Sharpen your hooks and get your lines ready for the 2006 Pike season this coming weekend. If I get out this weekend it will definetly be for some northern pike. (gets some strange looks) Nope I probably won't be fishing for walleyes, maybe just a little, but I'll be fly fishing for some big pike. You even have a chance to catch some good sized walleyes when fly fishing the shallows.
Depending on which part of the state and/or body of water. If the water temps stay in the mid to upper 50's in some of the back bays where their prey is like sunfish, bluegills, crappies, perch, etc, then the big pike will also be there as well. I'm not saying you can't get big pike when the temps go into the 60's, but 50's is comfortable temps for larger pike that are in the shallow bays. Bays less then 8 feet deep, but depends how clear the water is. Since this time of the year, most weed beds have not fully grown in yet, look for last years, old dead weed beds. What you also need to find is their prey. Once your find their prey, you will need to look for good ambush points to intercept their prey. That could be woody debris, last years old dead weeds, basically anything that could be used for cover. If the temps start getting into the 60's, then start looking for the first cover areas before deep water. Like points before the main body of water. You have to imagine these big fish looking for intercept points for moving fish (their prey). Whether it be walleyes, perch or panfish. Look for the movement of these fish and the pike should not be far behind.
I like use big flies like decievers, clousers, and divers. You can check out some examples (which is where i get some of my flies) at Great Lakes Fly Company (http://greatlakesflys.com/)
This is a good time of year for fly fishers to hook up with decent sized northern pike without going to special sinking for deep pike like later in the season. In the summer you can catch pike, but most are young snakes and juvenile fish. The fall provides more good action for the fly rodder when the water starts to cool down again.
By no means am I an expert in the field of fly fishing for Northern pike, I just list my observations from days of being on the water. Maybe others have some excellent tips to share with us.
