Fishing for pike

[bunka bologna]

Hello All. I'm new to this site and new to fresh water. I've only fished salt and with all the sand dredging and lack of fish, I know it's time for me to learn fresh water too and expand my options when I'm itching to put a bend in my rod! I fish from shore or kayak, but prefer shore.
One species I'm particularly interested in is pike. I bought a couple spinner and buzz baits, also have spoons and a pikie. I tried in the Passaic river by the ep hs but couldn't find anything. my questions to you is do they prefer a certain water temperature? should I be trying in the actual Passaic river or in the creeks that spill into the Passaic? what should I be looking for? is it a quick or slow retrieve? where should I be fishing instead of the Passaic or where in the Passaic? my list goes on and on lol.
if anyone has any info to help me out and can get me into some pike I'd really appreciate it...A LOT! this winter has drove me nuts! if you want to PM me that works! thanks again!

[kcritch]

Welcome aboard and too the freshwater. I'm not a Pike professional but I caught my first ever last year on a fire tiger crank bait worked fast...but that was a lake in late summer. They do like those colors though so not a bad component to add to your arsenal.

If you use the search feature for Pike posts you will get a ton of info to answer your questions. Lot's of material about the Pike waters and what caught 'em.

Keep a look out for the meet and greets too...I'm sure there will be a Pike related one at some point this year...great way to learn as well as meet the crew.

Good Luck out there...once it all melts of course!

[Rybazłapać]

I'll second the color choice stated above. I've had a lot more luck with pickerel than pike but the couple pike I have caught, and by couple I mean 2, were in rivers off the current, one in slack water at a bend in the river, and the second directly downstream a tree in the water. Both on spinnerbaits either bright green or fire tiger.

[briansnat]

I've never tried it, but I understand that the pike fishing on the Passaic is pretty good from Little Falls through Dundee dam.

[ScowardNJ]

The water is still pretty cold out there. We have taken a few cracks at Passiac Pike a couple times this year and none reported yet. Start off with slower moving baits like jerks and swim shads. Once the water warms up you can move to faster retrieve stuff like spinner baits, in line spinners, traps, etc....Throwing live baits at snags or floating them under a slip bobber through a pool is a good bet. Look for pools, structure, and feeder streams and you'll find em. A kayak helps cover more water......Good luck...Lets hear that first open water Pike report!

[bunka bologna]

thank you for your replies. are pickeral more abundant? where do you find them and what do you throw?

[kcritch]

Originally Posted by bunka bologna

are pickeral more abundant? where do you find them and what do you throw?

Yes....Everywhere...and anything! Ha!

Once the water warms they are pretty voracious...any lake...shallow weedy areas are good. Fast moving, bright colors...soft jerkbaits and soft swimbaits seem attract them well. My best method is to target LMB and I catch Pickeral everytime!