety in mind. Never fish an area with significant current, and test areas with slight current carefully.

“You have to be cautious,” says Bro, “but I’m not talking about areas with heavy current. I’m not in the bottleneck where the current picks up; I’m out where the current gets diffused by the lake.”

These areas are typically flush with panfish, bullheads, suckers, and other preyfish in late fall and through ice-up, a big reason big pike are there.

Water Clarity Considerations

“I go to lakes that have a history of producing big pike,” says Bro. “I don’t care if it’s clear or dirty water—although if I have a choice I’ll always go to dirty water in the daytime. But there can be advantages to fishing clear water, because the fish can see to hunt from longer distances. In clear water they can see your bait from farther away, unless it’s hidden in thick weeds. They are spooky, so to fish clear water, get there early. You can’t drill holes over the top of the fish all morning.”

Again, because of safety concerns, Bro scouts the day before, to confirm ice thickness and find key ambush points. “Never walk out onto early ice in the dark if you haven’t been there before,” he says.

During scouting runs, “use the Vexilar right on top of the ice to search out the main channel and weed edges,” advises Bro. “In clear water, use the Aqua-Vu to look over weed edges, and find the best green weeds. If you’re serious about it, fire up the Strikemaster and drill all the holes while it’s still dark. Flags start popping as soon as those rays pop through the trees. I use the infrared lights on my Aqua-Vu to find weed edges when it’s dark. We have these high-tech tools now, so put them to good use.”

What Else?

On waters without distinct riverbeds, large weedbeds can be primary early-ice pike locations. “Patches of green weeds live, year to year, after average weeds die off,” hints Bro. “Avid fishermen know these spots, but you can find them on any lake if you work at it. Best time to look is early ice, when you can walk around and look through the ice. Find clearings in those green weed patches.”

On lakes with a distinct riverbed, follow that bed seeking places where it bends around an obstacle, such as an island or shallow structure (such elements are often obvious on contour maps). “If you find a place like this that also has a beautiful weedbed nearby,” laughs Bro, “don’t tell anybody else except me.”

Bro likes to set out Arctic Warriors and Arctic Fisherman tip-ups, to place baits in several spots at once.

“But even where it’s legal to use a lot of lines,” he says, “I like to set about two or three at a time until I find an area that’s producing. I always jig with one rod, the Genz Stix baitcaster. I like the big (Lindy) Flyers with a big ol’ sucker minnow on the back. I believe the jigging bait brings in fish from a distance, and even if they don’t bite it they might bite one of the other baits.

“On my tip-ups I use a variety of things. Dead smelt or other dead bait, rigged with a big circle hook (1/0 to 3/0). You never set the hook with a circle hook; you pull, the fish pulls and they almost always get hooked in the corner of the mouth.

“I also use lively minnows on the big Rattl’r Spoon. One of my secrets is a Buzz Stix rod on an Arctic Warrior. The Buzz Stix jigs for you, keeping things moving, and the Arctic Warrior releases the rod when the fish strikes. You fight the fish on the rod and reel. It’s great.”

Inside tip: use no-stretch line on Buzz Stix for maximum bait movement. Set it at the highest setting. “I want that thing jigging as fast as it can go,” says Bro. Loosen the drag or pike might pull the rod down the hole. Tighten it just before you set the hook.

After finding a productive area, Bro often maxes out the spread, setting the legal allowable limit of lines per angler. To monitor a ‘field of flags,’ Bro says, “I set up base camp. I use two Clams or Fish Traps (portable shelters) and zip them together with the Trap-Link. We can keep warm and keep an eye on everything. But it still takes a lot of maintenance. You have to make sure tip-ups don’t freeze into the ice, and change bait, and rush out there every time a flag goes.

“I personally pack a kit with minnows, chisel, scooper, extra hooks and line onto my (Arctic Cat) Bearcat and drive around slowly, stopping short of each hole, then walk in quietly. I used to freeze my hands, but now they have those (Ice Armor) waterproof gloves and you can stick your hand down the hole and do what you need to do, even land fish. The Ice Armor suit is awesome, too, with padded knees and butt. I’m a lot more comfortable than I used to be.”

When it comes down to it, nothing warms the soul like finding your own fish, then fooling them into biting.

Article provided by the Ice Team.

You can take ‘em at other times, but Power Stick Karl Kleman likes; Late Winter for Monster Pike.

One person’s complaint is another person’s call to action. Very early in his ice-fishing days, Power Stick Karl Kleman picked up on a familiar refrain coming from late winter panfish anglers.

“When the sunfish move up into the shallow bays,” Kleman says, “the guys who are chasing the sunfish constantly complain about being cut off by pike.”

To Kleman, the question becomes ‘where’s the beef?’ To a guy who loves to fish big northerns, the complaining is beautiful music. He has been known to follow the complaining to fish, in fact.

“The sunfish are up in those shallow bays because there’s a renewal of life in there,” Kleman says. “There’s more oxygen than there was (at midwinter), and the food supply is becoming active again. The big pike are up in there cruising around, too, following the sunfish and other fish. Plus, the northerns are getting ready to spawn, too (pike often spawn while there is still ice on the lake).

“The pike and the sunfish are active, and I sometimes follow the sunfish guys (anglers), and hang off to the edges of them and fish with bigger baits.”

There’s much more to Kleman’s late-ice trophy pike pattern, as you might expect, than simply following other people to potential spots. Over the years, he has refined his operation, come to notice important details that make some spots more consistent producers of big fish than others.

His approach has worked well on small ponds, varying size lakes, river backwaters, and very large systems. It’ll work for you, too.

Locating Bigger Pike

Because Kleman has this late-ice operation so well wired, he works it every winter, planning trips to known big-pike hangouts and hitting waters close to his central Minnesota home when he can’t travel.

“The first step you have to take, no matter where you live,” says Kleman, “is to find out about lakes that have big pike. This always sounds like a nothing piece of advice, but it’s not. It’s an important first step. You can’t catch big fish if they aren’t there.

“It might take years to get tips about lakes that have big pike in them. Pay attention, ask questions. Check out the wall of pictures at the bait shop. Ask around at sports shows. Call biologists and ask them; they can be the best source of information on something like this, because it’s part of their job to inform the public about the resources.

“When you get the name of a good lake, get the best map you can of it. Find the shallow bays. The big, shallow, weedy bays, anywhere from maybe 5 feet to 15 feet of water. It all depends on the lake. Some lakes hardly have any deep water, and some lakes don’t have much shallow water.

“I really like to find weeds in the bays. Weeds bring in baitfish and panfish late in the winter. When you get out to the lake, pinpoint the spots where guys are fishing panfish. In Canada, on some lakes you don’t have much for sunfish, so you might find ciscoes, tulibees and perch are what the big pike are chasing.”

Beyond these basics, Kleman looks for features in the bay that might have a better chance of holding the biggest pike.

“If you pick out a good bay, you can assume there are at least some pike in there,” he says. “Drill a bunch of holes, and look for little oddities in the bay. For example, I like to find a spot where it’s maybe a couple feet deeper than the surrounding water. Those little depth changes can be important. You want to stay within the bay, but find one of those little pockets of slightly deeper water.

 “I’m also looking for openings in the weeds. I don’t want to be in the thickest, nastiest weeds. I want the fish to be able to see my bait. The fish needs to be able to pick up that little flicker of the spoon or whatever you’re using. As long as the fish can see the bait, you can draw them over to you. They’re cruisers at that time of year, looking for something to eat.”

One foolproof form of locational detective work is to find out where the known pike spawning bays are. This is often common knowledge among local anglers and bait shop workers, so if you snoop around in a friendly manner, you can often get this critical piece of information before you hit the ice.

“And again,” says Kleman, “ask the local fisheries biologists. They all know this information, too, because they check the spawn.”

The hot spots aren’t always the spawning bays, though. “You might get there a week early (for the spawning bay) or something,” Kleman says. “Some of my best spots on the lakes I fish all the time are not the actual spawning bays, but they’re usually very close to them.”

What else does Kleman look for in a possibly productive location?

“I’ve done well on shallow rocky points,” he said, “with cabbage weeds on them, that are connected to the spawning areas. And another factor to look for is cattails, which indicate shallow, mucky areas, and a lot of vegetation. I always look for incoming creeks, too, because they (pike) always run creeks in the spring. Current coming in from the creeks can be a real magnet for them at that time of year.”

(Note: if you fish anywhere in the vicinity of incoming creeks or any other current areas, be especially careful at any stage of the ice season. This is especially true at late ice, when the conditions can appear safe when they’re not. Use common sense, and never fish alone.)

Fishing Strategy

Nobody has bought in any more thoroughly than Kleman when it comes to the importance of mobility. He’s a movin’ dude in many ice-fishing situations. But when it comes to big pike––at least after he’s found a good spot––he tends to sit tight longer than normal.

“These fish are cruising the prime areas,” he says. “They know there’s food in there, and they’re looking for it. So ,yes, I tend to stay in one spot longer than I would if I were fishing for a different kind of fish. It’s great to be mobile, and you still have to do that until you find the good spots. But once you find that key area, it’s time to sit down for a while and work it.”

(He had spent almost 45 minutes in one hole without a bite, and was just about to move, when the monster you see pictured with this article hit. It remains his personal best fish, a true trophy of 30 pounds!)

“That’s normal for me with these fish,” Kleman says. “I’ll work a spot for maybe a half hour to 45 minutes, if I think it’s the right spot.”

S-cable a big plus

When you’re jigging in dense weed growth, Kleman says, it’s important to limit the strength of the signal being pumped out by your Vexilar flasher. For FL-8 owners, there is an optional accessory, the S-cable that does that. “When you’re in thick weeds,” Kleman says, “you have to have the S-cable. You can even get in thick laydown cabbage, and you won’t get a good signal showing you the true bottom without the S-cable. Once you put in the cable, though, you do have to turn the gain up a bit, and then you’ll be able to see your lure much easier, and the bottom signal.”

(The new FL-18 has this feature, known as ‘LP’ or Low Power mode, built in.)

Presentation Keys

Because he’s normally working shallow water, Kleman strongly prefers lures that flutter, flash, and take a long time to sink. He often, in fact, fishes spoons that you might normally use for trolling lake trout in the summertime.

Here’s how he works them:

“I like to get the spoon to do big, fluttering movements,” says Kleman. “I kind of pump it. If I get a fish to come in and look but it won’t take it, then I go to almost a pounding presentation, like Dave (Genz) does on panfish. I’m not slowing down the movements; I’m just not moving it as far. I let ‘em look at it like that for a few seconds, and then I get it going again with another big pump-and-flutter move. I want them to think it’s really trying to get away. A lot of times, that’s when they take it.

“I also love Flyers for this, the biggest one. I do the same deal with them, get a big pumping action going, get it circling around, and pull those fish in to me out of the weeds.”

Even the big pike are aggressive by nature, so Kleman figures he gets about 80 percent of the fish that come in for a look to bite. “But you do get that 20 percent of fish that come in, stop, and take a good look at it. You gotta keep it moving when that happens. I might try to not move it quite so far on that kind of fish, maybe just a 4-6 inch snap of the wrist, just to give it a little hop so they can’t get a good look at it.

“Just don’t stop it dead, so they can sit and look at it, see the hooks dangling there and everything. If you keep it moving, most of those fish will hit it.”

Kleman likes to tip his spoons with strips or chunks of smelt he cuts from fish purchased at a seafood retailer. The Flyer works well with a Berkley Power Grub, but make sure you get that tail on straight or the lure won’t work right. And Power Grubs work well on plain or hair jigs, too. Also, don’t forget the Power Tubes.

Big natural lakes and sprawling reservoirs are the classic home of monster pike, but Kleman warns us not to overlook smallish ponds.

“Farm ponds hold some of the biggest pike of all,” he says. “I grew up in the prairie country around Albany, Minnesota, and there were a lot of farm ponds around us. They don’t get a lot of fishing pressure, but there can be some huge fish. Just remember to release them, because we need those fish in there to keep the bass and panfish populations from getting stunted.”

Kleman’s final thought is more like a warning, that big pike chasing is not a numbers game. “The way they hit, so savage, and the fight, is worth all the effort for me,” he says. “You are not going to get a 20-pounder every time. You have to have patience, and put your time in. But by using these methods, and working these areas, you’re going to get bigger pike than you did before, if you were fishing in other areas.”

Article provided by the Ice Team.