AndyS
02-19-2018, 09:10 AM
From the F&W website:
Northern pike spawn in late winter and begin moving to spawning areas in late February to early March. In lakes, pike move into shallow areas near creek mouths and coves with decaying aquatic vegetation or flooded terrestrial vegetation. In rivers, they move upstream to flooded backwater areas and can concentrate below blockages such as dams. During the spawning period, large numbers of pike move in and around these spawning areas, making locating fish more predictable.
It is common in northern lakes to have baitfish or panfish that were in poor condition die during the winter and sink to the bottom. It seems that northern pike have adapted to utilizing these food sources. Therefore, using dead shiners or suckers fished on the bottom is also an effective method of catching pike during the winter.
Pike feed entirely in the daylight and are active all day, with the morning considered to be the better fishing period. Don’t feel left out of this fishery if you do not have a boat - during the pre-spawn and post-spawn period pike are on the move and many of the good areas are accessible to shoreline anglers. A prime example is Spruce Run Creek cove in the Spruce Run Recreation Area in Hunterdon County.
Good fishable populations with pike up to 20 pounds are present in the following lakes: Budd Lake, Farrington Lake, Cranberry Lake, Pompton Lake and Spruce Run Reservoir. Rivers such as the Pompton River, and especially the Passaic River, are targeted all winter long. Don’t overlook the less known Millstone River which gives up a number of nice pike but gets little fanfare.
March is a weird "tween" month, not cold but not warm either. Fishing can be good if you know where to look.
My logbook shows the Delaware river can be very good in March also. I did a charter trip near New Hope for walleye one year. We had snow squalls coming down the river while catching chunky walleye, I'll never forget it.:)
Northern pike spawn in late winter and begin moving to spawning areas in late February to early March. In lakes, pike move into shallow areas near creek mouths and coves with decaying aquatic vegetation or flooded terrestrial vegetation. In rivers, they move upstream to flooded backwater areas and can concentrate below blockages such as dams. During the spawning period, large numbers of pike move in and around these spawning areas, making locating fish more predictable.
It is common in northern lakes to have baitfish or panfish that were in poor condition die during the winter and sink to the bottom. It seems that northern pike have adapted to utilizing these food sources. Therefore, using dead shiners or suckers fished on the bottom is also an effective method of catching pike during the winter.
Pike feed entirely in the daylight and are active all day, with the morning considered to be the better fishing period. Don’t feel left out of this fishery if you do not have a boat - during the pre-spawn and post-spawn period pike are on the move and many of the good areas are accessible to shoreline anglers. A prime example is Spruce Run Creek cove in the Spruce Run Recreation Area in Hunterdon County.
Good fishable populations with pike up to 20 pounds are present in the following lakes: Budd Lake, Farrington Lake, Cranberry Lake, Pompton Lake and Spruce Run Reservoir. Rivers such as the Pompton River, and especially the Passaic River, are targeted all winter long. Don’t overlook the less known Millstone River which gives up a number of nice pike but gets little fanfare.
March is a weird "tween" month, not cold but not warm either. Fishing can be good if you know where to look.
My logbook shows the Delaware river can be very good in March also. I did a charter trip near New Hope for walleye one year. We had snow squalls coming down the river while catching chunky walleye, I'll never forget it.:)