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Summertime in the BelgradesContentsfor Printing Article Summaries |
The Great Belgrade Pike Debate
by Mike Guarino Our lovable and beautiful Belgrade Lakes are full of fish. That's a known fact reinforced by the number of people who travel long distances to fish here. Some visit for the beloved salmon and brook trout, some for the world class smallmouth bass, and some for the notorious northern pike, but the bottom line is both locals and visitors agree the fishing here can be a high octane experience in a picture-perfect setting. For whatever reason, the fishing this season has been supercharged despite the difficult conditions in June and early July. I can't remember a smallmouth bass fishing season as fun and consistent as this year. The northern pike fishing however has been loaded with challenges. Traditionally, the bigger northern pike are caught anytime from ice out until the middle of June when the shallow water temperature is still in the high 50's and low 60's. The female pike spawn at or around ice-out, then take about a 10-day break from feeding, followed by the most active big-pike bite of the season. Well, this year something happened to change that. While big pike were still caught early in the spring, many anglers remarked that the number of big fish caught seemed to be down, and I experienced the same disheartening fishing at times. We caught lots of fish, but to hook 15-pound-plus fish that so many people come here to catch was super challenging. I heard some anglers questioning a larger fish kill this winter by ice anglers who target and kill pike intentionally, along with jibber-jabber about the State killing the pike in nets, etc., etc. All of that is total scuttlebutt. Angler pressure has increased a little bit, but the fish are still here in droves and more than likely here to stay. As a matter of fact, I think more anglers are returning northern pike to the lakes than ever. One place where catch and release pike fishing is discouraged is on Long Pond. Local fishermen, Guides, Biologists and sporting camp owners like John Rice over at Castle Island Camps are trying to remove the pike in an effort to improve the salmon and trout fishing there. While this topic is way too complex to cover here, the concept is rock solid and I wish folks like John good luck. It's nice to see sporting camp owners take a sincere and thoughtful approach to their lake's fishery. A few weeks ago there was a "town meeting" regarding the Long Pond fishery. Local biologist and Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife folks came to talk about the fishery. It was a great discussion that never once got ugly — as the pike debate often can. We all left that meeting feeling better informed and energized about the trout and salmon fishing here. Long Pond is a priceless jewel and it's nice to see the salmon fishing improving there. As for the "Great Belgrade Pike Debate", well that will last for ages, and regardless of where you stand on the issue is certainly make for great conversation! So, if you are trying to catch northern pike, I have some really good news for you. The pike bite has really picked up in the last few weeks. It's not normal to contact lots of big pike this time of year compared to early spring, but it's definitely happening. On Great Pond for example, one of the best ways to find big pike right now is to troll around weedy drop offs with either big spoons like the Michigan Stinger or minnow imitating stick baits. The fish are hanging near cover and can be caught if you cover a lot of water. Another way to catch big pike is by casting into the edges of weeds with spinner baits or in-line spinners like the Mepps Musky Killer in orange/black or silver black. Spinner baits are a traditional pike lure and this year red and white spinners tipped with a white curly trailer have been working really well. If you want to cast spinner baits, look up the Grim Reaper. This spinner bait is a little on the expensive side, but it really works well for big Belgrade Pike! This is a big spinner bait, so you'll need a heavier rod and line to match. There is one more excellent way to hook into a Belgrade monster pike. Live bait is far too often overlooked! We are very fortunate to have a number of excellent bait shops surrounding the area and the owners work hard to provide us with great bait. Of course you can try and trap your own, but sometimes it's just easier to head over to Wild Things, Joes Nicki's or Castle Island and pick up a couple dozen. When it comes to fishing live bait, you'll want to use steel leaders and a good 2/0 live bait hook. Some folks like to use red hooks while others prefer black or bronze — just make sure the hook is good and sharp. Attach a float two or three feet above the bait and you are good to go. When using a float, it's a good idea to use either a float with a bobber stop or tie on a barrel swivel 3 feet above your bait and hook the bobber directly to the barrel swivel. When a big pike grabs your bait, she'll try to pull you into the weeds and if the float is hooked traditionally to the line, it can snap your line. Attaching directly to the barrel swivel helps eliminate breakoffs. Good Luck! Mike Guarino can be reached at | ||
