Fly Spinning Northern Pike

Fishing for walleye, lake trout or northern pike in early June has provided some challenges at our remote fly-in fishing lodge on Gods Lake in northern Manitoba, Canada. At ice-out, in early June, the pike congregate in shallow bays where the water first begins to warm up. You can see the Trophy Pike, but they won’t hit anything you throw at them.

The most effective way to catch these neutral to negative fish is usually by fly fishing. If you’re not a fly fisherman, then what do you do? You can still cash in by using spinning tackle with a fly such as a Dahlberg Diver or a Bunny Leach. To get a little weight for throwing, I add a clear bubble float with water in it to get the fly where you need it. You can sight cast into the shallows to pick out which northern pike will be your next target. The spinning tackle allows for an accurate cast and a slow retrieve. With the bubble float in place, your fly can be stopped and twitched to entice a strike. When nothing else works, and fly fishing isn’t an option, you can lure these lethargic predators into action and enjoy the results!