How to catch UL pike? - Printable Version

How to catch UL pike? - Printable Version

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How to catch UL pike? - filletedalive - 02-21-2021

I was reading the ksl article about the pike in UL it mentioned that ice off triggers their spawn and now is the best time to target them.
Anyone caught one out of there or know what kind of numbers are in there or locations?
I’ve never had pike tacos and am going to break out the tiger musky gear and target them.
I typically fish the north side of Utah lake. American, Lindon, and sometimes Saratoga.

RE: How to catch UL pike? - TubeDude - 02-21-2021

(02-21-2021, 06:54 PM)filletedalive Wrote: I was reading the ksl article about the pike in UL it mentioned that ice off triggers their spawn and now is the best time to target them.
Anyone caught one out of there or know what kind of numbers are in there or locations?
I’ve never had pike tacos and am going to break out the tiger musky gear and target them.
I typically fish the north side of Utah lake. American, Lindon, and sometimes Saratoga.

There has never been any kind of population of pike in Utah Lake. But back a few years, when Yuba was kicking out a lot of them, a few found their way to Utah Lake in some live wells. And for a few years they were showing up on more anglers' lines. But they have never been very successful at becoming the top predators. And with the DWR's aggressive mandatory kill policy any that do get caught never have a chance at reproducing.

Still, there are some scattered at random spots around the lake...never in any real numbers. They have been caught up in the Provo River, around the mouth of Hobble Creek, at several spots around Lincoln Beach, inside the harbor at Saratoga Springs Pelican Bay, etc. Have also heard reports of isolated catches in other areas. But even more than walleyes, pike are caught more by accident than on purpose. In other words, likely to be frustrating if you make a special trip for them.

If you do target them, inside the harbors...around docks and rocks...are possibly some of the best spots to try. But any year the water levels are high enough to flood the shoreline reeds there can be pike waiting in ambush almost anywhere. Just ask some of the bassers who have lost prize bass lures to a mighty chomp from a stray pike. So if you do gear up for them, be sure to use some wire ahead of your lures or baits.

Here are a couple of writeups for your light reading and entertainment. One is from my CD/book on Utah Lake. The other is from DWR...as part of their June Sucker Recovery Program

RE: How to catch UL pike? - filletedalive - 02-21-2021

Thanks tubedude. I would definitely call my trip down there a walleye trip lol. Just use some medium to large walleye lures with some wire lead. Similar to the tigers at pv set up.
The only pike I have had the line was at Yuba it hit a 4” yellow and red flatfish. I was on a float tube fishing a weed line just kicking hard enough to create action and BOOM fish on!!!
I was kinda nervous when it got close to the tube and saw I was dealing with something the same length as my arm.
Cool fish though.

RE: How to catch UL pike? - TubeDude - 02-21-2021

(02-21-2021, 08:51 PM)filletedalive Wrote: Thanks tubedude. I would definitely call my trip down there a walleye trip lol. Just use some medium to large walleye lures with some wire lead. Similar to the tigers at pv set up.
The only pike I have had the line was at Yuba it hit a 4” yellow and red flatfish. I was on a float tube fishing a weed line just kicking hard enough to create action and BOOM fish on!!!
I was kinda nervous when it got close to the tube and saw I was dealing with something the same length as my arm.
Cool fish though.

Yeah. You got it. Go throw some walleye stuff and hope for the best. The worst that can happen is that you might catch a walleye...or not. A lot of the pike that have been caught at Utah Lake have been caught by folks fishing for bass or walleyes. So they will hit the same stuff. As the water gets warmer try some noisy topwater stuff around structure. They have been known to take small ducks and swimming rodents from the surface.

RE: How to catch UL pike? - Boatloadakids - 02-22-2021

Caught this beast by "accident" while fishing for cats at the mouth of Benjamin Slough near Lincoln Beach in June of 2019. I was doing a fast, really fast, retrieve of an errant cast of a white bass head when he hit. I was using 30 lb. braid and hooked him in the corner of his mouth or pretty sure he would have sliced through my line. A real drag burner, 39 inches long. The DWR guys were doing some work there that day and I turned the fish over to them.

RE: How to catch UL pike? - Springbuck1 - 02-25-2021

I know nothing about this, really, but if I was going to try for pike now, I'd just be throwing big annoying lures in spawning areas. The rest of the time, I'd locate panfish, and toss bigger lures around structure.