“Climate, weather and thermal dynamics are the driving factors.” “We see a lateral movement of the biggest fish down the bay,” says Casselman, noting that by the beginning of summer, you’ll always find the biggest pike in the lower bay or out in the eastern basin of Lake Ontario itself. But as the shallows warm and water temperatures exceed optimal growth levels, the pike vacate the bay, religiously following the narrow band of preferred water temperature. During spring, when water temperatures are ideal, anglers can catch pike throughout the massive bay, even in the upper reaches. To help illustrate this, he points to Lake Ontario’s Bay of Quinte. Talk about preparation meeting opportunity.Īmazingly, Casselman has found that pike will forsake almost everything, even food, in order to bask in water temperatures as close to optimal as they can find. To the ravenous pike, fresh from spawning, it’s like sitting in front of one of those revolving trays of food at an all-you-can-eat sushi bar. The rich habitat also hosts swarms of aquatic life, providing plenty of feeding opportunities for the newly hatched fry, as well as for their mothers and fathers.Īll the moving water associated with these spring freshets also attracts hordes of walleye, bass, perch, crappies, shiners and, most importantly, suckers. Pike spawn successfully in these areas, where they can lay their sticky eggs on the submerged vegetation and flotsam, keeping them off the low-oxygenated bottom. The best such spots are usually the largest inflows, where huge quantities of detritus are deposited, fertilizing the flats and creating lush, weedy, Garden of Eden-like conditions. The fastest way is by locating the outflows of various creeks, streams and rivers entering the lake, where the moving water creates rich, fertile deltas.
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