Pike/Muskie fishing basics
The first thing to start off any great pike or muskie fishing trip is the gathering of the right information. First its a good idea to know the state fishing regulations before you start pike or muskie fishing anywhere. Now that fishing regulations change from lake to lake let alone state to state I like huntnfishregs.com were I can get all 50 state pike or muskie fishing regulations in one spot. Its quite the time saver ! Second its a good idea to get a fishing map of the area and to check out the fishing report from the area. this is also available at there website pretty cool.
Now Big pike generally do not bother with small minnows, frogs and bugs. Their main food is Walleyes, small hammer-handles, Suckers, Chub and Whitefish. The big pike will hang out where they can ambush Walleyes. The prime ambush area is points leading into bays. They will also hang around rocky points, shoals, islands and other places where there are Walleyes. The best place to get a big trophy pike is at the mouth of a stream or river, narrows between islands and water-flow between lakes. The big pike just sit there waiting for Walleyes to swim through. Walleyes tend to migrate around a lake all year, whether it's moving to find cooler water, deeper water, more food or even finding their spawning grounds.
A highly popular and aggressive gamefish, the Northern Pike is one of the most sought-after species. Pike are voracious eaters, and are easily caught due to their set of razor-sharp teeth and strong bite.
Northern Pike fishing lures are designed to mimic the movements of natural prey. Top water lures include products such as the Rattlin’ Dog, which is 4 ½” long, and is classified as a “walk the dog” variety lure, and the Rippin’ Junior Minnow, which is a top water popper. Crank bait fishing lures include the Pike Diver which is a deep diving lure, the Pike Killer, which is a 5″ medium depth lure, and the Diving Minnow, which is a short 3 ½” and is designed to run deep.
The Northern Pike habitat includes the majority of the northern portion of North America, Northern Asia, and Northwestern Europe. They have a tendency to live in water which is less than 15 feet deep, overgrown with weeds, and close to the shore. Northern Pike fishing lures work in these prime fishing areas and address their opportunistic eating habits.
Because the Pike favor minnows and other types of small fish, fishermen and women are advised to imitate these fish when angling. Northern Pike fishing lures incorporate cranks, spoons, and spinners. Out of the wide range and variety of Northern Pike fishing lures, the Red Daredevil is by far the most popular and most used. During warmer weather, Pike congregate in weedy areas, such as bays. During the fall and winter seasons, the Pike will move to cooler waters, but will still remain near weedy areas since this is their feeding grounds.
When fishing through the ice, live minnows are very popular and are a great lure. Since Pike seek their prey by sight, it is important for the lure to move, so active artificial movement or live bait movement is very important. If you are fishing for catch-and-release purposes, it is advised to set the hook early so that the lure is not swallowed too deep to be safely removed.
When fishing for Pike in shallow waters, top water lures are the best choice. When large fish are expected, larger sized top water lures and buzzbaits are recommended. In deeper waters, and especially when fishing in colder weather, diving crank baits are the best choice.
Northern Pike are exceptionally good to eat, with firm, white flesh. Except for one troublesome Y-shaped bone, the Pike is relatively easy to filet. Pike can be served in a variety of ways, Pike are very predictable. They prefer cold water and tend to stay as close to the surface as their preference for cold water will allow. What does this mean as far as finding some large pike on your fishing trip? Head out as soon as the lake has thawed enough to fish the shallower waters. Then, as the season progresses, fish is deeper and deeper water. This means that in the middle of summer you will be fishing the bottom of the lake. If you really want to impress that rookie angler then go when the pike are in shallower waters because it’s a little easier to pinpoint where the fish are.
When things start to cool down again, just move in the opposite direction. By the time the lake starts to freeze over, you should be right near the coast again.
HOW TO CATCH NORTHERN PIKE
Pike are famous for hitting just about anything you put on the end of your line, as long as you jiggle it. They tend to remain motionless for long periods of time waiting for a fish, frog, or whatever to come along, and then attack their prey with a stabbing motion. Motion is the key, the main thing that triggers the bite, so be sure to give your lure, spinner bait, or whatever you’ve chosen little jerks as you reel it in. But be ready, because pike hit fast and hit hard.
ANOTHER BENEFIT OF NORTHERN PIKE FISHING
Northern pike fishing isn’t only relatively easy and fun, but it can provide for a nice dinner as well.
 grilled, fried, and baked and with a host of different seasonings and sauces.
Muskie fishing
Members of the pike family, muskies are easily distinguished from its popular cousin, the northern pike. Northerns have light spots on a dark background. Muskies have dark splotches on a light background, although some can be light-brown or green with no sign of spots or have wide, dark vertical bars. They spawn in mid- to late spring when water is 49- to 59 degrees, which is later than northerns.
But, the characteristic that separates the two species that means the most to sport anglers is their level of aggressiveness. While a fisherman may catch northern after northern cast after cast, muskies are more finicky. An angler may take hours over a season in search of an active muskie that will do more than just follow a bait. There's a reason they are known as the fish of 10,000 casts and that's why they are treasured gamefish by so many from Minnesota to Illinois.
Here are a few tips to help you get started and increase your odds;
    •    Of the two basic ways to catch muskies, casting is the presentation used most often. Trolling is the other.
    •    Use 7- to 7-1/2 foot medium heavy casting rods with bait casting reels spooled with 20- to 25-pound line. Don't forget a single strand wire leader of 80- to 100-pound test. Use high-quality ball bearing snap swivels.
    •    For crankbaits, use something like Bagley's DBO 6 or Depth Raiders. Try smaller lures, like a #9 Shad Rap if a muskie follows, but refuses to take the larger baits. In the same vein, our friend Jim Saric, owner/editor of "Musky Hunter" magazine, suggests trying spinnerbaits of 3/4 to 1-1/2 ounces.
    •    Replace standard hooks with 1/0, 2/0 or even 3/0 on the smaller baits. Muskies often straighten standard hooks from sheer power. Keep hooks razor sharp.
    •    For bucktails, try Mepps Muskie Killers, Blue Fox Musky Bucks, Lindy Muskie Rollers or Bucher Tails.
    •    Focus on shallow areas 2- to 6-feet deep featuring rocks and/or weed beds indicating a mix of hard and soft bottoms.
    •    get a good fishing map of the lake your fishing
    •    Cast crank baits right up to the rocks and retrieve slowly. When your crank bait is about 10 feet from the boat with your line at a 45 degree angle, rip it upward fast toward the surface like a baitfish trying to escape a muskie's jaws, then pause it. Finish by making a figure "8" next to the boat to entice a strike by a following fish.
    •    Use buck tails on weeds. Lots of people make the mistake of only fishing the deeper side of the beds. Never ignore the shallow side.
    •    Look for ambush spots in the weed beds where a muskie may lurk waiting for an easy meal. Cast along alleys through the beds or pockets or points on the edges.
    •    Saric suggests looking for patches of timber, submerged road beds and mid-lake humps as well.
    •    Vary retrieve speed when casting, but slow often seems best. With bucktails, that means just fast enough to turn the blade.
    •    Casting not working? Try trolling along the same areas, only deeper along the first drop off. Jerk baits, like the Bobby Bait work well. Saric likes Bagley's deep-running Monster Shad. Let out 10 to 50 feet of line and move fast, 3.5 to 4 mph along deep edges.
    •    Don't fall victim to muskie myths. One tells the tale that only one muskie will haunt any given area. On the contrary, they often travel in "wolf packs," according to Saric.
    •    Head to huntnfishregs.com were you can find everything from fishing maps, local contacts, fishing reports and all the state fishing regulation guidebooks.  Happy pike or Muskie Fishing !