I have this favorite spot on a 1000 acre lake that gets up to 60 feet deep at mulitple locations. This spot always have consistenly produce 2-4 lbs for me, flat area 5-10 feet the gradual drop offs up to 30-60 feet. Lately, I have been catching more northerns at this spot from 16" to 36" in size than bass. Now all I catch is northern. I typically use black/blue 1/2 oz football jig. My question is since there seem to be an increase in northern population at this spot, do they chase the bass away? Because I have not catch a single bass in 3 outings at this spot.

Yes, pike can take over a spot. More than likely, those bass are still somewhere close by. They could be suspended out in that deep water, following bait. 

I LOVE fishing for bass....but 36" northerns....those might make me forget about bass for a while.....

If you're getting 36 inch pike on a spot - chances are decent that the school of bass that fed there previously may have stopped using it.

 

 Competition for food is hard enough in any environment and there's no need to battle big pike for food. 

 

That body of water has plenty of room to roam and the bass are well equipped to do so.

 

I'd be looking else where.

 

A-Jay

Any thing over 20" is fun but if you keep loosing $3 jigs every other bite then it is no fun.

Yep, if you're a 15 - 20 inch bass and a bunch of 36 inch fish with razor sharp teeth start hanging around, you're going to find a different hangout.  

Agreed, Sean.  Amazing how much anguish hammer handles cause compared to how much joy the monsters bring.

Pike don't really get fun until the low 30" range...but i'd take a 36" over a 4 lb bass any day

Pike don't really get fun until the low 40" range...but i'd take a 46" over a 9 lb bass any day

 

I fixed it for you.

Curious...do you guys up there eat northern pike? The closest thing we have are chain and redfin pickerel and they rarely reach eating size. I've never caught one.

I fixed it for you.

Haha agreed, but I was just being realistic for the lakes I fish in southern WI

Love catching pike. ..I wouldn't complain in that situation. .

Any thing over 20" is fun but if you keep loosing $3 jigs every other bite then it is no fun.

 

You either play or not, to play you have to be willing to sacrifice, I´ve lost more than $3 jigs in the first cast; actually a jig in my hands seldomly lasts more than a couple of hours and in a fishing day I may loose 5 or 6 jigs.

If I lost a $3 lure every other bite I'd have to do somethin about that

Fishing equipment and all else included is expensive enuf

I, personally like the taste of pike. I think they taste better than walleye. Just more bones in them.

I, personally like the taste of pike. I think they taste better than walleye. Just more bones in them.

X2

They're harder to clean but I think they taste better and a 25" pike is easy to catch and has a ton of meat on it.

Yes 25" pike are tasty. But it is bitz to clean and filet.

yeah, pike are quite edible, but annoying to clean. I never keep them though.

Since dad taught me the 5 fillet method years ago, I've had no problems w them.https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.burnettcounty.com/DocumentView.asp%3FDID%3D59&ved=0CE8QFjAMahUKEwj6xq-XsP_HAhXF1B4KHShxCqs&usg=AFQjCNHAb2B2EcNeI9GMRJ1M2jGZy5lTEQ&sig2=nRDRMAZbLZYrWnC0OlXflg

Three of my spots have produced 29" to 32" chain pickerel. You can't get two hands around them because there so fat.

I'm mainly after bass but the fight of these pickerel are fun too.

I caught one smaller feisty pickerel that tried to bite me three times while I tried to remove my CRANKBAIT he inhaled.

He was mad and slamming his mouth shut hard.

Pike, pickerel are too boney. I met a guy who removes all the meat and makes fish cakes

If I'm catching big pike I'll look elsewhere. I have caught plenty of bass mixed in with small pike though. Just a month ago my father-in-law and I caught 90 bass in an afternoon and nothing short of 40 pike in the same areas on the same baits. Bass ranged from 1lb to 4lbs. None of the pike were over 3lbs. Sometimes you have to sort through them and other times you need to make a change in location. 

I'm moving to Minnesota land of 1,000 lakes.

I'm moving to Minnesota land of 1,000 lakes.

10,000 Lakes with 10,000,000 dinky pike that can't wait to bite your lure off.

10,000 Lakes with 10,000,000 dinky pike that can't wait to bite your lure off.

Never have a problem with that up here. I run 30lb braid no leader and have pulled in 32" Northerns with no problem.

Only time I lose one is when I birds nest.

Is it me or the way pikes hit jigs?  I caught plenty of them on z-man chatter baits and single blade spinners and rarely loose a lure. However, I tend to loose my jigs when they bite.