Understanding Northern Pike feeding habits can help you to be successful with catching them. It is very important to understand that there are many variables you have to look at. For example the time of year that you fish and even the time of day can affect what they will respond well to. The location is also something that will have to be factored in.
What many people don’t realize is that the size and the age of the Northern Pike will also be something that influences what they eat. With all of that in mind you do have your work cut out for you with what you need to evaluate. You don’t want to just try your luck because nothing is worse than a day of fishing with nothing to show for it.
When it comes to Northern Pike you should have a good idea of where you will fish for them. You should be able to find plenty of information online about where they are located and what people are using in a given area. I would suggest though that you arm yourself with several types of bait before you venture out.
That way if you get there and they aren’t responding to what you initially try you can change it. As a general rule of thumb though I have found that the Northern Pike responds well to something that is living versus something that is dead. Now, some people say that they have good luck with dead fish and that can be true. They may not pass up the opportunity to get a free meal!
You will find that the smaller sized Northern Pike tend to stay in schools of many. This can make it easier to find them and to get some on your hook. If you are looking for the larger sized though you will find that they are more solitary. The larger Northern Pike tend to be enticed by carp, water fowl, rodents, frogs, and various types of small mammals.
The larger Northern Pikes will also consume smaller ones. There are many reports of fisherman who have brought in small or medium ones. As they are doing so though a larger Northern Pike will attack what is on the hook. Sometimes you can get lucky though and get both. That just goes to show you that this fish can be quite aggressive when it comes to feeding habits.
When the water is warm the Northern Pike is going to be more active than other times of the year. They have a tendency to be an ambush type of predator. Try to fish around trees, shrubs, and rocky areas. Be prepared though because they can strike very quickly. As other fish activity in a given area slows down though they tend to cover larger distances and look around for food instead of just waiting patiently for it to come to them.
Keep in mind that this fish is very aggressive so you need to be prepared when you do get some attention from on. The Northern Pike has the instinct to eat healthy prey too so keep that in mind. Do what you can to keep your bait healthy. Many people do enjoy trying to get this type of fish because they are more of a challenge.
As you tweak your fishing style and combine that with the right types of bait though you will find that you are getting more success. You also want to make sure your tackle is ready for them. I have seen some really disappointed fishermen out there in this area. They have an amazing Northern Pike but can’t reel it in so don’t let that happen to you.
They will feed less frequently when the temperature of the water increases too. If the temperature is more than 75 degrees it is going to be tough to get a Northern Pike to respond. In such a scenario you would be better off fishing early in the morning or later at night when the temperatures are cooler.
Now that you have some basics for deciding what Northern Pike will feed on the rest is up to you. Invest some time in doing research based on the variables that I mentioned. By doing so you will be well prepared to increase the chances of you getting many of them to take home. This is a delicious type of fish and you will be glad you were successful with your fishing efforts.
The right type of bait plays a huge role though in getting the Northern Pike. If you are able to pinpoint what they respond to in a given location, for a given temperature, and even during a given time of the day you are going to really enjoy your fishing experiences!
