Going once.... going twice !!!!!

[Fish Chris]

Okay buddies, here's the scoop. I haven't even made this trip yet...... But the whole prospect is "such a trip" (no pun intended).

There is a this place in the California Sierra mountains called Lake Davis. Way back in 1990, somebody dumped a few Northern Pike in it, and they just took off like wildfire. By the late 90's, they were going crazy, and the Ca DFG was totally worried that they would spread through creeks and rivers (and by clueless idiots illegally moving them) so, they poisoned the whole 5000 acre lake.

They thought they got them all, until somebody found Northern Pike in Davis again in 99'. Since then, they have taken off again.

Now, from time to time I heard about the Pike problem in Davis (and I have ALWAYS wanted to catch a Northern Pike) but 1) I thought Lk. Davis was like 5 hours one way.... Now I find out its only 3 hours, and 2) I thought that even now, to specifically target the Pike was somewhat of a long shot..... WRONG ! I just got in touch with an old fishing aquaintence who informed me that on his worst trip, he only caught 2 pike, but they were 38" and 40" long, and in the 15 lb range ! On his best trip, he caught 30 Pike, ranging from 14" dinks, up to 40" hawgs, and missed at least 30 more !!!

So, now I find out about all of this..... along with the fact, that in about 3 weeks, the Ca DFG (actually this time, they are paying an outside proffessional source) is going to stop all fishing, drain the lake by 90 plus %, and totally poison (rotenone) what little water is left, plus every feeder creek, from the top, all the way down to the puddle :-( :-( :-(

Now, I understand that they have to do this to protect the rest of our awesome fisheries. I just wish I'd have had a clue about all of this earlier.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, I have all of my Crocodile spoons, my chrome rip baits, and my white spinnerbaits out. Plus the steel leader, 2 days of food, etc. Going to fish all day today, then stay at a motel on the lake tonight, then fish all day again tomorrow.

Even a little Pike would make it all worth it to me, since I have never caught one.... But of course a bunch of them, or even more so, a BIG one would just be bombastic :-)

Wish me LOTS of luck on this wild goose chase. Of course I will take pictures, and will post an actual report when I get back......

Pretty excited and confident though :-)

Peace,

Fish

[Deb]

Hi Chris

I'm not sure how much "luck" you're gonna need with your skill but .......good luck.

Look forward to more of your great pics!

deb

[Catt]

Sounds like a plan to me  

[Red]

just remember fish chris...it is not a bass....DONT LIP EM!!!

[Guest the_muddy_man]

HERE COMES THE NEW CALI RECORD!!!!!!!!!!

[RWHusker.]

Good Luck Chris,

Don't forget the Trick Sticks,  we have had great luck with the northerns in Minnesoat and in Nebraska fishing trick sticks, (Senko's) for bass.

GO BIG RED

[roadwarrior]

;D ;D ;D

WOO-HOO!

[foul hooked]

Pike are a blast. They love those white spinnerbaits.

[Bankbeater]

Go get em.

[David P]

d**n you got me wanting to take that trip now, I've never fished for Pike either. It's a shame there's only 3 weeks left. If you have an incredible time I may have to go up there this weekend.

Best of luck man.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

FC, do you fish any water with pickerel??  same thing but bigger.  When they are in supply, they will fight over who gets to the bait first.  Collisions are common.

You'll have a blast, I just hope it's not "too easy" for what you are used to hunting.  

[fourbizz]

i was there a week and a half ago with "supermat" and we fished hard for two days. I caught a 15 incher and lost a leviathan, and he caught a 20 incher. good god was that a lame trip!

[Zel]

Can't believe I'm giving FC advice but don't forget to bring big swimbaits and large jerkbaits in trout patterns!   And don't just throw them into the boat when you catch them.  I've got several scars in my left foot from someone doing just that.

[tallydude]

Go get 'em Chris! I'll be waiting for some great pics!

[Guest avid]

I wonder how big a pike you could catch using one of your "dink" 9 lbs bass as bait?

J/K everybody !!!!!!

[Guest the_muddy_man]

I wonder how big a pike you could catch using one of your "dink" 9 lbs bass as bait?

J/K everybody !!!!!!

Oh GREAT AVID Here is where the thread gets hijcked into another catch and release foray

[basspro48]

Good luck there FC!!!

[nra4life]

pike fishing is fun, i love how agressive they are. I catch them all the time fishing for bass. I like catching them on big spinnerbaits and crankbaits. You will have to change baits after every fish if you use plastics. Treble hooks can be a pain with them. TAKE PLIERS!!!!!!!!!

[Jimzee]

I'll be waiting for the pics,  knowing you it will be another jaw dropper.  Good luck!!!

[fourbizz]

Well!?!?!?!?!?!

I don't understand dude? i can't handle the suspense?! my trip there this weekend has been cancelled and I want to know if that was a really bad choice! ;D

[BassHunter69]

im jealious i haven't gotten any pike since i left il when i was 18 what ever ya do dont lip that bad boy those teeth hyurt as i found out when i was but a young whipper snapper  ;D

[Fish Chris]

Alright, here we go.....

Took a longer rout there, than I needed to... Plus made one wrong turn, that added another 30 minutes.... So, about 4 1/2 hours to get there.

I think my buddy SuperMatt described this lake best when he called it a "shallow, weedy mess" ! I was nervous anytime I was running the boat, as their were certainly areas you could hit bottom on... yet not a marker buoy in the whole darn lake ! Then I would be kicking along and all of the sudden, I'm into weeds so thick, I was afraid of clogging my intake.... plus worried that the bottom must be even closer ! And the water..... typically only 2 to 4 ft vis :-( Geez, I would think all of those weeds would filter it better than that....

Then, I couldn't believe how lousy my boat ran, at only 5500 feet. Heck, I could barely get on plane at wide open throttle !

Okay, about the fishing. I pull up to the first spot, and I see some swirls and boils, so I throw out a Chrome Crocodile spoon. As I retrieve it, I see this strange, long, lanky fish following it ! It's my first Pike sighting ! Yea' buddies ! I just know I'm going to smoke them ! Well, I threw 3 different lures at it, and it would follow each time, but wouldn't commit :-( I thought these things were supposed to be stupidly agressive ? So I move around the lake, but no more sightings, and no follows.

I fished really hard until about 4 pm Tuesday, but then the wind came up, and after a long, hard trip, and no action, I called it early.

Went back to the motel, got comfortable, and crashed early. Got up at 4 am, for breakfast, morning news, and a shower, and was at the launch ramp at 6 am (only about 2 miles from the motel).

Pull up to my first spot, and throw out the crocodile. As I reel it in I have a Pike following it, but it veers off at the last second ! Second cast, I slow down the retreieve a bit and Whack ! I get hit, but it doesn't hook up :-( Quickly I switch to my other rod with a Huddleston Shad tied on. Cast it out and start a steady retrieve...... Whack ! Fish on ! I start ripping it to the boat, and it doesn't feel big, but it's a Pike ! My first (and maybe only) ever ! As I get it to the boat it just starts going ballistic, flipping and twisting in every direction, so I decided to just swing it in. As it's coming over the rail, the hook pops out..... but it falls, flipping and flopping, straight into the boat !

Buddies I'll tell you, I have never felt so satisfied, and content, by catching "one dink" of any species, as I did with this little 18" Pike ! Took several photos.... and then, I wanted to release it so bad.... But was paranoid about a truck parked within viewing distance... and with the signs at the ramps saying that you must immediatly kill any Pike you catch, before returning it to the water (I don't even think you can take them "dead" for food ? :-( .... I went on and cut its gills, and threw it up on the shoreline. The Ca DFG is going to kill every fish in the entire lake, in less than a month anyway.... But still, it sucks that they force me to be the executioner. Anyway.

So, I start fishing that area (up towards the dam) really hard. Had a couple more followers, but no more hits. I did come up on a couple Pike that were just sunning themselves, that would spook, and take off with an explosion. One looked to be at least 30 inches.

The wind came up again at about Noon, and with zero action, little confidence, and a 4 hour drive home (plus having met my goal of catching a Pike... albeit a little one) I decided to call it a day.

Back at the ramp, I had the coolest talk, with sweetest little Fish and Game girl {buddies, I'm telling you, I am in love. A girl like that could just whack out my whole, smooth, steady, under-my-own-control, life in an instant !}. She showed me a picture on her camera phone, of the fattest 42" Pike I think I have ever seen, which they electro-shocked up earlier this year from the lake. She said the Pike were a lot easier to catch in the Spring...... But I bet not "next Spring" :-(

So anyway, I worked REALLY hard. I spent $200 on gas, the motel, and lures. And all of this, for one 18" Pike..... But was it worth it ? Absolutely, positively, YES ! Every minute, and every penny :-)

Will I do it again ? No. Would I make the same drive again next week, to see Amber (the Fish and Game girl) if she envited me ? Like a dum-bass... probably. Doh ! :-)

Peace,

Fish

PS, .......so, I figure by taking off at 1:00 pm, I should beat rush hour traffic through Sac, plus, I'll take the rout I should have to begin with, and no wrong turns. I get back to Truckee in no time ! Only like 45 minutes. But I'm not on 80 for 5 minutes.... and tail lights :-( Turns out there is a forest fire at Donner pass, and 80 has been shut down.... Litterally 2 miles, and 15 minutes in front of me. So, I sit dead still for 3 1/2 hours :-( :-( :-( My trip home ends up taking over 7 hours because of it.

So even in view of all of this, would I do it again ? Absolutely :-)

[roadwarrior]

Dude!

I've seen pike and I've seen your handsome face before, too.

Where's the picture of the pretty girl?

:

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Chris, when you had the pike following your lure to the boat and then veering off....did you try doing any figure 8's with your lure?  A lot of times that will be the ticket to an EXPLOSIVE EVENT at the boat on really short line.

Sounds like you had a blast, even for one fish. I am sure the pig largies will keep you company in the near future.

Wayne

[Fish Chris]

Hey RW, I'll send you the wedding photos.... Oh wait.... Is that my alarm clock I hear going off ? :-)

Hey Speedbead, yea.... I have heard about that trick with Pike, even the ones from this lake, but they were apparently just really turned off, and they disapeered as quickly as they came. If they had hung around for just 2 seconds, I'd have tried this....

As for Largemouth's.... Well, maybe one or two more trips this Summer.... Then maybe a few trips this Fall, but I'm starting to think Stripers now :-) Come on 40 plus lb'er ! :-)

Peace,

Fish