Pike Report

[lyle]

Seabass and I are looken to get out for some pike action tomorrow, most likely heading towards cotton road. Does anyone know if this is a good choice for a fishing spot, or have a good pike report? If no one gives another suggestion, we'll be out at cotton around 2-2:30 and be on channel 7.

[fish eater]

I can't really speak much about Pike out there today. But I can tell you all about the dumb Bass out by Cotton. I was out all day with Slammer, Yellowbelly80, Stringer and we all saw Bass. Darn things would pass through the hole real lethargic and spook off all the Perch. One guy out there saw a Musky, and Stringer's buddy had a pole yanked into the hole and gone. That had to be something with some meat on his bones, eh?

[salmonslammer]

Out of the 6 or 7 trips to cotten this year.....I haven't seen a pike yet, Hooked and landed 1 musky, but no pike. Might want to try off the north shore, past the perch fisherman. Outlet to the Salt river is worth a shot...Look for the weedbeds and bring your spear.

IMO it may be a little early for them to start staging for the spawn. Fairhaven has it's fair share of pike, but I haven't been up there in a month or better so I don't know what's going on up there. :confused:

Try floating some smelt under a float in the spillway RIGHT after ice out for some gators ;)

[lyle]

I had heard some information about fairhaven from quite a few guys, but nothing for this year. All they gave me was, "we used to pull them out by the dozen south of the island at the raft", maybe we'll give that a shot since cotton doesn't sound too hot and I really dont feel like buying a new pole if mine happens to slip in as well.

One of my friends at work told me back in the day he used to buy bait and put in a glass jar for pike bait:SHOCKED: , does this work and is it even legal?

[neversunk]

Don't be afraid to get down into 2 feet of water around that island by the raft.....those pike run shallow there. I've had good luck with large minnows, and have drawn them into the spearing area with swedish pimples too....jig it up and down awhile and let it or your big minnow sit. There is no shortage of pike in Anchor Bay on the east side....darn things got my jigs twice last week about 1/2 mile out from the Fairhaven launch. BLAM.....in from nowhere and nailed em! I could'nt get the spear out quick enough....thats why my dad used to use suckers for bait. The pike would come in slower and closer trying to get the sucker from the right angle. They can take the minnow from any direction. Hope this helps....

[DuckDog]

Lyle,
Last night my sucker decoy was dead. So I took a one gallon zip lock bag, put a spoon in it for weight, filled it with water, put ten or so sucker minnows in it, squeezed the air out, and lowered it down the hole. No pike last night, but it did look good. An old timers told me about the jar trick when I was a youngster. The bag might be better, it is less likely to scare them if they hit it. Yes it is legal in Michigan. Here's a picture:
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/8017P1010003.JPG

[Get_Outside]

I was north of cotton road with my boys last saturday morning and of course the pike spear was NOT in the shanty when in comes a nice 30 or so inch pike. I thought about trying it with my perch spear but it looked awfully small in comparison to the pikes back. It stayed perfectly still right under our holes for over 2 minutes. But just as soon as I tried to go get the pike spear out of the mule it took off. Dang the luck!! :bash:

Larry

[Big Daddy Benelli]

Last weekend when I was fishing for Perch I had a pike hit and break my line (big fish)... Than Sunday I had one hit and miss I looked down and seen a 40 incher @ cotton rd by the salt river. There were kids about 25 yards in front of me that limited out w/8 nice pike....