Big Northern Pike a Challenge in a Canoe

I’ve caught and witnessed 100 forty inch pike or more caught fishing in a canoe.

I’ve learned a thing or two in about 300 days of BWCA/Quetico adventures and one of them is how to land over-size northern pike while canoeing. We’re talking northern pike over 36 inches or about 12 pounds. 

The moment this lesson was learned…Memorial Day Weekend 1992. At this point I had about 25 days of fishing in canoe country. The catch rate on these pike was lower than it needed to be. Lost fish were naturally going to happen. Most were hooked on 8lb test while jigging for walleyes and smallmouth. However some details of these pike battles became more obvious. The first being if the fish remains hooked for the first 15-20 seconds you have probably hooked the big pike in the upper lip or side of the face giving the angler a shot at landing this large fish. While jigging the bottom most pike eat the jig like a walleye…they tip down a bit and grab it. The bite is no different than a walleye or smallie. Now some ceratinly freight train the jig but those fish typically break you off quickly. Lesson one becoming more clear to a 29 year was this: most of these big pike were lost after a good battle was because they were allowed to face the canoe and dive under it. This causes extreme stress on the line and the rod. 

Now getting the fish to the canoe takes skill, luck and trusty gear on the part of the angler but what I really witnessed was we could avoid that if the canoe partner was ready to help avoid that position. That is keep the paddle ever ready and watch the battle…keeping a close eye on where the fish is in relation to the canoe. If that big pike is thinking about  getting along side facing the canoe (and they will) the other angler needs to paddle the canoe in way to help stop that from happening. The partner needs to predict what this fish is doing and they can for the most part. Of course experience will tell but even a rookie can notice this. Back paddling can clear the big pike of the canoe. I have a video below that deicts this in multipe instances of large pike in canoes. In another scene the pike is ripping drag away from the canoe…in this instance chase the fish. That is, paddle towards the pike to reduce stress on the gear and line. Instance 3 has the big pike going back towards the canoe, the fish is trying face the canoe to dive under it. The other paddler needs to turn the canoe the opposite way the pike is heading. These tactics work in boats too. Get on the trolling motor.

Applying these skills now has the big pike canoe side. This is tricky. Is the pike done fighting? Most don’t have a net for these beasts so you can grab the pike by the shoulder or rear end of the head. It’s best to be committed. Grab it! No wishy washy attempts. I’ve seen many big pike get dropped back into the water and head under the canoe. Or even worse end up on the bottom of the canoe were all heck breaks out. The other way to land the fish is by the flap under it’s jaw. There’s no teeth there. The key is to slide your hand from the back of the flap to the front and lift the fish and take your photo. Again be committed as best you can.

There have been instances where the pike is so big that landing it in on the water is a big challenge and potentially dangerous. Since you’re probably close to shore you can paddle the angler close to the shore and land it in one of the tactics described above.

I also have another option for you. Release the fish in the water if you can. Going back to what I mentioned earlier the fish is most likey hooked in the upper front of the lip or side of the face. You can use your long nose pliers to unhook the big pike. Sure in this instance you probably won’t get a photo. But the plus side is both you and the fish go away unharmed. This is easier to do if you have caught many big pike and the photo is not neccessarily the goal or it’s a safety issue.

The video below I’m hoping is bothe entertaining and educational. Please take a gander and see what I’m writing about.

Smallmouth and largemouth in the same habitat.

Please Share This Post