Tips and Tidbits
Go Large…Big Species Offer Extreme Fishing Fun
They say a fisherman goes through stages. First you just want to catch a fish, then you want to catch a lot of fish, then you want to catch a big fish, and eventually, you want to catch A LOT of big fish.
If you’re at stage three (or beyond), and have your heart truly set on “going large” you might want to try fishing for some of these behemoth monsters that lurk in America’s freshwater lakes and rivers.
Sturgeon
Sturgeon are prehistoric beasts that once had a wide range across North America. Today, the best concentrations of sturgeon—and the most consistent sturgeon fishing—is found in the Pacific Northwest, most notably the Columbia River system. Sturgeon typically travel in groups and are found in troughs along the bottom of the river, often in water 20 feet or deeper. You’ll want to fish a small baitfish (herring) on a weighted line with a 7/0 or 6/0 hook, and use a heavy action rod with a sensitive tip section, because while sturgeon can reach a maximum size of more than 15 feet and 1,500 pounds, their take is surprisingly subtle.
Alligator Gar
Another ancient predator — the alligator gar — lurks many southern waterways, especially the southern waters of the Mississippi River drainage, and throughout Texas, parts of Georgia, and Florida. They typically live in slow river channels and pools, or in lakes. As their name implies, alligator gar have a distinct elongated snout, powerful jaws and rows of sharp teeth. They can grow up to 10 feet long, and weigh 200 pounds or more. The best way to fish for them is to use a heavy slip sinker, and suspend a live bait, like shad, on a 2/0 hook, and then have a bobber riding the surface to indicate the take. You want a heavy action rod, and 50-pound test line. Most importantly, that last 2-3 feet of line connected to your hook should be a wire leader.
Muskellunge
Another toothy critter that requires a wire leader is the muskellunge. Muskie can be found throughout many northern lakes and rivers, but there are some surprisingly good muskie fishing pockets in the East as well, including the Delaware River between Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In the summertime, muskie typically move toward more open and deeper lake waters. In places like Green Bay in Wisconsin, one of the most popular approaches for catching warm weather muskie is trolling spinnerbaits. The angler should gear up with a 6- to 7-foot medium-fast, or fast action rod, with powerful-drag reel. Make sure you mix and match your trolling depths.
Northern Pike
Northern Pike are also found throughout much of the country, especially the northern Great Lakes, and the pothole lakes of the northern Plains states. But perhaps the hottest pike fisheries in the country right now can be found in the Rocky Mountain States, especially Colorado. Many of the conventional tackle approaches you use for muskie can be applied to pike (wire leaders, heavy action spinning rod, spinnerbaits, crankbaits and deep-cut spoons). In Colorado, many anglers like to chase pike by sight-fishing for them with fly rods. Use a 9-foot, 9-weight rod, a floating line, clear leader with two feet of wire tippet at the end, and then a “Pike Bunny” fly… purple is often best.
Whenever you’re chasing big fish with mouths full of sharp teeth, caution is obviously the rule. Hooking up is half the battle. Unhooking is also an acquired art. If you can, it’s worth hiring a guide to learn the ropes about catching and handling big predatory fish. Even one or two times out with a pro can shorten your learning curve dramatically, and put you right in the big fish game. For more information on the sturgeon, muskellunge, or northern pike, as well as many other fish found throughout the U.S. check out the species explorer in the Fishopedia section of the site.
