Pikepalooza!!!!

[J Francho]

What started as a recon mission Saturday, for salmon, ended up being an awesome day for northerns. I noticed that salmonoids were rolling and jumping on the north end of "The City Dump" at the outlet to Lake Ontario. So I decided to check out the City Dump creek to see if any were in the creek. I didn't find any salmon, but i did fond some bass and some toothy guys, so I called googly up to see if wanted to hit the creek in the morning. Well it was a ridiculous day of pike fishing!

We found fish stacked at the upstream side on deep cuts and trenches. You sould cast the bait downstream past them, and they'd follow up the cut, or cast upstream and run the bait right into their wheelhouse.

Spooks, Spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits, Ratt'l Traps, and crankbaits all caught fish.

Here's the spooky part: none of had ANY leaders. In fact, the largest fish of the day was caught on a tiny Luck Craft crankbait on 8# P-Line CXX, LOL.

Here's the pics:

First fish of the day - right in front of the kayak shop,

putting on a topwater show for the morning shoppers!

That wretched has my $15 lucky craft!!!!

Don't break now - so close!

OK, you want to run some more....

Gimme back my Terminator, you

German Shepherd with fins!

Googly landing a nice, nearly 7 lb. fish.

Got 'em!

It took all day, but Roger's wife got a real nice one.

I wonder if all those rec. yakkers know what lurks below them?

Best fish of the day: 12 lbs, 37". Caught on a tiny LC Crankbait, spooled with 8# CXX!

This last pic is proof of concept: you can stand on a OK Big Yak

[mrlitetackle]

now that sounds, and looks like some great fun man!!!!

.....no leader either, wow!

good job!!!

[Grey Wolf]

Now that's a great day of fishing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RobbyZ5001]

Could you resize them? Or is it schools computer that makes them look crazy?

[J Francho]

Your resolution is set way too low.  They view fine on my monitor, which is set to 1280x1024.

[Uncle Leo]

Them smaller pike are good eating. I like to wrap in tin foil with onions, butter and lemon and cook on the grill. Now I'm hungry!

[RobbyZ5001]

Your resolution is set way too low. They view fine on my monitor, which is set to 1280x1024.

Is that a common setting? On campus I could only see like half the picture, but at my apartment I can see 3/4 of it.

[J Francho]

That's pretty standard, based on recommendations for viewing digital images.  Older displays are probably set much lower.  For contrast, my wide screen 15" laptop is set to 1900x1200, and the pics take up about 1/2 the screen.  For me, real estate is more important than big fonts.  I can't barely read anyway, LOL.

You are welcome to view all my fishing images here: http://plan-b.smugmug.com/Family/Fishing-Journal/1995135_vdSnJ.  You should be able to select your preferred size.

[J Francho]

Them smaller pike are good eating. I like to wrap in tin foil with onions, butter and lemon and cook on the grill. Now I'm hungry!

This is how my father used to make them for us when we were kids. "Polack Crab Legs" is what he called them (my dad is 100% Polish), just pick the meat off the bones, and dip it in butter.

While these guys came from relatively cool creek water, I would not want to eat them after a long summer of algae blooms in the bay. They stink to high heaven, an I can imagine the flesh is pretty nasty as well. In spring, when the water is just warming up after their spawn seems to be the best time for eating pike.

Also, these guys live in what i call the "City Dump," not a place I'd eat fish from, LOL: "Nice bass, where'd you catch it?" "You know that stump field by the west shore? he was set up on a bed right next to a rusty 55 gal. oil drum and a tire."

;D

[Paul Roberts]

That truly is a 'Yak fest. Didn't know you guys had groupies!

You've got good balance my friend. However, when there's fish to be had, adrenaline can defeat Kryptonite. I went almost 15 years steelheading with an SLR around my neck, before I finally dunked it. On rivers like the Salmon, I could have put Baryshnikov to shame. 8-)

;D

[J Francho]

Didn't know you guys had groupies!

Those ladies followed us all over the place, LOL.

I picked up a spool of 30 lb. sevenstrand today....I'm going back well prepared

[tyrius.]

I REALLY need to get me one of them kayaks!!

[1inStripes]

Your making me yak and pike envious.  

[Marty]

Great day John!! Some top-quality fish and amazing that you had no breakoffs, or didn't report any.

[J Francho]

Marty,

Roger and Shirley both had a couple of bite offs, fishing a worm.  I lost a jig on braided line.  After that, switched to bigger baits, for the most part, and didn't break off.  I was lucky with the big one, though.