Fishing in canada

[straittactical]

me and my father in law is going to canada to fish for some pike. we are going within the next month. Has anyone been up there fishing before if so what are some tips, baits, or other precausions that i should know about thanks.
when i get back i will post some pics of the Fish we catch

[Mrmonte]

What lake are you going to? Have you been there before? I go to Canada once a year to fish and have been on numerous lakes there. The summer pike fishing is more challenging to me, the larger ones should be in deeper water as opposed to the shallows of the spring fishing. If you can find walleye, they should be schooled up at that time of year. Catch one and you can catch a pile of them.

Regardless of where the fish are at, steel or heavy floro leaders are a must. Dont skimp on the bug spray, you will need it. If you find Alexander Keiths India Pale Ale at the beer store, try it out. Be aware, beer is shockingly expensive in Canada too.

[fpd9317]

Check with fpdshooter. He goes up there every year. I have been up there with him once and it was a complete blast. I would go again right now if the wife would agree.

[Jack Ryan]

Originally Posted by straittactical

me and my father in law is going to canada to fish for some pike. we are going within the next month. Has anyone been up there fishing before if so what are some tips, baits, or other precausions that i should know about thanks.
when i get back i will post some pics of the Fish we catch

Pike are a blast to fish for. Stock up on red and white daredevils, swedish pimples, any thing chrome, shiny with treble hooks on it. If you are looking through your tackle box from bass fishing you want the biggest, shiniest, wobbling things you've got. You need a good stiff medium action rod, 15-20 pound line and a steel leader, three inches or so. Big, shiny, deep diving, rattle traps are good too.

Get about 10 feet of dog chain and wad it up in to a dangling mess of chain and hook it all in a wad and tie it to quarter inch heavy line about 20-30 feet long. Hook a carabiner to the wad of chain and tie a loop in the other end of the line you can dog off on the boat. You troll around the lake a lot for pike, up where the dead falls fall in to the water and you are getting hung up all the time. If you are not getting hung up you aren't fishing. When you get snagged and can't get it loose then snap the carabiner on your line and keep the fishing line tight. Let the chain slide down your line and then jangle it up and down until it gets tangled up in the other hooks and you can pull your lure back up or break it loose with out loosing it.

Take about 50 orange and black 1/8, 1/4 jig heads with you incase there's walleye to fish for. Take a couple raw livers too, freeze a couple then you'll have leeches to use for walleye. Tie off a piece of liver to the dock at night and pull it up in the morning to pick the leeches off it in the morning. When you stop getting bait on it then thaw out another piece of liver for the next night.

[Lex Concord]

Originally Posted by Jack Ryan

If you are not getting hung up you aren't fishing.

That is gospel

Get about 10 feet of dog chain and wad it up in to a dangling mess of chain and hook it all in a wad and tie it to quarter inch heavy line about 20-30 feet long. Hook a carabiner to the wad of chain and tie a loop in the other end of the line you can dog off on the boat. You troll around the lake a lot for pike, up where the dead falls fall in to the water and you are getting hung up all the time. If you are not getting hung up you aren't fishing. When you get snagged and can't get it loose then snap the carabiner on your line and keep the fishing line tight. Let the chain slide down your line and then jangle it up and down until it gets tangled up in the other hooks and you can pull your lure back up or break it loose with out loosing it.

Great idea...I'll be sure to try it if I ever get back up there.

Another thing...some of the lakes up there do have some killer smallmouth fishing (3 - 4 lbs back then). Many days, we would catch more smallmouth off the dock in the hour before dark than we would catch in pike all day. Just be sure to bring a minnow seine, as they like to eat local.

[EvoVIIIMatt]

Originally Posted by Jack Ryan

Pike are a blast to fish for. Stock up on red and white daredevils, swedish pimples, any thing chrome, shiny with treble hooks on it. If you are looking through your tackle box from bass fishing you want the biggest, shiniest, wobbling things you've got. You need a good stiff medium action rod, 15-20 pound line and a steel leader, three inches or so. Big, shiny, deep diving, rattle traps are good too.

I agree with anything chrome and shiny. I have many rattle traps that are missing the chrome from one week of fishing in Canada. If you go swimming while your there make sure you take off any rings, necklaces, etc. that are shiny. I dont think you want to get in a fight with a pike or muskie.

[Jack Ryan]

Here's a little bit but really just about any thing will catch a pike. They aren't exactly the rocket scientist of the fish world. Kinda known as the carp of the north up there. You could catch pike on a beer tab and a treble hook and probably wouldn't need the beer tab.

Note the 20 gauge shot shell hull 2 3/4 for relative size

[Jack Ryan]

Pocket full of walleye and small mouth baits



Combine those with a minnow for best results, worm second best and leeches when you run out of every thing else.

Get a pack of those power bait leeches and cut them in half end for end. Black and pumpkin seed colors.

4 or 6 pound mono line, clear, no color, no leader. String your pole with 6 pound and if you are not getting hits tie on a swivel and then about 4 feet of 4 pound line.

Palomar knots on every thing you can use it on.
Palomar Fishing Knots step by step illustrated instructions on Palomar and other fishing knots at Fish4Fun

Learn to tie it before you leave.

[Jack Ryan]

Mouth spreader. Get the top one that looks like a spring at Walmart.

Baker Release Tools, Baker Mouth Spreader, Baker Hookout fishing bait, FISHING TACKLE, fishing lures and fishing gear online

It's one of those "gotta have it's" for pike and toothy fish.

Need a pair of long pliers too and a pair of pliers that will cut any hook you are going to use REALLY EASY. Then hope you don't need 'em.

Cabela's Advanced Anglers™ Stainless Steel Pliers

You ain't had "fun" yet until you've got two or three feet of mad pike in one hand on one treble hook and the other hook deep in the fatty part of your palm or else where. You are going to want those dikes where you can get them real quick, easy, and with one hand.

You want some good nail clippers to for cutting the tag ends off knots.

[Fishersjohn48]

Pike went nuts for #5 mepps dressed with red and white or black and white. I also caught a lot on Johnson Silver minnow with a skirt or short rubber trailer like a split tail grub. For max fun take along some buzz baits as well. My heart still pounds thinking about seeing that toothy mouth come up and devour your bait 3 feet from the boat! If you are driving in moose country please take heed of the watch for moose signs. They are huge and a car moose collision has no winners.