2015 Algoma Travel Guide January | Page 15

Algoma Pike by The Fish’n Canada Show. Here at the Fish’n Canada show we have found that you don’t have to travel to the extreme far northern reaches of Canada to find trophy Pike, in fact you can catch the trophy of a lifetime all within an 8 to 10 hour drive from the Greater Toronto Area. That amazing fishing destination is the Algoma region of Ontario... where Pike are the ultimate predator! Early season is your best bet for catching giant Algoma Northerns simply because they travel to and roam the shallows during their spawning ritual. The advantage of “seeing” fish with the aid of polarized sunglasses is huge! Cruise the shallow water, casting and looking, always being on point when a bigboy is sighted. If the water temperature is in the high 40’s to low 60’s, try baits like a small #3 inline spinner, a 5” suspending jerkbait, a 5” soft jerkbait with no weight or a 4-5” swimbait with just enough weight to take it below the surface. As the water warms into the mid 60’s and higher, big fish often move to deeper water. Look for cabbage weed beds and fallen trees along a sharp dropping shoreline. Now the bigger baits come into play. Use tandem spinnerbaits with at least #4 blades, inline #5 spinners, 6” suspending jerkbaits, 7-9” giant tubes and 7+” swimbaits. Work the edges of both the trees and the weedbeds. If the weeds are broken up, look for the thickest clumps and concentrate there. When a giant Pike hits your bait, one of two things will happen. The first is a tremendous slash, smash and boil which obviously means a big fish. Second is a very “normal” feeling bite... something like a 5 pound fish would feel like. Shortly after though, all hell will break loose with super strong drag pulling runs... that’s a big one for sure. One last tip; use a leader even if you are using heavy braided line. A Pike’s teeth are like knife blades. Angelo has been recently using “tying” leader material which is exactly as it sounds; you literally tie knots directly into this soft yet very strong leader. Pete is a fan of making his own heavy fluorocarbon leaders of at least 60lb test and often 80-100. If you buy pre-tied leaders, don’t scrimp on the price... look for quality with cross lock style snaps and strong swivels. Hopefully these few tips will help you catch that trophy Algoma Northern you’ve always dreamed of. For more information or tips about fishing for pike from the Fish’n Canada Show visit www.fishncanada.com or visit us on Facebook at www.fb.com/FishnCanada AlgomaThatReal.com 14