"I would say the average fish is about 20 to 23 inches long, but every year a few larger fish in the 36-inch range are also caught. The majority of the fish are a great size for eating," Lipski noted. For more information about Hardy Pond and nearby accommodations, contact the Newaygo County Tourist Information Center at (231) 652-9298, or go online to www.newaygocountytourism.com.

Many experienced pike anglers enjoy fishing bodies of water that connect with Lake Michigan and are fed by some river system. Lakes that fit into that category often have pike that come and go throughout the year, especially in spring when they are spawning. To target post-spawn spring pike, focus your efforts on the river mouths and at the mouth of the channels of Lake Michigan.

WHITE LAKE/WHITE RIVER
White Lake in northern Muskegon County is a good option, according to Mitch Johnson from Johnson's Great Outdoors in Montague, a town that borders White Lake.

"Trolling near the river mouth with a three-way sinker rig with a live shiner is a great option for anglers," he said. "Another place to catch fish is in the narrows where the lake bottlenecks down."

The first few miles of the White River upstream from White Lake offers good fishing, as many post-spawning fish are returning to the lake via the river. Not far from the boat launch in Montague or Armstrong's Bait and Tackle in Whitehall is a train trestle. Many anglers fish from a boat near the trestle, while anglers without boats can fish along the trestle. When fishing the river, many anglers rely on trolling fire-tiger-style baits up to two miles an hour.

"A lot of anglers fish here because it is a good fishery," said Tim Sanders, an angler from Muskegon, who regularly fishes the area. "I like the fact that some good size fish can be caught here. There are a lot of juvenile fish, but larger fish can be found."

For more information, contact Johnson's Great Outdoors at (231) 893-6688 or the White Lake Chamber of Commerce at (231) 893-4585 or www.whitelake.org.

SPRING LAKE
Another body of water that offers great pike fishing and little fishing pressure is Spring Lake. Surrounded by large homes and summer cottages, the lake experiences heavy summer boat traffic as anglers target largemouth bass. In the spring when the water is cool, few people use the lake, making it a great place to target pike.

Michael Miller, an avid angler who fishes a few tournaments across the state every year, lives only a few blocks from the lake and regularly fishes the area.

"There are lots of bayous on the lake that have a good amount of weeds and cover that pike like to hang out in," he said. "One of them is the mouth of Petty's Bayou. The bayou is shallow, but the water is a little deeper at the mouth and pike seem to congregate there after they spawn. My main tactic is to jig spoons. In fact, that is one of my favorite tactics on the lake."

The Yacht Club on Spring Lake is another place Miller regularly fishes.

"I fish in front of the Yacht Club and the area surrounding it," he said. "Baitfish can often be located by the docks and other structure in the area, which attracts pike. Large boats come in and out of the area, so it is dredged from time to time, creating some deeper pockets of water."

In addition to these key areas, Miller focuses on fishing the points.