Trophy Pike or Trophy Smallmouth?
- Bear River Tackle
- Jun 5
- 3 min read
34-Inch Northern Pike
Northern Pike are powerful fish that will test your skills and equipment. Smallmouth bass require precision casting and patience. Both will challenge your ability to select the best flies.
Canada has large numbers of trophy fish, beautiful country, and friendly people. We were traveling to a lake in Canada which we had fished previously.
However, when we arrived, conditions were quite different from past trips. The smell of smoke from forest fires filled the air, the lake was down two to three feet, and all the inlet streams were either dry or running low.
Finally, the weather was forecast to be sunny with light wind and temperatures rising into the 80s by the end of the week.
We knew all of this would negatively impact fishing without an innovative approach.
To assess the situation, we fanned out and evaluated all the places that were productive in previous years.
What we discovered was telling:
Seventy-five percent of our previous hotspots held very few Pike due to low water levels and limited flow from inlet streams.
The Pike were still there but were staged in deeper water away from the shore, on points or next to drop-offs.
Warm water temperatures were encouraging the Smallmouth to prepare for spawning by moving up to shallow rocky points and shorelines next to deeper water.
Considering the situation, we decided to initially target Pike while the water and air temperatures were still cool, then switch to Smallmouth later in the week as things warmed up. This was the correct call - both Pike and Smallmouth, not one or the other.
On the first day my two-person boat landed 26 Northern Pike, ninety percent of which were 30 inches or larger. All aggressively hit the 8-inch flies we were throwing. Northern Pike that are 34 inches or above are considered a trophy fish.
Northern Pike at the Boat. These are Powerful Fish.
34-inch Northern Pike
The next two days were similar, but the Pike were dispersing throughout the lake and becoming harder to find so we shifted to points on the main lake near deeper water.
Here there were fewer fish, but roughly twenty percent were trophy sized. My best Pike was caught off a main lake point.
35.5-inch Heavy Northern Pike
The following day we continued the same strategy, and my friend landed a trophy Pike that struck his fly in open water.
36-inch Heavy Northern Pike
As the Pike fishing slowed, we switched to smaller flies and began to target Smallmouth bass.
It took us a day to consistently locate the fish but eventually I was able to land five Smallmouth that measured 17-17.5 inches. Smallmouth Bass that are seventeen inches or above are considered a trophy fish.
17-inch Smallmouth Bass
17-inch Smallmouth Bass
17.5-inch Smallmouth Bass
During six days of fishing the group landed 28 Trophy Pike and Smallmouth as well as more than 450 fish in total (six anglers).
These exceptional results were only possible because we adapted to the adverse conditions. Fishing the same way as in previous years would not have been successful.
It was also essential that we used flies specifically designed to mimic the baitfish on this lake. When everything clicked, the Pike would aggressively hit and engulf the entire fly.
The Bear River Tackle streamer flies used on this trip can be ordered on the website under the Shop tab by selecting the “Your Design Mid-Level” option. The custom Northern Pike flies are eight inches long, have a patented design and contain a rattle.
You can also register on the website and send me a note about what you are interested in. I will reply with a recommendation.
All of us at Bear River Tackle are dedicated to helping you have exceptional fly-fishing adventures. We do this by providing knowledge and exceptional streamer flies.
Order today, follow the fly-fishing tips that are provided, and I am confident you will catch fish!
Glenn Personey
Founder and CEO
Bear River Tackle
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