From the
summer of 2001
Summertime
Northerns 'Lake Geneva Style'
By Steve Slutsky
|
Right now is the time for
Northern Pike fishing on Lake Geneva. It
started to get going a few weeks ago just after the
first heat wave. The surface water temps. went
from the low 70's right up to the upper 70's and just
last week peeked out at 80 degrees. This
means that the Northerns have moved deeper to their
comfort zone ( temps. in the very low 60's will suit
them just fine ).
This
is my favorite species to fish for on Lake
Geneva. Yes, there is nothing like the
fight of a big Smallmouth ' busting ' the
surface and then bulldogging down for yet another
drag-screaming run ( at that moment Smallmouth are my
favorite species ). But the Northern Pike has a
particular 'mystique' that she alone has
in my book.
The
drag is set just tight enough so that upon setting
the hook, the line (14lb. fireline ) will 'give
' just enough and won't break. Using the
light breeze from the west, I've got my boat
drifting along the 40 to 45 ft. contour on one of my
many 'Pike Runs' in Lake Geneva one
steamy August morning. I've seen them on my
Lowrance sonar, long thin arches right off the
bottom. Some by themselves others stacked up
three and four high. I've got my five inch
Sucker hooked through the upper lip with a #1 Eagle
Claw. About five feet above it I have a 1/2oz.
bullet sinker with a split shot pinched below it (to
prevent the sinker from sliding down to the
hook). I drop this contraption down to the
bottom and then reel up so that the sucker is a few
feet off the bottom. Now, opening
the bale on my spinning reel and placing the line on
the tip of my index finger, just letting it
rest there, I'm ready for action.
I
don't have to wait long. I feel a slight tug
and the line at my finger slips off ! The
Northern Pike has grabbed my bait from the tail end
and will now turn it around in it's mouth. They will
swallow their prey head first.
Well
after waiting between 20 to 60 secs (depends on the
size of the bait). I finally close the bale and
lowering the rod tip slightly below 90 degrees,
I start to reel up the slack. When the line
tightens and the rod tip starts to bend, I set the
hook ! Not an over the head 'Bass Pro
Tournament style' hook set, but a
quick and authoritative hookset raising up on the
butt of the rod, bringing it up to my upper
chest almost to my chin. Meanwhile, the
tip of the rod has stayed right where I left
it, although now it's pointing straight down
! Next thing that I do is loosen up the
drag so that if the fish pulls, she can take
line. There is no reason to hurry here.
I'm not in a tournament, fishing against the
clock. I'm out here catching the meanest and
most honery fish around. I only reel when he
let's me. If she's large it may take a couple
of minutes for her to come up to the
surface. That's not it though,
she's not through ! As soon as she sees
the boat ( and realizes that all this pulling
maybe wasn't due to the exceptionally strong sucker
in her mouth), and with tremendous power and
speed she dives for the bottom. She may do this
a couple of more times before she's spent or she may
do a Smallmouth imitation and leap right out of the
water. If your drag is too tight or you don't lower
the rod tip at the right moment this is when she
looks you in the eye and says " I'm
the 'Queen of the Lake' and it will take a lot more
than you to tame me " and she's gone!
When
you finally bring her to the side of the boat,
the look she gives you, is pure anger.
Like, " go ahead, try and put your
hand near my mouth ). After making
sure I've inserted my finger into the right
spot ( between the gill plate and the
outside gill ) I can triumphantly lift my trophy to
the sky and present her to the camera, capturing the
moment forever! Then placing my catch back
into the water ( careful not to let her slip away
prematurely ), I slowly move her back and forth
until she has regained some strength.
Finally, I grab her by the small of the
back, just in front of the tail (They do
not like this ), and with a last good riddance
to me the Northern Pike proceeds to drench me all
over the face as her powerful tail propels her
back down to the dark depths of the lake below.
Now, to
get my boat away from the anchored boats that I had
drifted into, for another try !
Good
fishing to all !!!
This article originally
appeared in the 'Excursions' magazine, published by Southern
Lakes Newspapers for the week of
August 16th,
2001.
MORE ARTICLES 
GUIDING
ON LAKE GENEVA
SUMMERTIME
SMALLMOUTHS
