[Orest]

Anybody fish for Northern Pike @ Deep Creek Lake?

Any decent marina where you can rent a fishing boat for a day or 2?


I been out there just to relax in the off season, but never really fished the lake.

Went home to Michigan to visit my mother 2 weeks ago and now I got an inch to go Pike fishing.

Did a lot of Pike fishing while growing up in Michigan. Also done some in Canada.


Thanks for any info you're willing to share.

 

[Garboman]

Anybody fish for Northern Pike @ Deep Creek Lake?

Any decent marina where you can rent a fishing boat for a day or 2?


I been out there just to relax in the off season, but never really fished the lake.

Went home to Michigan to visit my mother 2 weeks ago and now I got an inch to go Pike fishing.

Did a lot of Pike fishing while growing up in Michigan. Also done some in Canada.


Thanks for any info you're willing to share.

Have not been in quite a few years (to embarrassed to say how long) but in the past I have rented deep-vee aluminum boats with a tiller outboard.
We would fish live minnows for the pike and bass. There was a bait shop on the lake that sold shiners.
This time of year you have to get out at dawn, by 8:00 AM or so the water skiers and the speed boats will be running up every cove and by every point. The speed boats ran all day long last time I was there in the summer, they did not seem to mind throwing a big wake into my little boat tucked back in a cove.....

 

[Orest]

Thanks Garboman.

I was thinking of going late fall.

I been checking the marinas out there online.

 

[surfchunker]

it's about 45 minutes from my house but sorry I don't fish it, but lots of big Pike in there

 

[pods]

Fall should be primo time for northerns.
We have had good luck with Tiger Muskies with Storm swimbaits. They have great action and most are pretty weedless (single hook varieties). We fish them in water ~12 feet deep with weeds 5-6 up from the bottom. Just keep them a foot or two above the weeds.
Most people use something flashy, but if they aren't hitting regular lures (red eye wiggler, muskie killers), try a swimbait. They are erratic enough to get the bigger ones to strike.
We also used to kill river Muskies with the big sluggos. Think they were 10" or so. Tough to get a good hookset with them though, the hooks sucked ass. Had to add a trailer and catch rate went up.
I saw a big eel swimbait in Bass pro, it was a striper bait. I bet that would kill the Tigers on my home away from home lake.
Dropping the steel leaders helped increase hits as well. Pike have conical teeth that are not that tough on line. 60 lb fluoro leader worked well and didn't get cut.

 

[Orest]

Pods thanks for the info.

We used steel leaders in Michigan and Canada. I was reading a DCL fishing report and they say don't use them on DCL. Just heavy Flour leader and do away with the swivel.

I know for a fact Pike have very shape teeth. had my finger cut many times. Need a good set of needle nose pliers.


Can you recommend an area of the lake that is best to target?

 

[pods]

I have no idea about that lake, I have fished pike and muskie in upstate NY. Escoids have holding teeth, not cutting teeth. They are sharp, but they are puncture sharp, that was why we switched from steel to heavy flouro. They can get nicked up but haven't had one cut. A tail whip from a big one when it dives can cut your line though.
In the fall I would look for shallow points close to deeper water, if there is any structure all the better. Concentrate in the 5-15 foot range, depending on weeds. If pike are around they let you know in a hurry.
One muskie I caught last year flopped on the boat and got my buddie on the leg. He was actually bleeding. It flopped at him agape and punctured his leg. We had a laugh about it.

 

[Sandcrab]

Orest,

Contact:

Bills Outdoor Center
20768 Garrett Highway
Oakland, MD 21550

(877) 815-1574
(301) 387-3474

They rent boats.

Sandcrab

 

[Sandcrab]

I've caught pike in Ontario on just about everything. Rapala BX Minnow and swimming minnow (yellow perch, silver colors) took nearly all of my pike on my early July trip this year. Most on my smallmouth rod with 10 lb Nanofil on it too! As long as you dont horse them in, they will come in.

Large Whopper Ploppers in perch and white took most of the larger ones however...

Sandcrab