Why I Use A Leader ......

[Maico1]

Mr. Tooth roams the waters.....This 5lb.12oz. inhaled my frog leaving me to believe I had a good size bass on board boy was I wrong. So the blood you see is from my left thumb which was torn while I was getting the frog unhooked......Nice teeth.

[JD96]

I hate those things. I don't know if it's legal or not but I always kill them.

[MichiganFishing1997]

I hate those things. I don't know if it's legal or not but I always kill them.

I know that they can be an issue for bass fisherman but that seems a little careless. Theyre part of the ecosystem just like all the other fish. Plus you dont even know if its legal. You should probably at least educate yourself before doing things like that. Just my 2 cents.

[JD96]

Ok well I fish a private lake 95% of the time because its in my community. Fun lake. But those toothy fish are problematic since they eat so much of the food that bass need.

I've always been taught fishing since I was little that in the private lake anything with teeth dies. And it's easier to get a lure out of a dead fish. Not risking my safety to release a fish that I hate anyway.

[aquaholic]

I hate those things. I don't know if it's legal or not but I always kill them.

This is just dumb. 

[clayton86]

I've become the pickerel whisperer it seems lately I've hit delta lake here in CNY probably 6 times in the last week and a half I've caught 50+ pickerel and northerns and all of 4 bass not one over 8" lol. I had a pick destroy a spro baby popper last week same way as yours it sounds this one got my pinky pretty good. I hate the fish too but I don't kill them just because but I don't go taking extra care of them like I will a bass that's been out of the water a long time due to a deep hook.

[whakx]

Havn't ran into a northern yet but we catch chain pickerel here all the time. Anything with flash seems to get them really excited, they tear cheaper spinnerbaits to shreds lol. We've also discovered they have a taste for soft plastic lizard baits.

[BradH]

It's not hard.  Just carry a few extra tools and a decent net in the boat that make it easier to unhook the fish.  For those of you that are afraid of pike and feel the need to kill them I'm sure there's room in your purse next to your tampons for some jaw spreaders and what not.

 

[Maico1]

For me it is just as important to get the Pike back in the water as it is the Bass.....

[flyfisher]

Ok well I fish a private lake 95% of the time because its in my community. Fun lake. But those toothy fish are problematic since they eat so much of the food that bass need.

I've always been taught fishing since I was little that in the private lake anything with teeth dies. And it's easier to get a lure out of a dead fish. Not risking my safety to release a fish that I hate anyway.

Ignorance is bliss apparently...private or not unless you own the entire lake I would think you are being careless and selfish.

And just curious but do you have studies confirming your theory of "they eat so much of re food that bass need"

Other than of course what you think is happening with no substantiation.

[RAMBLER]

You should check your state regulations about pike.  In a lot of states they are a regulated game fish.  There is a size and bag limit on pike.  Kill any and throw them back, if a warden sees you, they count toward your limit.  Purposely killing an undersized pike, I believe in some states is, the same as taking one undersized.  It can be expensive, and if considered serious enough, be reason to lose your license.

 

Just because you don't like them is not a reason to disobey the law.

[Mike2841]

I like pickerel they put up a bigger fight than LMB

[Quitlimpin]

Looks like a blast to me. As bad as the fishing has been here lately I'd be stoked to even have the opportunity to catch another species while bass fishing--teeth or not.

[tbone1993]

I've become the pickerel whisperer it seems lately I've hit delta lake here in CNY probably 6 times in the last week and a half I've caught 50+ pickerel and northerns and all of 4 bass not one over 8" lol. I had a pick destroy a spro baby popper last week same way as yours it sounds this one got my pinky pretty good. I hate the fish too but I don't kill them just because but I don't go taking extra care of them like I will a bass that's been out of the water a long time due to a deep hook.

You want a band aid or something? Ive had worse paper cuts lol. Rub some dirt in it and get back to fishing

[J Francho]

I hate those things. I don't know if it's legal or not but I always kill them.

 

Remove one ten pound pike from a population, and you have reversed six years of year class growth.  Keep doing it, and you'll soon be overpopulated by annoying hammer handle pikes.  The largest fish in a pike population feed upon the smallest; in fact they rely on it.  More larger pike in a population, less smaller pike.  You do the math.  Makes zero sense to kill all you catch (or any for that matter, though the 5-8 lb. fish taste great) if you're concerned with your "private pond" and these pests, you might want to rethink your strategy.

[powerduster]

There is no reason to fear them as they lack the jaw power to do any serious harm. I always keep a small pair of pliers and towel in my back pocket, both to get a good grip and reach tricky spots; other than that, I usually don't need em. I really don't mind catching other species, especially pickerel and pike as they put up a stronger and longer fight than any bass I've caught. Other then the teeth, what not to like?

[JD96]

Y'all know more than me about it. Looks like I will be changing my ways when dealing with the fiesty fishes. Fortunately they're pretty rare where I fish. I'm not getting cut over a fish that's for sure.

[MarkH024]

Y'all know more than me about it. Looks like I will be changing my ways when dealing with the fiesty fishes. Fortunately they're pretty rare where I fish. I'm not getting cut over a fish that's for sure.

If you have a pair of good long needle nose pliers there is no reason to get cut. Forceps would work too but I don't find them any easier than using pliers. Pike plague the waters I fish, you learn to deal with them. And, it's rewarding to catch a nice big one here and there. They put up a good fight unless they get tail wrapped which happens occasionally and they have excellent burst speed so the runs next to the boat are always fun.  

[L a r r y]

 I'm sure there's room in your purse next to your tampons for some jaw spreaders and what not.

 

 

Thank you for making me spit water all over my monitor

[Grizzn N Bassin]

 

 I'm sure there's room in your purse next to your tampons for some jaw spreaders and what not.

 

 

Thank you for making me spit water all over my monitor

 

i feel the same way hahaha!!!!!

[RyneB]

I have fallen victim to the toothy critters a few times. The worst incident was when I landed a 38 incher on a lizard. It shook out of my grasp, cut my hand and in the scuffle, my buddy fell and got a Rapala stuck into his behind. I don't mind catching them, but they are just really slimy.

[ww2farmer]

I like pike just fine. They have their place in the food chain............THE TOP. The best bass lakes I know of have lots of big pike. Plus they fight better than bass, and they will rip the rod out of your hand when they strike. It's annoying to lose lures to them, and I myself had to go to the ER this spring to get a badly chewed up thumb glued back together. But many a bad day of bass fishing has been saved by willing pike, and I, unless I am in a tournament or they just swiped my stuff, enjoy them for what they are.

[JD96]

After reading and seeing bloody pictures about pike biting, why do ya'll defend them, I admitted I was wrong but they're pests, I don't fish for pike, and I have been taught by my dad that they don't belong in our lake, which is private, and I've always seen them being killed and heard about it, in a stocked manmade, the pike were not put in the lake, someone else did it.

 

I will not kill anymore pike, but I guarantee if I'm at risk of getting cut up I will disregard the fish, if that means I carry a purse and tampons then so be it.

[EvanT123]

If you worried about getting cut up buy a pair of mechanic gloves and remove the hook with a pair of needle nose like said above. To me a fish is a fish and I'm happy. especially one that looks like this.

[aquaholic]

They arent pests just because they have teeth. Lots of fish have teeth and will make you pay for mistakes. Heck a catfish can do some damage. its says your favorite lake is oconee, so i will assume you are in georgia. chances are its not even  pike. I dont think pike go that far south.