With the well deserved moniker 'the water wolf' the northern pike is definately the crown
predator of the north. Its voracious appetite and aggresive strikes make it one of the
most popular species to fish in Ontario. Ontario pike are strong and in just about every
water system in the province save for a few. With small to medium sized pike making up
the majority of the population it is the giant females that draw anglers in droves to
these pristine waters.

Pike are found in a wide variety of lake structures such as rock cover, wood and manmade
structures but nothing produces more cover for pike than weeds. For pike anglers it is a
common habit to head straight for a bed of coontail and water cabbage avoiding all other
structures.

Location, location, location. Bet you've heard that before. The same applies throughout
the different seasons in the province. Weed growth basically determines when and where
these fish can be found hiding. In the early spring northerns can be located in shallow
bays and coves where they position themselves to ambush active baitfish. Late spring
and early summer force pike out into bay mouths, points and shoreline banks. During the
heat of the mid summer they spread out into shallow and mid depth weed flats. The migration
begins back to deeper water in late summer where pike will hold by deeper drop off points
and break lines. The fall season force pike back into the shallows as water temperatures
cool and the hunt for food begins in earnest before the winter cold sets in.

Ontario pike enthusiasts commonly use shallow diving lures for weedy areas where the weeds
are 2-3 feet below the water surface. Bucktails and inline spinners such as Mepps and Blue
Fox with large #5 and #6 Colorado blades produce many a personal best in these conditions.
For extremely weedy areas many choose large spinnerbaits and even large softplastics
rigged with widegap weedless hooks. For open water applications nothing can beat a slow
troll with large spoons. Spoons that produce a wide wobble and have a great amout of flash
will trigger many pike strikes.

Adjusting your lures and techniques in a variety of weedy areas will greatly increase
your chances of landing that personal best from their favorite habitat.