Trout and salmon are often said to be the targets of the "elite" anglers, while bass is the choice of the majority of anglers. There's also a large following that prefer to target walleye. Although this writer is pretty much satisfied to catch whatever fish takes a liking to his offering, a fish not many bother with rates right up there with the favorites. That fish is the northern pike.
Dedicated bass and trout anglers, as well as the walleye chasers, would have you believe that catching a pike while in pursuit of their primary quarry is akin to finding a piece of coal in their stocking on Christmas morning. But I've been with several of these anglers when they tied into a good-size pike while fishing for their favored species. If they were disgusted, they sure didn't exhibit it. As their rod bucked and bent, and the reel's drag screamed as the fish tore line from it, it sure looked to me like they were enjoying it. Only when (or if) the pike was landed did they remember to voice their distain over it not being a bass, walleye, trout, salmon or whatever.
I guess my fascination and enjoyment for pike fishing dates back to my childhood, when pike was the mystical fish of the north country wilderness, and none of our local waters held any. I'd drool over photos in outdoor magazines, showing anglers hoisting huge pike they'd caught from some far away lake in Canada or the Adirondacks. Best I could hope for in the waters I fished was a two-foot-long pickerel or a brook trout half that length. My dreams finally became reality when I was fourteen and made a two-week camping trip to Saranac Lake. There I caught several pike, including one 34 inches long ... a monster! Since then I've never complained when I felt the savage strike and raw power of a pike on the end of my line.
This Saturday marks the opener of the pike season. Also opening are the seasons for tiger musky, pickerel and walleye. Anglers may also catch bass, but all bass must be immediately returned to the water under the state's new catch-and-release regulation, and may not be kept until the normal season opens the third Saturday in June, June 15 this year.
For those who have never caught a pike, let me briefly explain why I enjoy catching them, despite their sometimes less-than-favorable acceptance by some anglers. First would be they are a no-nonsense fish – they are a true predator and attack their prey with such gusto and savageness it can be almost scary. When a pike smashes your lure, you know it. Better have a firm grasp on your rod or it might get jerked from your hand.
They also grow to exceptional size, when compared to our other gamefish species such as bass, trout and walleye. While most caught locally, usually from the Chenango River, will average about two feet long, there are enough available in the 8-12 pound range that catching one that size is fairly predictable if you fish much. Occasionally one will be caught (or hooked and lost) that will be much larger – 16 pounds or more. I don't care what anyone says, catching a gamefish that size is not only fun but a test of your fish-fighting skills. The largest pike recorded in America was the 42-lb. 2-oz. monster caught by Peter Dubuc from Great Sacandaga Lake in 1940. That lake (actually a reservoir) still produces 20-plus pound pike every year, usually the first week of the season. Much like largemouth bass, pike are shallow-water fish that love cover from which to ambush their meal. As such, there's no need for deep-water gear or special rigs. One of my favorite pike fishing methods is fly fishing, using oversized streamers constructed of ultra light weight synthetic fibers made especially for the purpose. Added head weight to the hook, such as the barbell-type lead eyes, helps get the fly down quickly and also gives it an up-and-down motion on the retrieve. For baitcasting or spinning, the same subsurface lures used for bass will catch pike – Rapalas, spinnerbaits, Mepps, etc.
Studies have shown that the ideal prey fish size for pike is one that's approximately one-third the length of the pike that attacks it. Now obviously we all aren't going to start using foot-long lures in the hope of catching three-foot pike, but larger lures will definitely produce larger pike, while smaller ones usually catch those "hammer handle" size ones of about two-feet. The disclaimer to this is the number of large pike caught on small lures intended for smaller fish, but given the right conditions, a pike may attack anything that looks like an easy snack.
High quality pike waters can be found all over the state, with the Chenango River being the closest. They include many of the larger Adirondack lakes such as Tupper Lake, Schroon Lake, Lake George, the Saranac Lake Chain, Lake Champlain, First through Fourth Lakes (Fulton Chain), Long Lake, Upper Chateaugay and the St. Regis Chain of Lakes. And as stated before, Great Sacandaga Lake remains a destination for trophy pike. Further south, good pike fishing can also be found in Saratoga Lake and Round Lake. Outside of the Adirondack region, pike can be found in the Upper Niagara River and Silver Lake in western New York; Seneca Lake, Cayuga Lake, Owasco Lake and Consesus Lake in central New York, as well as the St. Lawrence River, Lake Ontario bays, and the Indian River Chain of lakes to the north. Regardless of where you find them, northern pike are slimy, toothy, ferocious, cooperative, their meat, though sweet, is filled with tiny Y-bones, and they test your fish-fighting gear and abilities. In short, they're great fun and can turn an otherwise slow day of fishing into a memorable one. Especially if you happen to hook a large one.

Earth Fest At Rogers
Don't forget to stop at Rogers Environmental Education Center this Saturday, May 5, anytime from noon until 4 p.m. to enjoy the Annual Earth Fest celebration there. There'll be lots of displays, informative material and seminars, activities for the kids, a Maypole dance, and good food and drink. There will also be free shrubs and seedlings being given out from visitors to plant. For more information, call the Center at (607) 674-4017.