February 22, 2012
Trophy fishing at Silsby is great spring, summer and fall. However tactics do change throughout the season. If you like sight-fishing in the bays and catching high numbers of fish then the spring is for you. If you like the good weather, fishing the weed beds and catching the heaviest fish of the year then the summer and fall months would be more to your liking. Below we give you a basic description of what to expect during all times of the year. Whether you choose the spring, summer, or fall we are sure our trophy pike will create exciting memories.
Ice-out varies from May 15th to June 1st with the average being May 20th. Due to cold fronts that come in and out of the area, temperatures can range from 35 - 80 degrees, so bring layers of clothing.
The trophy pike are in flat shallow bays & river mouths. The big post-spawn female trophy pike are looking for the warmest bays. Find the warm water and you have found the active monster pike. This is the time of the year when sight-fishing is best as the trophy pike will be in the shallow bays sunning themselves.
The suckers spawn in and around the rivers and creeks, which usually starts a feeding frenzy for trophy pike. This time of the year we usually have the best success with smaller baits such as medium sized Johnson spoons, Daredevils, Mepps #5, Blue fox #6 and slow wobbling crank baits such as the Manns Minus One.
This time of year the weather is more stable. Fishing becomes more consistent with temperatures averaging 50 - 80 degrees. There are fewer cold fronts thus fish are less affected by the weather. This far North, the water stays cool so there are no mythical "dog days." For instance, our guests caught more Master Angler Northern in the last week of July (30 trophies) than our guests did in the first week of June (28 trophies).
On Silsby and High Hill lakes, pike stay in the thick cabbage weeds in depths of 6-10 feet. Fish the edges of the cabbage and you'll catch trophy Pike. At this time the 45" pike that weighed 25 pounds in the spring are now 30 pounds and full of energy as their metabolism is at the highest peak due to foraging since ice out. This is the time to catch the heaviest fish of the year and many of our guests seeking the bubba bean trophy pike come year after year during the summer months!
When is the best time to fish for Trophy Pike? I get asked this question on a constant basis over the years. The familiar answer of "it's hard to say" is actually true at Silsby. Our guests catch Just as many trophy Pike in July as they do at ice out. For instance...the week of June 2-9 produced 28 trophy Pike on Silsby. The week of July 22-29 produced 30 trophy Pike. See..."it's hard to say."
July 22-29 Stats...
2 - 47" Master Anglers
1 - 46 3/4" Master Angler
2 - 46 1/2" Master Anglers
2 - 45" Master Anglers
1 - 44 1/2" Master Angler
2 - 44" Master Anglers
In addition, 20 more Master Anglers over 41 inches were caught during the week. It is a fact that the majority of the "Hawgs" (45 inches or bigger) have been caught in July and August.
The lodge record pike of 53.5 inches was caught in mid-August in the weeds. The big females have big meals on their diet at this time of the year so bring lots of big baits such as large Johnson Silver Minnows, Large (Musky size) Tandem spinner baits, Stick baits like Bobby baits, Reef Hawks, Suicks, and Mann's minus one super stretch.
Late August produced our biggest Pike of the season. Larry Leitner's 49 1/2 inch trophy was caught off a reef in the middle of the lake. Greg Butler's 48 incher was caught on a similar reef on the East side of the lake within a few minutes of the lodge. These giants were filling up on smaller fish that come to the reefs to fill up on craw fish that live on these rocky shelves.
Our guests at Silsby and High Hill caught 6 trophies over 46 inches just in the last week in August and first few days in September. The weather this time of year has usually cooled off and the bugs are minimal or gone. Nothing beats the scenery in late August and September with leaves changing colors and the Northern Lights dancing on clear nights.
Here’s some pictures. Sue had a great time and says the her top five list would be #1: The clean bathrooms. #2: Great accommodations. #3: Beautiful scenery. #4: Great guide. #5: Fishing. (I’ll copy her in just in case I’ve ordered them wrong).
See you next year.
E. Dennis (right with 46 inch Northern in late August)