Sight fishing for northern pike in the shallows can be one of the most rewarding and frustrating times of the year for anglers. Learn how to make the best of your opportunities in this blog post!
The spring period is one of the best times of the year for anglers to catch pike. When they are not feeding with reckless abandon northern pike can be seen soaking up the sun in the extreme shallows as they use the warm water to digest their latest meal. This is a prime opportunity for anglers to sight fish!
When sight fishing for pike there are a number of mistakes anglers will make if they aren’t careful.
The first step is to find a pike!
All anglers need polarized sunglasses when scouting the shallows for pike. Patience is key, moving too quickly through an area can lead to spotting a fish too late and spooking them by getting too close. Pike can camouflage well with the lake bottom. When looking for pike in the shallows it can be easier to look for the shadow underneath the fish and then focus in on the fish itself rather than spot it directly. Be sure to take note of which side is the head and which is the tail.
The next step is where most anglers blow their chances with shallow pike. Don’t rush to make the first cast! Positioning is key and a poorly placed cast that passes overtop of the fish, along its sides, or behind the fish can spook them as they detect movement in their lateral line or the shadow passes over them! This is especially true in clear waters.
Anglers should make casts perpendicular and ahead of the fish so it can be brought through its line of sight looking like an easy meal. IF the pike doesn’t move to investigate the next cast should be closer to it along the same line.
Typically pike will eat baits in one of 3 positions in the water column. Above them, suspended at their height, or on bottom. Repeating the casts perpendicular and in front of the fish while testing out baits that cover these three positions in the water column will convert most fish into bites unless anglers get too close and spook the fish!
Check out a video example at the link below
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Have you ever wondered why lures don't come with instructions and wanted to know how to fish them? Look no further than our "How To Fish" series where you will learn what each bait is, how to use it, when and where it excels over other baits, our preferred setup to use it on, and the common mistakes anglers make when using it. www.newwavefishingacademy.com/how-to-fish
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