Gotta love a new pike lake

[Way north bass guy]

Since bass season is still a few weeks away for us here, pike are a great fish to feed the need for hooksets in the spring. Almost every lake around my place that’s larger than about 100 acres has pike in it, but today my son and I tried a new one for us. It’s a 3 lake chain that stretches out for 30 miles or so, and has always been a great bass fishery in the summer, and up until about 10 years ago there were zero toothy critters in there. 

Since they’ve shown up in there, they’ve had the run of the lakes and with lots of spawning bays, super deep herring filled water and a ton of structure, they are flourishing ( the bass are still doing great as well).

We only hit it for about 3 hours this afternoon, just quickly drove around hitting small sections of shoreline that looked good. This time of year the pike have finished spawning but the water is still quite cool ( about 55 deg today), so the fish tend to creep out of the big shallow spawning bays and set up on the first deeper shorelines out from them. This lake has near zero weed growth so the fish often use large lay-downs just like a largemouth will, waiting in ambush for near anything to swim by. 

So we would cruise around until we saw a section of shoreline with some trees down, then hit them with mostly suspending jerkbaits. The water is gin clear in this lake so every strike is seen perfectly ( gets both a 9 year old and his dad pretty excited ?).

In 3 hours, we caught 8, lost about that many more ( mostly because we were too darn excited and pulled the bait right out of their mouths on the strike), and saw at least 20 more follows to the boat. 

Even though there are hundreds of summer cottages on this lake, it almost never gets fished, so I guess we’ve got ourselves one heck of a good pike spot for some years to come. 

[A-Jay]

Very Nice ~

Seriously healthy looking dudes right there.

Congrats

A-Jay

[slonezp]

Very nice. I haven't caught a good pike in many years. Snot rockets are plentiful.  

[Way north bass guy]

10 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Very Nice ~

Seriously healthy looking dudes right there.

Congrats

A-Jay

And with almost no fishing pressure, and lots of room to eat and grow, they’re only gonna get healthier. 

[redmeansdistortion]

Sounds like a fantastic lake.  I get somewhat jealous about the monster pike you all get north of the border.  We get big ones here, but the ones you get in CA seem to get almost as big as our musky.

[soflabasser]

Nice catches.

[billmac]

A lot of people don't bother, but if you like to eat fish, pike are a great eating fish.  The filet techniques are a little different to get around the Y bones, but on big pike like those it's well worth it.  Pike have a firm, white flesh and are delicious (if you like fish).

[Way north bass guy]

37 minutes ago, billmac said:

A lot of people don't bother, but if you like to eat fish, pike are a great eating fish.  The filet techniques are a little different to get around the Y bones, but on big pike like those it's well worth it.  Pike have a firm, white flesh and are delicious (if you like fish).

Very true, about 10-15 years ago a bunch of my buddies and I used to have a little derby on a lake every spring that was full of pike and walleye. At the end of the day, from about 8-10 boats and 20 or so guys, we’d keep a half dozen of each species and have a big fish fry, and once they were all cleaned up and cooked, nobody could tell the difference between the pike or walleye meat. Once the y bones are out, they are a wonderful eating fish. Usually if I’m going to keep one, it’ll be around 26-30” long or so. The big girls always get put back. 

[Joshua van Wyk]

I am yet to catch a pike but it is one of my bucket list fish. I just love how they look and I’m sure the fight is great too. 

[EGbassing]

5 hours ago, Joshua van Wyk said:

I am yet to catch a pike but it is one of my bucket list fish. I just love how they look and I’m sure the fight is great too. 

Same here

[gim]

Come to Minnesota. The current daily bag limit is 10 per day because we have way too many.

[MN Fisher]

18 minutes ago, gimruis said:

The current daily bag limit is 10 per day because we have way too many.

Remember that it's also the possession limit - so if you catch & keep 10 your first day, you'll have to eat some before you can legally keep any more.

[billmac]

It's amazing you guys have never caught a pike, unless you are fishing waters that have bass and not pike.  On any given day, pike are the more aggressive fish.  Pike are a blast, especially on topwater lures.

[SmallBlockMuscle]

The big ones are fun, the small ones couldn't be more annoying around here. If they didnt steal $15 lures I wouldn't care lol 

[Joshua van Wyk]

4 hours ago, billmac said:

It's amazing you guys have never caught a pike, unless you are fishing waters that have bass and not pike.  On any given day, pike are the more aggressive fish.  Pike are a blast, especially on topwater lures.

Here in northern Virginia there are very few lakes with pike in them and I almost only fish ponds.

[Jleebesaw]

I used to fish for pike a lot. Still do through the ice actually. They are fun fish to catch, but they make a d**n mess and stink to high heaven. They are a good eating fish if they are 28-35". Any smaller they aren't worth cutting away all the bone, any bigger they start to taste bad. I have a friend who pickles it with the y bones still in it. They soften up and you dont even notice them when you eat them. It's crazy. 

I started targeting crappie in the spring and haven't intentionally caught a pike since.

[AlTheFisherman313]

On 6/3/2019 at 11:00 AM, redmeansdistortion said:

Sounds like a fantastic lake.  I get somewhat jealous about the monster pike you all get north of the border.  We get big ones here, but the ones you get in CA seem to get almost as big as our musky.

You couldnt be more correct. The pike the catch in Canada are silly. I have seen videos of clear water where they are swarming haha! Plus, a friend I made reffing hockey happens to run a muskie charter who happens to fish the canadian side of St. Clair and with all the small river he usually hammers them on their side of the lake!!!!!

 

I see you from my area, or at least I assume off your fishing locations. I am guessing your a multi-species angler as well? My garage is a **** show from that en-devour haha. I still haven't caught a muskie this year casting in my area or a pike over 30 inches and I am frustrated! Although what else can I expect with the season we had. Maybe a trip up north is due where the fishing pressure is lower, and the water is always clearer.

On 6/17/2019 at 9:13 PM, gimruis said:

Come to Minnesota. The current daily bag limit is 10 per day because we have way too many.

10!!!!! What are you size limitations? I think we can keep 2 in Michigan per day in some areas 5 in others with some odd slot regulations. I don not usually keep them, but if you could keep the good eating size id be glad to help with your overpopulation haha.

 

I heard rumors of Colorado paying anglers to catch pike. Apparently not native, and highly invasive, not sure how valid this is.

 

Edit-Very valid

https://denver.cbslocal.com/2019/05/31/get-paid-to-fish-northern-pike-colorado/

Edited June 28, 2019 by AlTheFisherman313
posting link

[Allen Der]

4 hours ago, AlTheFisherman313 said:

You couldnt be more correct. The pike the catch in Canada are silly. I have seen videos of clear water where they are swarming haha! Plus, a friend I made reffing hockey happens to run a muskie charter who happens to fish the canadian side of St. Clair and with all the small river he usually hammers them on their side of the lake!!!!!

 

I see you from my area, or at least I assume off your fishing locations. I am guessing your a multi-species angler as well? My garage is a **** show from that en-devour haha. I still haven't caught a muskie this year casting in my area or a pike over 30 inches and I am frustrated! Although what else can I expect with the season we had. Maybe a trip up north is due where the fishing pressure is lower, and the water is always clearer.

10!!!!! What are you size limitations? I think we can keep 2 in Michigan per day in some areas 5 in others with some odd slot regulations. I don not usually keep them, but if you could keep the good eating size id be glad to help with your overpopulation haha.

 

I heard rumors of Colorado paying anglers to catch pike. Apparently not native, and highly invasive, not sure how valid this is.

 

Edit-Very valid

https://denver.cbslocal.com/2019/05/31/get-paid-to-fish-northern-pike-colorado/

Northern Wisconsin has no minimum length to keep pike.  I've noticed several of the fishing shows I watch that are taped in Wisconsin and Minnesota are really pushing anglers to keep and eat pike instead of walleye.  They even have demonstration on how to fillet and remove the y bones.  Pike do taste just as good as walleye IMO.  Lake perch is my favorite though

[redmeansdistortion]

5 hours ago, AlTheFisherman313 said:

I see you from my area, or at least I assume off your fishing locations. I am guessing your a multi-species angler as well? My garage is a **** show from that en-devour haha. I still haven't caught a muskie this year casting in my area or a pike over 30 inches and I am frustrated! Although what else can I expect with the season we had. Maybe a trip up north is due where the fishing pressure is lower, and the water is always clearer.

Yes sir, multi-species fisherman.  I don't do hard water though, the ice doesn't seem to get as good as it did years back.  In the 80s and 90s, I'd be out on the ice by Christmas, now the ice usually isn't good until well into January and sometimes even early February.  No worries though, I fish steelhead on the Clinton River while everybody is huddled in their shanties.  Much of the time, I seldom see another fisherman out on the river.  Lots of great steelhead holes from Dodge Park all the way to Yates.  Even get the occasional coho or king out there too ;)

[gim]

16 hours ago, AlTheFisherman313 said:

On 6/17/2019 at 8:13 PM, gimruis said:

Come to Minnesota. The current daily bag limit is 10 per day because we have way too many.

10!!!!! What are you size limitations? I think we can keep 2 in Michigan per day in some areas 5 in others with some odd slot regulations. I don not usually keep them, but if you could keep the good eating size id be glad to help with your overpopulation haha.

Most of the state is a daily bag limit of 10. 22-26 inches is mandatory release with 1 over 26 inches. So ya, they’re trying to get people to harvest the over-abundant small ones and release the larger ones. We’ve got a lot of lakes that are over run with a lot of small aggressive pike. They’re not bad if you pickle them.  

[AlTheFisherman313]

12 hours ago, gimruis said:

Most of the state is a daily bag limit of 10. 22-26 inches is mandatory release with 1 over 26 inches. So ya, they’re trying to get people to harvest the over-abundant small ones and release the larger ones. We’ve got a lot of lakes that are over run with a lot of small aggressive pike. They’re not bad if you pickle them.  

Interesting. The smaller pike are usually more tasty. I have always just felt bad wasting so much fish, but if you have an abundance I have no problem eating them. Just after filleting around the y bone you look like you caught a small walleye lol 

23 hours ago, redmeansdistortion said:

Yes sir, multi-species fisherman.  I don't do hard water though, the ice doesn't seem to get as good as it did years back.  In the 80s and 90s, I'd be out on the ice by Christmas, now the ice usually isn't good until well into January and sometimes even early February.  No worries though, I fish steelhead on the Clinton River while everybody is huddled in their shanties.  Much of the time, I seldom see another fisherman out on the river.  Lots of great steelhead holes from Dodge Park all the way to Yates.  Even get the occasional coho or king out there too

Message me, I have a great spot where you will hit Browns also. It’s on the Clinton I just try to not tell people because I have never seen anyone fish there. I have a trout/salmon box, a bass box, a pike/Muskie box.... I don’t cat fish..... yet haha. I was planning to target a sturgeon yet. I wanna catch 1 of everything we have to offer pretty much. 

 

Ice fishing is the only thing I don’t fish. That’s hockey season ?

 

Those trout are so good to eat! 

[redmeansdistortion]

20 minutes ago, AlTheFisherman313 said:

Message me, I have a great spot where you will hit Browns also. It’s on the Clinton I just try to not tell people because I have never seen anyone fish there. I have a trout/salmon box, a bass box, a pike/Muskie box.... I don’t cat fish..... yet haha. I was planning to target a sturgeon yet. I wanna catch 1 of everything we have to offer pretty much. 

 

Ice fishing is the only thing I don’t fish. That’s hockey season ?

 

Those trout are so good to eat! 

Same here, I have a box for every species.  When I fish I pack lightly because I'm usually crawling through the undergrowth lol.  I wear a chest pack and carry a double sided Plano with a small selection of baits and terminal tackle, a spool of leader line, hemostats, line cutter, and a little something-something to put a smile on my face.  We should hit the river when the weather cools down in October/November.  That's my favorite time to be out there.  I always go off the beaten path too.  I see too many people that seldom wander more than 100yd from the parking lot.  I go bushwhacking. 

[AlTheFisherman313]

On 6/29/2019 at 9:56 AM, redmeansdistortion said:

Same here, I have a box for every species.  When I fish I pack lightly because I'm usually crawling through the undergrowth lol.  I wear a chest pack and carry a double sided Plano with a small selection of baits and terminal tackle, a spool of leader line, hemostats, line cutter, and a little something-something to put a smile on my face.  We should hit the river when the weather cools down in October/November.  That's my favorite time to be out there.  I always go off the beaten path too.  I see too many people that seldom wander more than 100yd from the parking lot.  I go bushwhacking. 

The bushwhacker is required for my location haha. It’s fished occasionally, by others, but looking at it on google maps, or even walking down there, no path your gonna be climbing threw some stuff.

 

I do love Michigan when one bite ends, usually something else is starting too lol! 

 

In michigan, unless I’m on a boat I’m gonna bring what I need. A boat with space is when I become frivolous haha, bring 10 large planos for bass or something, purely because once your launched, your out for the day, better bring what you need or think you might need, plus it’s just so hard to tell what the water conditions in the fishing areas will look vs a boat launch. Shore fishing is a little more predictable you know what you can and can’t throw, unless it’s a new location. 

[AlTheFisherman313]

 

 

I am sure you are family with stony creek, I cannot for the life of me figure that lake out haha. It seems to be a big flat filled with weeds ? it seems like bass are everywhere, but nowhere. I don’t catch a lot of fish, when I hit that lake, but they are always hogs when I do, which is what makes that area so frustrating. I mean I can fish there all day and get skunked or in an hour catch 3 4-5 pounders, but the good days are scarce, it’s not surprising considering it’s a 50 acre lake, with heavy fishing pressure. I almost feel like the best way to get a bite is throw something they have never seen or it’s so old no one uses it anymore haha. They are trained not to hit most lures there already, I can’t imagine what else they won’t hit. In fact the only thing I have ever seen people catch fish on there is the good ole rubber worm, and I think that’s usually a deception type deal paired with a gentle cast. All my good fish come off the worm at that lake, but I definitely prefer... cranking? Vs worm fishing. I usually bring the senko out last lol.