As I sit here writing today, I’m watching the rain fall and the wind blow outside my office window. While it’s a dreary day outside, this type of weather does help speed up the ice out process! Yes, we are still frozen here in the Belgrade Lakes Region, but there are signs of spring here and there. Once the snow melts and the lakes clear, spring northern pike fishing will be upon us – and I can wait!

Here is a great article written by Matt Marindeino of RiverSearch.com.    This general resource guide is informative and will help get your blood pumping for the upcoming season!

Where to Catch Pike
Pike are found in slower-moving streams and shallow weedy lakes, reservoirs, and ponds. They can also be fished in rocky areas with cold and clear water. They like aquatic vegetation and prefer to stay in water around 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit.

Northern pike are an ambush predator. Look for them near weed beds and rocky areas with structure where they will be waiting to ambush their food. Most often you will find them in 2 to 15 feet of water.

What Do Pike Eat?
Pike aren’t very picky when it comes to eating. They mostly feed on smaller fish in the waters they inhabit. They commonly eat perch, sucker, and other smaller fish but will also eat frogs and any other creatures they can get their mouths on.

Seasonal Patterns
Fall
When the temperature starts to cool aquatic vegetation will start to turn brown and die. As the vegetation dies, it becomes a less likely spot for smaller baitfish, which means pike won’t be hunting there. The key to finding pike is finding spots where the vegetation stays green and healthy into the colder months. Some patches of water are directly in the sun, so they stay healthier longer.

You can also use a fish finder to search for fish activity near weeds, rocks, and ledges. If you can find baitfish in shallow water near structure where pike can wait to ambush, there is a good chance of hungry pike nearby.

Winter
Ice fishing for pike can be very productive if you have a little bit of knowledge about the lake you are fishing in. Depending on the area, pike can be found in almost any section of the water column. That is why some anglers will throw in as many lines as they are allowed at various depths when fishing winter northerns.

But you can greatly increase your success if you understand what the pike are feeding on in the water you are fishing. If the lake you are fishing has a lot of whitefish or tubilee, then you should be fishing open water areas for pike, because this is where they will be feeding at. If you are fishing a lake where the pike are feeding suckers or crappies, then fish deep weed beds and shoreline breaks.

The key is to find the forage, you find the fish. It’s true for most species, and definitely holds true for pike.

Spring
In early spring your best chance is to look for bays that warm quicker than the surrounding water. Pike feeding activity tends to increase when the temperature reaches between 55 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. By mid-spring when the waters are teeming with life you can find pike near their usual hangouts. Aquatic vegetation is your best bet, so look near the weeds.

Summer
When temperatures reach 70 degrees F in the shallows the pike will move into deeper waters where it stays cooler. Fish for them in waters ranging from 30 to 50 feet in depth where they will be escaping the heat. Look for rocky points and deep basins that are teeming with smaller baitfish. Trolling with crankbaits will be your most productive method for fishing large pike in the deep.

Best Time to Catch Pike
Pike are most actively feeding when the water temperature reaches around 65 degrees F. Early mornings to mid-mornings are the best, but about 1 hour after the sunsets you can also have a productive day.

Pike Fishing Equipment
Rods and Reels
A fishing rod around 7 feet in length with a medium-heavy action is a good baseline for pike fishing. Usually, you will be throwing heavier tackle, so you need a rod that can handle this. You can also opt for a heavy action rod if you know you are after huge fish and will be throwing heavy baits.

For pike fishing, you can use either a spinning rod or a baitcaster depending on what your preference is. Spinning rods are easier to use and work well for a variety of situations. Baitcasting rods and reels give you more control over casting distance and accuracy, and usually, generate more drag which can help you pull your lures out of the water much quicker.

Baits and Lures
Spoons
The wobble and flash of a good spoon lure can be irresistible to hungry pike. These lures have been used by anglers to slay pike for years and years because they work. Use one around 4 to 5 inches in size. Typically slower retrieves work best. Pause and allow the lure to flutter and wobble to get the pike to follow.

Spinnerbaits
A spinnerbait can also be irresistible to pike in shallower waters. They work well even when the pike are in cover near weeds because most have a weedless design. Many anglers use large bass spinners for their pike fishing. Try chartreuse or white-colored spinners to get the most bites.

Topwaters
If you’re really after a thrill, try throwing topwater to catch your monster pike. Toss walk the dog topwater in the shallows near weed beds and rocks where the pike may be lurking. Slower retrieves tend to work best.

Jerkbaits
Jerkbaits can be another powerful lure option that you might want to include in your pike arsenal. Try to keep your bait suspended in the water column just above the level of the fish.

Crankbaits
If you’re after a larger pike, trolling deeper waters with a crankbait is probably your best option. These tend to work well in summer when the larger pike head to waters 30 to 50 feet deep to escape the heat.

Baitfish
You can use most smaller fish to catch pike, but what will work best is the fish they already used to eating in the waters you are fishing. Sucker, small whitefish, perch, and other baitfish tend to work well.

Fishing Line
You can use both monofilament or braided line for pike fishing. If you go with mono try to have at least a twenty-pound test line. For braided use a fifty-pound test. No matter which you choose, you need to have a leader. Wire leader or fluorocarbon will work fine, just make sure if you are using fluorocarbon it is at least an 30-pound test line. 12 to 18 inches of leader should get the job done.

Hooks
Treble hooks are popular because they do a good job of hooking and holding the pike. Use a treble hook around 2/0 or 3/0 in size.

Tips on Catching Pike
Fish the Weeds
Pike tend to stay near aquatic vegetation so fishing near shallow weedy areas with a lot of smaller fish for them to feed on is your best bet. If it has a lot of aquatic vegetation, is in shallower waters, and is teeming with baitfish, there’s a good chance you’re gonna land pike.

Use a Leader
As we discussed earlier, you will definitely want to use a wire or fluorocarbon leader for pike fishing. They have very sharp teeth and are known to cut through lines pretty easily. 12 to 18 inches is all you really need.

Bright Colors
Pike are sight feeders so using brighter lures like white, orange, and chartreuse will make your lure standout in the waters better. Using larger and brighter tackle will help the pike see your presentation from further away and they will be more likely to give chase.

This article can be read in its entirety here:
How to Catch Pike

Fishing and Recreating in the Belgrade Lakes Region

The Belgrade Lakes chain is comprised of seven very different and distinct waters, each with their own sense of peace and ambiance — East Pond (1823 acres), North Pond (2115 acres), Great Pond (8239), McGrath Pond (486 acres), Salmon Lake (562 acres), Long Pond (2714 acres) and Messalonskee Lake (3510).  All of the lakes have public boat launches providing easy access with the exception of McGrath, which is accessible via the Salmon Lake launch. There are also a number of streams and backwaters popular with fishermen including the Belgrade Stream which connects Long Pond to Messalonskee, Mill Stream which connects Great Pond to Long Pond and Ingham Stream & Pond, a backwater offshoot of Long Pond.

The Belgrade’s have a long and fabled angling history going back to the mid-1800s when the Maine Central Railroad added a stop in Belgrade Depot.  As the access to the region became easier, more sporting camps were built on the lakes and they quickly became a popular destination for fishermen. Back then, the Belgrade’s were famous for their landlocked salmon and brook trout.  Anglers stayed in rustic and remote camps, fished with Maine Guides who were often of Abenaki descent, and enjoyed traditional shore lunches of trout, fried potatoes, and beans. To this day the Belgrade’s are still a popular destination for trout & salmon anglers.  Most of the lakes hold good populations of brown trout and brook trout along with rainbow trout in Long Pond and Splake in Messalonskee (a splake is a cross between a lake trout and brook trout). Over the past 20+ years, smallmouth & largemouth bass have dominated the fishing scene.  The fish thrive in the clear, clean water and gorge themselves on a healthy population of crawfish and baitfish. The Belgrade’s are so popular with bass fishermen that Major League Fishing has held two professional tournaments here in the last 4 years.

The Belgrade’s have seen much change over the last 150-years, but much has stayed the same, too. Travelers and locals alike still enjoy the tranquil quality of life and often fall asleep to the lonely call of the loon.  Sporting camps and summer camps continue to dot the shorelines where laughter and the sounds of splashing kids fill the air. And of course, the Belgrade’s still draw anglers from all over the world and offer a chance to catch the fish of a lifetime.

Early May means great fishing and chasing turkeys and so far so good.   Water temps have hovered around 50 degrees and air temps are hitting the mid-60s for a high.  This spring, the smallmouth bass have been really active and I’ve been surprised at how fat they are.  We’ve contacted lots of smaller northern pike too but the big ones haven’t been super active, which is normal right after ice out.  They should be picking up in the next week or two.  Trout and salmon are definitely biting on sewn smelts and slowly trolled hardware like Mooseleuk Wobblers.

This spring’s turkey hunting has been pretty good so far.  The Toms are strutting around and quite vocal in the morning.  The whole key is to find where they are roosting at night and getting set up close by early in the morning.  It’s thrilling to hear them come flying out of the trees at dawn, gobbling away and causing all sorts of ruckus!  There has been one difference this year that I noticed and that is coyotes chasing turkeys around on some of the local farms.  The coyotes make it hard to get any sort of pattern on the birds because they scatter them around so much.  It’s just an extra challenge to make the hunt all the more fun.