Lake O. - Open Water Pike?

[johnnyfamous]

 

Open water summer Pike fishing, where are they?

 

Lake Ontario is a fairly flat bottom. Shore to 200ft is about 5 miles.

- Bay water is too hot. Mid 70's.
- No structure.
- No crazy ledges / quick transitions.

 

Casting the mouth of Bays and channels in late fall and ice fish Bays we pull up lots of good Pike, some in the 40's inch. Pike move in once the water is cold and the breeding starts.

I know they are coming from the Lake but where? 

- Are they belly to bottom in 50 degree water? Which could be 100ft down.

- Are they migrating from different river systems traveling 100's of miles away?

The salmon trolling guys never pull up Pike when trolling spoons / flys in open water.

[bulletbob]

 The book says Pike will seek out the deepest available weed lines in summer.. Probably accurate depending on the water.. However you must consider the makeup of  the Great Lakes and Finger Lakes.. Many species in these waters go out of character. Fish that are typically near bottom such as Walleyes and SMB, and  fish of streams such as Rainbows and  Browns all suspend and follow bait.. You might have never caught a Pike while trolling deep in summer, but a lot of others have.. I have seen them jigged in deep water as well, mid lake in Seneca, so those fish are suspended and on bait..Always remember this rule of thumb.. Most fish will  go out of preferred temp to feed,, They may not stay there and rest, but food trumps all other concerns... In a large ,cold ,deep lakes a certain number of predators will go out of "normal" habitat, and will suspend because thats where the food is, and often thats where the right temp is.. Pike are ambush predators, but so are Walleyes,Large and SM Bass,, and they all suspend at different times in deep glacial lakes.. To answer your question, here's my theory, and its ONLY a theory... Some Pike are in deeper weed lines, a few might even be where you caught them in spring. Others are acting like other Great Lakes/Finger Lakes fish, and are suspended and feeding and hanging under bait balls.   Pike are where the food is, and right now, most of their food is in cooler. deeper water,  so thats where at least some of them will be found.
 

[GAMBLER]

I have caught pike in the summer off piers.  Last summer at Hamlin Beach State Park, I caught a 32" northern off the end of the small pier in Area 1.  I have also caught them off the Summerville and Charlotte piers in the summertime.