pre front pike

Hi Folks, Guided up north yesterday for northern pike casting fur and feathers.  Nice fishing weather with cool air tempratures, over cast skies, and flat water conditions. The wind did pick up as the day progressed and lightly blew from the east south east.  Had a few heavy rain showers around lunch time as the weather front pushed through.  The water temperature was 59 degrees to 62 degrees.  We saw a few spawning beds that had large smallmouth sitting on them.  Our focus was not smallmouth yesterday but toothy critters instead.  We did land several 2lb to 3lb smallmouth but they were merely a bonus and were pretty lethargic fighters.  Caught 6 northern pike yesterday on the fly rod and missed several other fish as well as multiple follows.  All of the pike were holding in less than 5' of water and the strikes were extremely aggressive.  We located them on downed wood that was lying in new growth weed beds.  The water was very clear were we fished so we were able to witness each take from a pike.  The flies of the day were a 3/0 cream sickle bunny bugger and a 3/0 bright orange and red bunny bugger with copper flashabo and doll eyes that my client named the Dr. Zeuss.  It looks like the bass are beginning to set up to spawn.  Not all of the bass will spawn at the same time as this helps to protect a species from obliteration when catastrophic events unfold.  We did not see or catch any largemouth yesterday.  I will be on the water all weekend mixing it up.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy