Jim Kalkofen’s boat never sees the storage barn until the snow flies because he loves late season pike fishing.

I love fall pike because they bite. They fight. The big ones really show themselves every fall.

Where to fish depends on food. Pike are not picky eaters. Many of the deeper lakes with ciscoes and tullibees grow the biggest pike. Big pike live where these soft-rayed fish spend most of their time—deep. Come late fall, these species move onto shallow rocks to spawn. Pike are not far behind.

Other treats for pike include trout where available. They also feast on suckers and chubs. Perch are a mainstay. Anything that moves could be food. Catch pike this fall with any number of tactics.

Equipment

I use a 7- to 7-1/2-foot, medium-heavy, spinning pike rods with a 20-series reel. My new favorite is an Elliott rod. A soft rod tip is preferable for twitch baits, but a solid backbone is essential for hooksets and whipping a big fish. I generally use 14- or 20-pound FireLine, Yo-Zuri braid or Okuma Soft Steel for 90-percent of my pike fishing.

Deep flats out to 40 feet hold pike. With electronics, it is not unusual to see schools of baitfish with several big fish lurking nearby. When they show up at these depths, mark the GPS, and keep circling the general area. When more appear, move upwind and drift through them, using a jig and chunk of plastic.

Jigs and plastics

Jigs should be about 3/8 to 1 ounce. Go heavier as water depth or wind increases. A bass-style flipping jig with a stout hook is important. The 6- to 10-inch plastics (large bass worms or lizards with curly tails) are good. So are PowerBait and Impulse. Pop, drag, pause, hop the jig. Sometimes, reel three or four times really fast and stop until the jig hits bottom. You will know when pike are home, because they will bite. However, the bite will be a “tick,” not a mad, slashing strike. Sometimes, the line will “jump” as the pike grabs hold. When in doubt, rear back and set the hook—hard!

Jigs and plastic also draw pike out of weedbed edges. If fishing in weeds, use a jig with a weed guard. On the edges, especially in dark-water lakes where the weed edge only runs out to 10 feet or so, consider a lighter jig head (but with the same heavy hook).

Hard baits

Hard baits can be used to fish pike as well. Glide baits won’t run more than three or four feet under the surface, so use them over weeds, over rocks and alongside structure that is less than 10 feet deep.

Jigging spoons can be cast and hopped along the bottom, covering a wide area.

Fish points and humps

Main-lake points running from the shoreline or coming off islands are pike hotspots. Start at the weedline and proceed deeper, criss-crossing the point. Jigs could be used, but this is a time to toss spinnerbaits like Northland’s 3/4-ounce Bionic spinnerbaits or a Number 5 Mepps. When going deeper on a point, from 15 feet and down, try a deep-running crankbait that will dive down and touch the rocks.

A key spot on any breakline is where green weeds still exist. These are usually broadleaf weeds. Most will remain green long after other weeds die down. These secluded patches don’t have to be very big to hold pike. I return many times a day to fish these areas.

Locate and check out mid-lake humps that top out at less than 20 feet. Fish these the same ways as points. When approaching humps, watch the graph, because pike could be holding at the deep break.

Four tips

When fishing fall pike, follow these tips:

• Use a wire leader.
• Release big pike.
• Take necessary tools with you, including long needle-nose pliers, a mouth spreader, wire cutter—or better yet, a small bolt cutter for the heavier hooks—a big net, and a camera.
• Remove the lure while the pike is in the net. Shoot photos and release the fish quickly.

Want more fall fishing tips from the pros who know, look to the fall issues of MidWest Outdoors, available by subscribing on our website.