For many anglers, May is a holy month. In many places the closed season is finally over and we are allowed to target our beloved pikes once again. During the infinite rest period, the fishing tackle is getting tuned and the days are numbered until the season finally starts again. No other day, like the opening day, you’ll be able to find so many anglers on the water during the first morning light.

Yet, all the joyful anticipation is often quickly followed by disillusionment. The fishing does not always work out as desired and that has its reasons. Year after year, I had eagerly awaited this time, and like so many others, I have experienced bad fishing. From all these experiences from the years, I have been able to develop a pattern of the behavior from the pike, so that now May, has ultimately become my favorite month.

Listen to the jungle drums. Do not stick to the usual methods. Taking notes of the conditions are the factors for success. 

Cold winter

Although we live in times of global warming, we of course experience cold winters. Sometimes winter reaches its peak in February and lasts until April. Under these conditions, pike normally begin their spawning in March and continue well into April. In the past, I tried to be the first on the water after the ice melted, but more than once the lakes were still frozen!

However, I always kept an eye on the weather in order to try again as soon as the ice was gone. When the time was right, I drove to the lake full of anticipation, but disillusionment followed quickly. There was nothing to be gained except for a few predators. The pike had everything else in mind than my bait. The preservation of the species was even more important, and my lure was always being rejected during this time.

At a water temperature of 6-9 degrees Celsius the lion’s share of pike begin to spawn. In an exceptionally cold winter, this situation may even prevail at the beginning of May, at least a part of the overall stock is busy spawning. The only consolation for us anglers is that the crocodiles are still prevailing in the shallow spawning areas as soon as they are done. Especially for shore anglers, this provides a good chance to get to those predators who are going to spend the rest of the year in open waters. Sometimes it happens that big pikes suspend their spawning business for a year. These fish are in remarkable condition and often possess considerable weight. True dream fish! Jerkbaits, like our 3D Roach Jerkster or 3D Hybrid Pike are now a guarantee for success. 

3D Roach - Imitations. Roaches in the lakes and herrings in the sea are spawning in during this time. Choosing the best imitations are the best way for success. 

Pike imitations should definitely be in the bait box. The big old pike lady devours her lover! Weed fields with a depth of 0.5m to 2m, which are located close to deep waters, are real hotspots. I made my best experiences in shallow water when temperature reaches a range between 9 to 12 degrees Celsius. The pike are very hungry after the lovemaking and are waiting for the whitefish, which now start spawning themselves. A real feast for the pikes! That is why baits in roach design are particularly successful in addition to pike patterns. Also other species of baitfish is migrating to the shallows at this time, so keep an eye out for which pike treats are in your area. 

Follow the sound. Having a sounder to search for spawning bait balls is an incredibly strong asset to catch more big fish. 

Mild winter

Just as there can be an exceptionally cold winter, there can be particularly mild winters. These are usually followed by a warm spring. When there are already two-digit plus degrees at the beginning of March, the water heats up extremely fast. As a result, life literally explodes! The plankton begins to grow and the pikes start their spawning earlier. In this situation, the green predators are quickly finishing their spawning business.

Overall, nature evolves much faster, making it a few weeks ahead of the usual development. Consequently, the pikes are migrating earlier from the shallow water areas into the open water. Anyone who go for the textbook example and fish the shallows are likely to experience a nasty surprise - At least with regard to the better fish. Small pike up to 70 cm will still be around, but the "Big Mamas" have already migrated.

Go small for the big ones. Christian Wieneke loves big baits, but during the spring, he experienced that smaller baits are way better to fool the big mamas. 

As experience shows, when the temperature hits 15 degrees Celsius the migrating has already begun. Then I concentrate from the outset on the open water. Now you can resort to a variety of methods. Trolling, pelagic vertical fishing or casting brings success. Yet, it is essential that one do not to offer his bait too deep. The predators are now in the upper third of the water column. I would snap on big swimbaits. My favorites are the 3D Line Thru Trout or 3D Roach. These two lures have two things in common. They both have a big profile and very lifelike movement that trigger the big mamas. Also, softbaits with plenty of action, so that the bait cannot escape the pike’s attention.

The white fish are often clenched in enormous swarms and are literally surrounded by the pike. Around such a gold mine, casting has proven to be the best method, because the bait lasts longer in the hot area and can be presented without generating the noise and scare effects by the boat engine. Especially for capital pikes this is an important factor!

Breaking the stereotype. While all the books said to fish the shallows, this fish was caught in deeper water by following a school of herring. Christian was rewarded with a 15,1 kg beast!

Transition

The phase of temperatures between 12 to 15 degrees is the walking time for our beloved pike. “Master Esox” can then be found in partly flat as well as in deep water. The fish spread over a large area, which makes the search more difficult. Now it is extremely important to pay attention to where the whitefish swarms are located. Are they still busy spawning or already finished? To simply fish somewhere now will bring little success. It is now worthwhile to invest some time in the search. That is why I first search the open water with the echo sounder for whitefish swarms. If I find one, the pikes are not far away either. But if there is nothing to be seen on the echo, you can confidently sail into shallows.

Now it is important to observe the water closely. Spawning white fish are not exactly silent during the act, so they betray themselves easily. They make splashing on the surface, whirls up soil or spread the weeds all over the place. This spectacle is obvious and of course, pike cannot fail to notice them. For the predators, this means a richly set table. A simple prey because the whitefish lose all caution. In such areas, many pikes cannot hold back and eats as much as they can. If you find this buffet, you can look forward to great catches.

There are no rules. Spring fishing is full of surprises, so be ready to serve a surprise. The books is only serve as a guide. You have to crack the code.

Special case in brackish water

I have always been fishing on the Island of Rügen myself and have always been looking forward to May 1st. Full of anticipation we would drive to Rügen. Books and articles have always been praising the shallow water as the best area. That was also logical for me, which is why I always oriented myself to it. However, this tactic was not very successful. Either we hooked only a few small pikes or we simply did not manage to hook a single croc. This is too little for the hoped-for grandiose start of the season! I experienced this two years in a row and honestly, I had enough during the third year. It felt like I did not understand the world anymore! Out of desperation, we started fishing for herring in order to have at least some fun. When I had a herring in fight, a pike grabbed it just below the surface! Fortunately, a hook of the paternoster hung in the front of the lip. Thereupon I immediately reverted to my pike rod and we had a fantastic fishing day! The pikes were in between the herring and were in a feeding frenzy - The strikes followed in rapid succession!

Overweight. The condition of some of these pikes are just incredible. Look at this mama!

After this key experience, May became my favorite month. In addition to grandiose quantities, there were also often the desired monster pikes. In the lakes, pikes are waiting for the roach to spawn, but in brackish waters there are just herring, which after spawning, migrate from the fjords and into the open sea. However, these herring are not moving through the shallow water, but through the fairway. The pikes know that very well and immediately swim in the direction of the fairway to feed themselves on the silvery herrings. Although I am a big fan of baits beyond 25cm, jigging rubber shads, jerkbaits or swimbaits of 15-20cm are now absolutely sufficient.

It was astonishing to see that big baits did not work so well. On days when it bit really well, we had extensively tried big baits, but there were far fewer attacks. Actually it made no difference in the size of the pike, which is why it is also quite pleasant for me to fish with light rods and tackle. Everything that resembles a herring brings plenty of predators. Maybe that is because the 4D Herring Shad is turning out to be so effective for the early crocs. Colors like roach, pike, perch and carp are the perfect patterns for successfully launching the season. In addition, one has a great chance to catch a big bonus, which makes this time very exciting. Note that the 4D Herring are available in smaller sizes. Perfect for an early season start.

Lose less. The line thru system has one huge advantage. When the fish strikes, the lure slides up the line and the crowbar effect get very limited. This means less damage to the fish and a higher landing rate. 

Ultimately, it is important to pay attention to how nature is evolving at the start of the season and not to what is generally recommended. Those who stubbornly fishes "as always" must not be surprised about remaining without a fish. For me, the basic rule for this time is, if the pike are not there, where they should be classically, they are just somewhere else! Those who are now flexible and adapt to prevalent the circumstances will definitely experience a hot dance into May!