Conesus Bigger Pike Help

[Big fat pike]

Been fishing Conesus heavily to try to get a 40" pike have fished deep and weedlines for the past few years now with spoons spinnerbaits, rouges, shad raps imitating alewives primarily with some perch colored lures getting fish  big and small and usually get pike here and there but nothing past 34" and the numbers of moderate sized fish seem down too compared to 2 years ago. I don't know what i am doing wrong though i have managed 2 tigers and 1 walleye 

[bulletbob]

 Can't comment specifically on Conesus, but can say i have witnessed similar issues in the past in several waters, where for some reason, the fish seemed smaller than what one has gotten used to over the years. Could be pressure, could be environmental, could be a change in the forage base.. all sorts of things. Decade after decade I fish the susquehanna river in fall for SMB.. It was nothing to catch 25-30 in just a few hours, and almost every fish was 13 inches or better, and some  much bigger.. Then about 2 years ago, it became hard to catch any much over about 11 inches with most under 10 inches, and very very few that were 12 or over.. No apparent reason for it, and it was the same last fall as well,, plenty of fish, but all much smaller than what i was used to catching for 30 years every fall.. I have seen similar situations in lakes and in  salt  water as well.. I think these things occur due to  a change in the forage base personally, but I am certainly NO expert, and would like to know what others think, and have experienced personally.... bob

[Big fat pike]

3 hours ago, bulletbob said:

 Can't comment specifically on Conesus, but can say i have witnessed similar issues in the past in several waters, where for some reason, the fish seemed smaller than what one has gotten used to over the years. Could be pressure, could be environmental, could be a change in the forage base.. all sorts of things. Decade after decade I fish the susquehanna river in fall for SMB.. It was nothing to catch 25-30 in just a few hours, and almost every fish was 13 inches or better, and some  much bigger.. Then about 2 years ago, it became hard to catch any much over about 11 inches with most under 10 inches, and very very few that were 12 or over.. No apparent reason for it, and it was the same last fall as well,, plenty of fish, but all much smaller than what i was used to catching for 30 years every fall.. I have seen similar situations in lakes and in  salt  water as well.. I think these things occur due to  a change in the forage base personally, but I am certainly NO expert, and would like to know what others think, and have experienced personally.... bob

Could very well be but just saw big ones at the inlet where they go to spawn last year

[fisherman21]

40” pike don’t show up around here often. Essentially you are going to be fishing for a needle in a haystack. 95% of the pike in that lake are probably 18-35 inches. That leaves you maybe 5% of the population that would be 40” plus. The number is probably even smaller than that. I would upsize lures. Muskie sized lures. You will get less bites, but you will get the right bites, hopefully lol. I have fished all over the last 25 years and have caught tons of pike, and I’ve only ever gotten one pike 40 plus and a couple other close. It just doesn’t happen around here often. It’s essentially like catching a 50” musky. It just doesn’t happen often because there aren’t a lot of them around 

Edited September 6, 2025 by fisherman21

[bulletbob]

On 9/6/2025 at 6:13 AM, fisherman21 said:

40” pike don’t show up around here often. Essentially you are going to be fishing for a needle in a haystack. 95% of the pike in that lake are probably 18-35 inches. That leaves you maybe 5% of the population that would be 40” plus. The number is probably even smaller than that. I would upsize lures. Muskie sized lures. You will get less bites, but you will get the right bites, hopefully lol. I have fished all over the last 25 years and have caught tons of pike, and I’ve only ever gotten one pike 40 plus and a couple other close. It just doesn’t happen around here often. It’s essentially like catching a 50” musky. It just doesn’t happen often because there aren’t a lot of them around 

 Yeah, I'll go along with that.. I have caught some nice pike  in my day. but its not like remote Canadian lakes  that are full of giant pike.. I have caught a few that were 36 inches or better,  not that many,same with Muskies, but I dunno, I don't see a lot  caught that go much beyond that . Most are much smaller... bob

[Big fat pike]

22 hours ago, bulletbob said:

 Yeah, I'll go along with that.. I have caught some nice pike  in my day. but its not like remote Canadian lakes  that are full of giant pike.. I have caught a few that were 36 inches or better,  not that many,same with Muskies, but I dunno, I don't see a lot  caught that go much beyond that . Most are much smaller... bob

 

On 9/6/2025 at 6:13 AM, fisherman21 said:

40” pike don’t show up around here often. Essentially you are going to be fishing for a needle in a haystack. 95% of the pike in that lake are probably 18-35 inches. That leaves you maybe 5% of the population that would be 40” plus. The number is probably even smaller than that. I would upsize lures. Muskie sized lures. You will get less bites, but you will get the right bites, hopefully lol. I have fished all over the last 25 years and have caught tons of pike, and I’ve only ever gotten one pike 40 plus and a couple other close. It just doesn’t happen around here often. It’s essentially like catching a 50” musky. It just doesn’t happen often because there aren’t a lot of them around 

Thank you 

I would normally agree on that needle in the haystack

Imo The invasive alewives they have to eat and more successful spawning due to the spawning grounds they made produces more and lots of people say its a big pike fishery

  

[jk1]

Yea for Grandmas.  I have lost a lot of them over the years = great lure for both pike and walleye!!!......jk

[bulletbob]

 Might be a  "big Pike lake, but a lot depends on how many "big Pike" are taken out..  In any lake ,even a big one,  you can only take so many large old fish out before the majority of the fish get smaller. According to my research, under optimal conditions a Pike takes 8 years to reach 30 inches, which is NOT a big Pike. Those 40 inchers are probably at least 10 years old,  or more. There is a reason we don't see  30 pound Lake Trout in our area.. The conditions and food supply would support them, but they simply are caught and eaten before they can reach that size. The Finger Lakes are highly pressured these days compared to years ago. Yes you used to catch a lot of  really  big Pike, understood. However so are a lot of other guys, and some eat them, or  hang them on a wall.  The salmon trollers on L Ontario used to catch 30 pound fish regularly. and a 15 pounder is considered a good one, despite plenty of food, and good water conditions.. The  reason for this?... In my opinion, its simply pressure. More and better equipped fishermen takinbg a lot of fish before they can get really big... Sometimes the simplest answers make the most sense. bob

[Big fat pike]

On 9/15/2025 at 8:24 AM, bulletbob said:

 Might be a  "big Pike lake, but a lot depends on how many "big Pike" are taken out..  In any lake ,even a big one,  you can only take so many large old fish out before the majority of the fish get smaller. According to my research, under optimal conditions a Pike takes 8 years to reach 30 inches, which is NOT a big Pike. Those 40 inchers are probably at least 10 years old,  or more. There is a reason we don't see  30 pound Lake Trout in our area.. The conditions and food supply would support them, but they simply are caught and eaten before they can reach that size. The Finger Lakes are highly pressured these days compared to years ago. Yes you used to catch a lot of  really  big Pike, understood. However so are a lot of other guys, and some eat them, or  hang them on a wall.  The salmon trollers on L Ontario used to catch 30 pound fish regularly. and a 15 pounder is considered a good one, despite plenty of food, and good water conditions.. The  reason for this?... In my opinion, its simply pressure. More and better equipped fishermen takinbg a lot of fish before they can get really big... Sometimes the simplest answers make the most sense. bob

 

 

which is what gave me hope

You are definitely right about pressure

But i would think the alewife taste would ruin it for a lot of people

some of the fish my buddy marks trolling really makes me think there are still some there

 

with the salmon i thought they found  for whatever reason they keep spawning at age 2 the last several years instead of waiting longer?

Edited September 21, 2025 by Big fat pike
Additional response

[GAMBLER]

Big pike in Conesus are there you just have to put a ton of time in to get them.  Like stated above, there are very few over 40".  I have personally caught two over 40" out of Conesus.  One was through the ice in 2005 and the other was open water trolling in 2016.  

[bulletbob]

Any really big Esox is the same.. The really big trophies are out there, but the reason they are trophies is because they are scarce at that size, and of course everyone wants them.. If the only fish you want to catch are the really big ones, use big lures or baits that smaller fish won't hit, and just put in the time.. a LOT of time... Ever heard this expression?-  

Big Fish,Big Bait..

 

 I have revised it a little-

Big Fish,Big Bait, Big Wait..... bob

[Big fat pike]

I misread the survey average 4 year old pike is 20"

[bulletbob]

 I read Esox growth and habitat studies that stated under optimum conditions, pike would grow to a foot the first year,then growth would slow down considerably  the following years, and that 30 inches in 8 years is considered very good growth. With that in mind,   20 inches  growth in 4 years seems quite good.

We all see those  videos of guys catching 15-25 pound Pike cast after cast. but remember those are fishing videos usually taken in remote fly in lakes that are mostly catch and release or trophy lakes in Northern Canada.. Its just not reality here, due to pressure.. I would bet that all the Finger Lakes are capable of monster sized fish if they went  unfished or very sparingly fished for 10 years, especially the lakes that have alewives.. I am no expert of course, but I don't think habitat or food supply is the usual cause of smaller fish in any fresh water lake,river or stream.. I think its the fact that too many fish get caught and eaten before they can grow to a large size...bob

[Big fat pike]

On 9/18/2025 at 9:44 AM, bulletbob said:

 I read Esox growth and habitat studies that stated under optimum conditions, pike would grow to a foot the first year,then growth would slow down considerably  the following years, and that 30 inches in 8 years is considered very good growth. With that in mind,   20 inches  growth in 4 years seems quite good.

We all see those  videos of guys catching 15-25 pound Pike cast after cast. but remember those are fishing videos usually taken in remote fly in lakes that are mostly catch and release or trophy lakes in Northern Canada.. Its just not reality here, due to pressure.. I would bet that all the Finger Lakes are capable of monster sized fish if they went  unfished or very sparingly fished for 10 years, especially the lakes that have alewives.. I am no expert of course, but I don't think habitat or food supply is the usual cause of smaller fish in any fresh water lake,river or stream.. I think its the fact that too many fish get caught and eaten before they can grow to a large size...bob

I actually did read it right it was 28" at age 4

https://dec.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2025-03/tb8conesuspike.pdf

 

Walleyes are 20" at age 4 in conesus

[bulletbob]

that is fantastic yearly growth for pike and Walleyes, anywhere...bob

[jk1]

At a cabin in Chibougamau, Quebec, Canada there was a poster about the growth rate for walleye saying that 15 inches at 8 years old.   Here in Pa I have read some where that the 15inch fish (I think I remember that as correct) were 3 years old.   Big difference in Longitude and length of summer and food supply too......jk

[GAMBLER]

On 9/17/2025 at 1:25 PM, bulletbob said:

Any really big Esox is the same.. The really big trophies are out there, but the reason they are trophies is because they are scarce at that size, and of course everyone wants them.. If the only fish you want to catch are the really big ones, use big lures or baits that smaller fish won't hit, and just put in the time.. a LOT of time... Ever heard this expression?-  

Big Fish,Big Bait..

 

 I have revised it a little-

Big Fish,Big Bait, Big Wait..... bob

It's funny you say big fish big bait.  The two 40+" pike I have caught in Conesus have come on small baits.  

[bulletbob]

I know, stuff like that happens.. The biggest muskie I ever caught was on a 1/8 oz Crappie jig... However. thats not really the norm, and I  think we all know that..

[fisherman21]

Interesting with it being a big pike lake that not one 40” was caught during the survey out of 136 pike caught. Could be because they really are a needle in a haystack 🤷🏼‍♂️

[Big fat pike]

14 minutes ago, fisherman21 said:

Interesting with it being a big pike lake that not one 40” was caught during the survey out of 136 pike caught. Could be because they really are a needle in a haystack 🤷🏼‍♂️

I think the bigger ones made it to the spawning grounds before they did their survey

[Big fat pike]

34 minutes ago, bulletbob said:

I know, stuff like that happens.. The biggest muskie I ever caught was on a 1/8 oz Crappie jig... However. thats not really the norm, and I  think we all know that..

Idk was about to try a white twister tail 

i read people have better luck with them then anything else

[idn713]

27 minutes ago, Big fat pike said:

I think the bigger ones made it to the spawning grounds before they did their survey

I do appreciate your hopefulness, but I will tell you that you have some seasoned and good anglers telling you the truth. 40" pike in our area are a trophy, and as such, they are very hard to come by. You will need to study the habits and feeding patterns of 30 inch fish and then dial your approach in from there. I have a friend who has caught a few 40's out of Conesus, and he dedicated LOTS of time to doing so. Bigger jerkbaits, glidebaits, and spoons (believe it or not) worked on the deeper weed breaks will get you started in the right direction. Typing on the keyboard about theoretical fish sure as heck aint gonna get you the 40!

[Big fat pike]

3 minutes ago, idn713 said:

I do appreciate your hopefulness, but I will tell you that you have some seasoned and good anglers telling you the truth. 40" pike in our area are a trophy, and as such, they are very hard to come by. You will need to study the habits and feeding patterns of 30 inch fish and then dial your approach in from there. I have a friend who has caught a few 40's out of Conesus, and he dedicated LOTS of time to doing so. Bigger jerkbaits, glidebaits, and spoons (believe it or not) worked on the deeper weed breaks will get you started in the right direction. Typing on the keyboard about theoretical fish sure as heck aint gonna get you the 40!

I will im prepping for the fall bite

[muskiedreams]

A good bet in the fall with cool nights is to work the very shallow water around structure and openings in the weeds adjacent to deeper water in the  very early morning. And in the late fall, work those same areas in the middle of calm sunny day afternoons.

[Big fat pike]

2 hours ago, muskiedreams said:

A good bet in the fall with cool nights is to work the very shallow water around structure and openings in the weeds adjacent to deeper water in the  very early morning. And in the late fall, work those same areas in the middle of calm sunny day afternoons.

Shallow as in 8-12 fow?