Northern Pike

[Downsouth]

Hi Ty...

One thing Musky fishing tends to do to guy is to spoil you from enjoying fishing for other fish quite as much as you used to do. ;) But this year I want to try to do that again some now and then. At least Walleye, Crappie, and maybe..Pike! Thinking about trying the Northern Encounters Pike fishing tournament on the Chip this May just for the fun of it. (Hey, it helps get some of the Pike out of the water there!) I've fished for Pike a few times in Canada, and it was a lot of fun.

But I seem to remember that the bigger ones like the water temps to be cooler, or they'll be out deep and hard to find. Just wondering what the water temps in the Chip shallows tend to be in mid May? Any chance that it's still 55-60, or is it on its way up by then?

Thanks!

[Ty Sennett]

Usually the water temps are in the mid fifty degree range at that time. Most of the bigger pike are in the fresh weeds not out in the deep water yet. Once the water temps get a little warmer then they head out deep.

The tourney is a fun way to get the year started. Usually the winner brings in a few mid thirty inch fish each day with some upper twenty inch fish or low thirty inch fish to go with them.