By Louie Stout

Indiana’s St. Joe River Producing Quality Pike

Most people know the St. Joseph River provides excellent bass fishing throughout most of Indiana and Michigan waters.

They also know that, from the Twin Branch Dam to Lake Michigan, trout and salmon fishing can be spectacular during the spring, fall and into the winter.

It’s also well known that the river has developed a pretty good walleye fishery thanks to stocking efforts and that bluegill fishing has improved remarkably throughout the river system.

But one fish that isn’t getting the recognition it deserves is the northern pike.

Mike Boisseau of South Bend wants to change that.

Boisseau isn’t what you would call an avid pike angler. Frankly, he spends most of time on the river fishing for bass or walleye. But like most anglers, he just enjoys catching fish, including the toothy critters that prowl the river’s vegetation and often bite whatever lure he’s fishing.

“I know there are a lot of people in Michiana who like fishing for pike and I want them to know the river is full of them – and big ones,” he said.

It hasn’t always been that way. Boisseau recalls his younger days of fishing with the St. Joseph Valley Bass Masters when a pike-catch on the river was rare.

“Back in those days, if you heard of someone catching a pike, everyone was talking about it, like they were all surprised,” he said. “Today, you’re going to get bit by a pike just about anywhere you fish, especially between the Twin Branch and Elkhart dams.”

Elkhart/South Bend aquatic biologist Dar Deegan says he’s also seen resurgence in the pike population throughout the river. The impoundment sections offer the most pike and best habitat, but Deegan says he’s finding pike in all sections of the river he surveys.

“There are a number of reasons, but plant growth is a big factor,” said Deegan. “The amount of aquatic plants in the river has really increased the past 10 years and that’s good pike habitat.”

And that’s where Boisseau hooks up with most of the pike he catches. He catches a lot of fish around weeds growing in as shallow as 2 feet.

“It’s unusual to fish the river without catching a pike measuring at least 30 inches,” he said. “And I’ve caught some a lot bigger than that.”

He says areas known as the gravel pit and Mosquito Glenn upstream of County Line Road Bridge, the weed flats across from Baugo Creek, and the grassy flats that lie downstream of the island across from Maggies landing are prime pike territories. Most of those areas are out of the main current.

Best lures?

“If it’s a moving bait, pike will bite it,” he said. “Baits like spinnerbaits, shallow crankbaits and jerkbaits will get you pike action.”

His favorites are the Rapala Ripstop or Shadow Rap jerkbaits, lures he says produce a lot of action from both pike and bass. White spinnerbaits or flashy crankbaits work, too.

“I’ve even caught pike when flipping jigs into wood and on a topwater around bridges,” he said.

Pike are spawning in the river now, but their mating ritual is quite bit different than bass and bluegill that are nest builders later in the year.

Deegan says that the fish start migrating into vegetation areas shortly after the winter thaw. Males and females begin cruising together, and once the male think’s it’s time, he will start bumping the female’s lower area to force her to dump her eggs.

As the eggs fall from her, the male releases clouds of his seminal fluid to fertilize the eggs before as they attach to vegetation or brush.

The female can produce anywhere from 25,000 to 225,000 eggs. Depending upon water temperature, the eggs will hatch within two to four weeks.

Unlike bass, the adult pike leave the area and the young are left to fend for themselves. Young pike feed on their own yolk sacs before moving to feed on small plants and other tiny organisms.

Once the pike spawn, they are eager to eat and become easy to catch. They will gobble anything they can grab, which is why that early spring period is a good time to catch a big female.

So if you’re itching for some big pike fish action, no need to drive far to find it. It could be right here in your own backyard.