PB Pike

[Jar11591]

Hit up my "home" lake after work tonight. This lake has not been very good fishing this year compared to years past, but it has some very nice bass in it and its only 5 minutes from my work so I fish it a lot on week days. I was doing what I normally do on this lake, drifting a bank pitching a jig to the fallen timber trying for some bass. I was reeling up the jig to make my next pitch and a big pike followed it right to the boat so I killed the retrieve. As soon as the jig began to fall again she inhaled it and took off like a rocket after I set the hook. I probably fought this fish for 5 solid minutes and had her next to the boat 3 times, and each run would peel of a couple dozens yards of 40lb braid. This fish was way to big for my bass net, so I had to make sure it was tired out for me to safely pick it up out of the water, photograph it and release it without harming it. Everything went perfectly, as by the time she was next to the boat for the third time, she was tuckered out and I was able to grab her by the gill plate, photograph, measure and quickly release her. 

 

The tape measure on my boat is only 24" long and this fish wasn't all that far from doubling it, but not quite. Judging by how close she was to doubling the 24" tape, this fish was 42 or 43".  My main concern was getting this beauty back in the water quickly. The head and jaws on this fish were huge, a real gator. By far my biggest pike and my first pike that I'd consider to be pushing "trophy" status.

[Dwight Hottle]

Pike are suckers for that falling jig trick. Works with spoons too. Good instincts on your part. Congrats on the big pike PB. 

[A-Jay]

Very Nice Pike ~ 

Congrats on the PB.

A-Jay

[Darren.]

She's a beaut! Congrats!

[Further North]

Great fish - Congrats!

[Ksam1234]

Beautiful pike ! Nice catch 

[slonezp]

Great fish

[Crestliner2008]

Congrats! You got a dandy there for sure!

[Gundog]

That is a quality gator you got. Kudos to you for landing that beast. 

[soflabasser]

Congratulations on your new pb northern pike.

[Neil McCauley]

Awesome Northern, congrats!! I had a monster northern follow a spinnerbait to the boat this summer.. crazy sight. Must have been even crazier actually seeing it hit.

[nosdog2]

That is a great pike!!