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Northern Pike

Esox lucius · also: jackfish, jack, brochet, gator

The apex predator of nearly every Canadian lake. Aggressive, toothy, and the reason you carry wire.

Where to find them

Everywhere north of the 45th parallel: the Shield, the prairies, the Northwest Territories, northern Quebec. Also Lake St. Clair, the St. Lawrence and Georgian Bay.

Rigs by season

SeasonWhere and what to tie
Spring (ice-out)Shallow, warm bays with dead reeds. Spoons, spinnerbaits, dead-bait quick-strike rigs under floats.
SummerWeed edges, points and deeper cabbage; big fish go deep in warm water. Spoons and swimbaits on wire; trolling.
FallBack on the weed edges feeding hard. Big spoons, jerkbaits, large suckers on quick-strike rigs.
WinterTip-ups with large minnows or dead smelt/cisco just above the weeds.

Gear

A 7'–7'6" medium-heavy casting rod, 40–50 lb braid, and a 12" wire or 60–80 lb fluoro leader. Long-nose pliers, jaw spreaders and a cradle net for release.

Bait and lures

Red/white and five-of-diamonds spoons, inline spinners, large swimbaits; dead smelt, cisco and herring; live suckers where legal.

Tips

  • Always use a leader. Always.
  • Fish the wind-blown weed edge first.
  • Pinch barbs; it saves fish and fingers.

Rigs for northern pike

9 rigs

Slip Bobber Rig diagramMono 6–8 lbBobber stop (sets depth)BeadSlip float (slides)Split shot12–18"Octopus hook + leech

Slip Bobber Rig

A bobber stop, a bead and a sliding float let you fish live bait at any exact depth and still cast easily. The rig that puts walleye in the boat on rock reefs at dusk.

walleyeBeginnerWalleyeBlack Crappie
Jig and Minnow diagramMono/fluoro 6–8 lbPalomar or loop knotJighead 1/4 ozMinnow hooked up through the lips

Jig and Minnow

A lead-head jig with a live minnow hooked through the lips. The rig for spring walleye in the rivers and fall walleye on the reefs, from the Bay of Quinte to the Winnipeg River.

walleyeBeginnerWalleyeSauger
Crawler Harness (Spinner Rig) diagramFrom bottom bouncerSwivel / snapColorado blade6 beadsFront hookRear hook

Crawler Harness (Spinner Rig)

A spinner blade, a run of beads and two snelled hooks on a leader, trolled behind a bottom bouncer with a nightcrawler stretched along the hooks. The summer walleye rig on Erie, Simcoe, Nipissing and the prairie reservoirs.

walleyeIntermediateWalleyeSauger
Bottom Bouncer Rig diagramMain lineBottom bouncerLeader 3–6 ftHook or harness

Bottom Bouncer Rig

An L-shaped wire with a weight on the long leg and a swivel on the short arm. It walks over rock and gravel almost snag-free while towing a harness, crankbait or live-bait leader.

walleyeBeginnerWalleyeSauger
Three-Way Rig diagramMain line Three-way swivelLeader 2–5 ftHook + minnowDropper 6–24" (lighter line)Bell sinker

Three-Way Rig

A three-way swivel splits the line into a short dropper to a sinker and a longer leader to a hook, minnow or floating crankbait. The rig for holding bait in the strike zone in river current.

walleyeBeginnerWalleyeSauger
Quick-Strike Rig diagramTip-up line / braid Barrel swivelWire leader 30–45 lbFront treble (head)3–5"Rear treble (dorsal)

Quick-Strike Rig

A wire leader with two treble hooks spaced to hook a large dead bait at the head and mid-body. Lets you set the hook immediately on a pike instead of waiting for it to swallow the bait.

pikeIntermediateNorthern PikeMuskellunge
Wire Leader and Spoon Rig diagramMain line 12–17 lb Ball-bearing swivelWire leader 9–12"SnapCasting spoon 3–5"

Wire Leader and Spoon Rig

A snap swivel, a short wire or heavy fluoro leader and a red-and-white spoon. The rig that has caught more Canadian pike than any other, and still the first thing to tie on at a new lake.

pikeBeginnerNorthern PikeMuskellunge
Tip-Up Rig diagramDacron tip-up line Barrel swivelFluoro or wire leader 18–24"Split shot12"Hook + live minnow

Tip-Up Rig

The line, leader and hook that go on a tip-up so a live or dead bait hangs at a set depth and a flag pops when a fish takes it. The rig for a day on the ice with a few holes spread across a flat.

iceBeginnerNorthern PikeWalleye
Flatline Trolling Rig diagramMain line 10–12 lb Ball-bearing swivelFluoro leader 4–8 ftCross-lock snapFloating stickbait / crankbait

Flatline Trolling Rig

A crankbait or stickbait tied to a short fluorocarbon leader and a small snap, trolled behind the boat with no added weight. The easiest way to find fish in a new lake.

multiBeginnerWalleyeNorthern Pike