| Winter pike fishing can be an interesting angling | | | | visiting the shallow areas. This is actually also out of |
| experience because the lake environment during this | | | | necessity, because they will need to cover a lot of |
| time of year is very quiet and stable. Also, the | | | | area in order to find the food they need to survive. |
| locations of Northerns within a lake can differ from | | | | Pike are very active in the summer months and will |
| their normal locales during the more active summer | | | | often eat whatever is available to them, even if it |
| months. | | | | means working hard to get a meal. This just is not so |
| A lot of times in the summer and fall, pike will lurk in | | | | during the winter months. As their metabolism slows |
| shallow, weedy areas. However, once the winter | | | | down, they become lethargic and will only go for the |
| season starts, they will descend toward the lake | | | | easiest of meals. This is why your approach needs to |
| bottoms. This is especially important for females, | | | | be slow as well. Dead bait is a wonderful, albeit |
| whose eggs will best thrive in cold water | | | | stinky, northern pike lure to use in wintertime. It is |
| temperatures. Concentrate on fishing deep areas in | | | | not at all uncommon for pike to feed on dead baitfish |
| lakes. If you know of any sharp drop-offs in your | | | | they find in the lake, so don't be afraid to use this |
| lake of choice, this can be a good spot as well. | | | | method. Jigging works well in the wintertime as well. |
| Eventually, ice will cover most if not all of a lake that | | | | Just make sure you are fishing slowly and patiently |
| contains Northerns. After this happens, the | | | | to cater to the characteristics of these fish during |
| ecosystem of the lake will become even more stable | | | | this time period. |
| and the fish will be able to swim around more, even | | | | |