Northern pike, and particularly big northern pike, are truly worthy adversaries in the fishing world. Violent head shakes, swift thrusts of power that will bring your drag into the extreme level and will break a rod easily if that drag isn’t perfect, a fair chance at some tail-walking. And then those teeth to mind when you bring that fish on board.

If you look hard enough, and often enough, you will find another group of anglers, albeit a much smaller group. It is also a group that tends to be rather solitary in the pursuit of this fish. You won’t find them grouped up over one certain piece of water. More often than not they will be fishing alone, or maybe with just one other angler on board. And, like the most silent lipped trout angler, they will certainly not be giving up any particular location for you to try.

I have to admit, hammer handle pike are a nuisance– kind of like a room full of five-year-old children on a sugar buzz. Then again, those little pike could just grow up to be big pike if given a chance. Chastising these is no different than getting all upset over trout that are small or undersized bass.

As for getting cut off, just learn to deal with it. Use heavier mono leaders, say in the 50-pound range or steel leaders and your cutoffs go way down in frequency. Their slime? Get over it. It is their protection from a number of pests.

With the amount of good to superior pike waters available in this neck of the woods, if you are not a piker, maybe you ought to try becoming one. Dr. Teeth is a most worthy opponent.

As June starts winding down into full-blown summer northern pike retreat out of the shallows and head for deeper water. These fish can’t stand warm water and look for depths for some relief. In the dog days look for pike to be anywhere from 10 to 20 feet of water.

Specifically look for fish in these depths where there is a good deal of weed growth. While pike do favor some weeds more than others, they will seek out any that provide then both shade and camouflage. Besides staying a bit cooler, they are hiding in these weeds to ambush their prey.

If you look at a pike you’ll see that a pike’s eyes cannot look down, they are engineered to look straight out ahead and up. Knowing that, you’ll be wise to get baits that work the top 50 percent of the water column. Why? Because a good number of fish won’t even see your bait if you work it any deeper. And, a pike will launch himself like a cruise missile straight up to get after a likely looking piece of food.

The weed beds are important as it gives pike a place to wait in for food to come swimming by. Like a tiger in the jungles they ambush their prey. While not known for sustained long and speedy runs, pike have a sprinters metabolism– they get the afterburners lit in an instant to catch their dinner inside that tooth-filled mouth.

Those teeth are uniquely fit for a predator. Thin and needle sharp, they are also angled back towards the throat. That way, when a pike latches on to a fish and the soon to be eaten fish tries to get away it simply impales itself deeper into the pike’s teeth. The teeth are also finely serrated, making quick work of your line, or your fingers if they get too close.

Big spinnerbaits in either all white or hot orange, and Magnum Shad Raps in fire-tiger or perch finish are good baits to start with. Pike seem to like hot colors, or at least get aggravated by them to the point of striking out in anger. Big, as in magnum-sized stickbaits are another good option with suspending baits generally working better than the floating or sinking variety.

The best place to work these are right on the edges of the weedbeds and into the small cuts and openings when the weedbeds are expansive.

Fly rodders should begin with an 8-wt fly rod and matching reel. A short leader is all that is needed, and like in casting lures, you’ll want a beefy mono tippet or a steel leader at the terminal end. Big gaudy streamers seem to be the summer ticket to success.

Now, it takes truly special waters for pike to grow consistently large. Yes, some smaller bodies of water will have a few of the bruiser variety, but day in and day out, big pike need big water.

Hot Spots
Southern Lower Peninsula
Lake Muskegon; www.visitmuskegon.org
Lake Macatawa; www.holland.org
Lake St. Clair; www.visitdetroit.com

Northern Lower Peninsula
Manistee Lake; www.mansitee-cvb.com
Houghton Lake; www.visithoughtonlake.com
Thunder Bay; www.alpenacvb.com

Upper Peninsula
Portage/Torch Lake; www.keweenaw.info
Les Cheneaux Islands; www.lescheneaux.net
Green Bay; www.cityofmenominee.org

Written by Dan Donarski, a noted professional outdoor and travel journalist, July 2010.

In Detroit, the state’s largest city, the main wave of immigrants came between 1880 and 1930, when the world’s workers were attracted to Henry Ford’s $5-a-day assembly line. By 1925, the foreign-born accounted for nearly 50% of Detroit’s population. Almost a century later, the metropolitan area is home to the largest Arabic-speaking community outside the Middle East, the U.S.’s second largest Polish population (only the Windy City has more) and large concentrations of African-Americans, Belgians, Chaldeans and Maltese. One easy way to get a taste of tradition is to visit the city’s many ethnic eateries. Enjoy homemade pierogi in Hamtramck, sopapillas in Mexicantown, shawarma in Dearborn or soul food in downtown Detroit. Be sure to check out the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the world’s largest such institution.

The rest of the state’s heritage is equally rich. Frankenmuth has made a name for itself — along with thousands of chicken dinners — by emphasizing its German history. HLearn more about this diverse group of people at the Frankenmuth Historical Museum.  Holland was settled by the Dutch and you can experience everything from klompen dancing to traditional architecture during the annual Tulip Festival, or any time of year. At the Holland Museum, you’ll find a wealth of fascinating history about the city’s Dutch immigrants.

The culture of the state’s earliest settlers, the Native Americans, can be found at heritage centers like Nokomis Learning Center in Okemos and others throughout the state. In Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, watch for signs for pasties and you’ll be able to feast on the same hearty fare Cornish miners once took into the mines.

When planning a winter trip to cross country ski or snowmobile, the necessary requirements for a top destination include decent snow, accessibility to a network of trails and some sort of cozy lodging. Add to that list the option of finding all three in one convenient, affordable location, and the clear winner is Michigan State Parks. With more than 30 parks offering winter lodging facilities, ranging from rustic cabins to fully furnished lodges, it has never been easier for winter recreation enthusiasts to enjoy their outdoor pursuits while staying on or close to the trails they are using. Depending on which type of trails are being used and how many people are in a group, Michigan State Parks offer five different types of winter lodging to meet the needs of diverse types of users.

For large groups looking for all the conveniences of home, there are modern lodges located in several state parks. The modern lodges accommodate between six and 24 guests. Most are fully furnished and the kitchens equipped with appliances, dishes and cookware. Some of the lodges are equipped with linen service and beds are made before the visitor's arrival. Potential renters should check with the individual park for the included amenities and prices. The lodges also make a convenient and easily accessible base camp for cross country skiers who prefer to have electricity and heat available while still staying in the state park, close to miles of groomed trails. State park modern lodges located along snowmobile trails can be found in Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, Twin Lakes State Park, Tahquamenon Falls State Parkand P.J. Hoeft State Park. These three parks, along with Fayette State Historic Park and Proud Lake State Park, also offer groomed networks of cross country ski trails adjacent to or near the modern lodges.

A second alternative for cozy accommodations in winter are the camper cabins. Equipped with electricity and heat, these log cabins cost $80 per night and can sleep up to six people in two bedrooms and a living room with a futon. Visitors should plan to provide their own bedding, cookware and camp stove. Snowmobiles can be ridden directly to the brand-new camper cabin at Van Riper State Park, which is perched on the shoreline of Lake Michigamme, while the camper cabin at Fort Wilkins Historic State Park is located near a snowmobile trail and cross country ski trails. Camper cabins also are available in winter at the following state parks with groomed cross country ski trails: Mitchell, Tahquamenon Falls, Port Crescent and Proud Lake.  Additionally, Holland, Waterloo, Pinckney and Tawas offer camper cabins in winter with access to ungroomed trails.

A third choice for state park winter lodging is known as the mini-cabin. These small, one-room cabins are located within established campgrounds and have electricity and heat. Mini-cabins can sleep four people on bunk beds and generally cost $35 per night during the winter months. Renters should bring their own bedding, cookware, flashlights and cookstove. Both snowmobilers and cross country skiers can easily access the mini-cabin at North Higgins Lake State Park and Fort Wilkins State Historic Park. Mini-cabins also are located at the following state parks with networks of groomed cross country ski trails: P.J. Hoeft, Ludington, McLain, Muskegon, Port Crescent and Sleeper.

For winter outdoor enthusiasts who would like to get away from it all and unplug, the rustic cabins and yurts available for winter lodging might fit the bill. Rustic cabins range in cost from $50 to $80 per night and offer lodging for groups ranging in size from two to 24 people. These cabins typically are furnished with a table, chairs, heater or woodstove (firewood is provided) and beds with mattresses. Except for Sleeper Lake State Park and Holly Recreation Area, rustic cabins do not have electricity, and renters are encouraged to bring their own cookware, bedding and lanterns. Rustic cabins are available in winter at the following state parks with groomed cross country ski trails: Cheboygan, Hartwick Pines, Porcupine Mountains, Rifle River, Sleeper and Wilderness. The rustic cabins at Sleeper State Park do have electricity. Other rustic cabins available in winter are at Bald Mountain, Brighton, Fort Custer, Harrisville, Holly, Island Lake, McLain, Ortonville, Van Riper, Waterloo and Wells. Many of these parks allow snowmobiling and all allow cross country skiing.

Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park and Pinckney Recreation Area offer yurts -- sturdy, weather-tight, circular tent structures -- during winter. Yurts sleep four to five on bunk beds or futons and rent for $60 per night. Heat is provided from a propane furnace or woodstove, but yurts do not have electricity. Cookware is available at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. Yurts and rustic cabins are extremely popular with cross country skiers because they often are located right on the ski trails. In some of the parks where the cabins are not accessible by road, skiers will pack in their supplies and then set up a base camp to return to each evening after spending a day on the trails. Winter visitors to Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park will find ski trails that are groomed and track set for skiers, and snowmobiles are allowed on designated trails in the park. Cross country skiers using the yurt at Pinckney Recreation Area will find easy access to the ungroomed Potawatomi Trail.