Michigan is a beautiful state with many places to go fishing for the ever-elusive walleye or pike as it is called in many areas. This is a species that makes fishing fun and exciting. They keep you sharp and on your toes because if you slack off, all you’re going to do the entire trip is put bait on your hook. This is why so many anglers love to seek them out. You need to use strategies and be alert when fishing for pike and this keeps things interesting.

This species prefers cool water with sandy, rocky or graveled bottoms and there are many places in this state that suits them perfectly. Nevertheless, they can be found in some of the warmer waters as well but they just seem to flourish when in the right type of water.

There are many places to fish for pike in Michigan where this species is plentiful but listed below are a few of the most well-known places:
* Lake Michigan
* Lake Superior
* Houghton Lake
* Manistique Lake
* Sanford Lake
* Lake Gogebic
* Mullett Lake
* Black Lake
* Long Lake
* Grand Lake
* Hubbard Lake
* Burt Lake
* Hamlin Lake
* Indian Lake
* Lake Erie
* Lake Huron

Any one of these lakes should produce plenty of pike to keep the angler busy throughout his or her fishing trip but there are still many other places that will also yield excellent results.

Now that you have a good idea of where you can fish for walleye or pike in Michigan, you need a few good tips to go along with this information. The more you know about this species and how to catch them the easier it will be to reel in a nice catch.

Four fishing secrets to try when pike fishing Michigan are listed below:

1. In the spring spawning season the pike will migrate into the feeder streams from the lakes to spawn. However, if this is not possible, they will look for shoals and shallow bars that are near the deep water and places that have a clean bottom.

2. Troll for pike during the day. Normally, fishing at night yields the best results because this is when they are the most actively feeding but trolling can usually get the results you’re looking for as well. This technique allows you to get out in the deeper parts of the water (where they will be during the day) and cover a large area fast so it can be very productive.

3. Drift-fishing the shallows is something that many anglers don’t take advantage of because they don’t realize that you can find some of the larger pike hiding out in these areas. They’re not always located offshore so give the shallows and this technique a try before venturing out into the deeper parts of the water.

4. If you’re not sure where to look for pike in the lake or river where you’re fishing then look for the baitfish.
This species likes to stay close to its food source so if you find the baitfish it feeds off of, the fish should be close by.

Pike will eat just about anything that gets in its path if it’s hungry but they do prefer live bait. Worms, minnows and leeches seem to get their attention the most but you can also fish with artificial lures. If you choose to go this route, try using plastic worms and grubs, jigs, crankbaits, spoons and spinner bait.

Before you go fishing for pike take a little time to think about your strategy. Since this is an elusive species you’ll want to be fully prepared to ensure the best results. The weather patterns, water temperature, time of day and so many other factors will play a role in the way the fish respond to your bait. When you take these things into consideration before you head out to the water you can prepare better, giving you the advantage.

Stay alert at all times and look for that bite. You don’t want to spend all of your fishing trips replacing the bait because the pike keeps stealing it away. If you’re having trouble detecting a bite, you can try using a bobber to help you see when something hits your line. When you do think you have a bite, don’t jerk the line. This can pull the bait right out of the small mouth of this species and make you lose your catch. Instead, set the hook with a short but firm snap of the wrist and this should secure the hook without pulling it through.

Pike fishing in Michigan can be some of the best you’ve ever seen when you apply the four fishing secrets to try listed above and practice every chance you get. Fishing is a learned skill and everyone gets better the more they do it so, start making your plans to go Michigan pike fishing today.