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Pike o Rama

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3.8K views 30 replies 15 participants last post by  FishNinja  
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#1 ·
Went out on Evans Saturday morning form 6 to about noon and hooked into 13 Northerns....I caught 9, my buddy caught 4 all on Spoons right out a weed bed. Started the tripp with 4 Spoons, came home with none. I have more pics on FaceBook _ Search Keith Stabi_ Photos_ Lake Evans......

Attached are some of the bigger ones, including a 39" incher
 

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#7 ·
Thanks..Might have to pick one up...Doubt I will use it for pike though..,Only caught one in 22 years of fishing..I caught it in the Ashtabula river on a damn nightcrawler at that lol..Played hell trying to get it off the hook though..My nephew actually asked me if it had rabbies..
 
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#8 ·
Thats funny. I have had the fortunate experience on four occassions now that they fell through the net and into my 14ft boat. My mom saw me and my buddys jumping around liek lil girls and i told her it is like having a gator on a boat lol. They thrash there heads and whip there tails around. I finally came up with a technique to help eliminate this.
 
#9 ·
One way to avoid being chased in the boat is to net and then not bring the net in to the boat. What I often do is just leave them in the water and then figure out where the hooks are so that I can get a handle on them. I don't own a boga grip or anything like that. I guess I am too old school. I go to Canada every summer for the last 15 years so I have literally handled thousands of pike. Not all of them are the size of your pictures but every now and then they are. The other risk to bringing them in the boat is the damage that the fish may be to themselves. When they get to banging hard on the boat it can cut and scrape them up.

Those are some great looking fish by the way. You should consider yourself very fortunate because I don't think you will find many places in Ohio that compare to that as far as pike fishing. It looks awesome.
 
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#10 ·
Yeah I understand. I literally just started fishing this summer when I built a house on this private Lake. I am not going to lie, I am kind of intinidated by some of the Pike I catch and release. This is the easiest method for me right now, or until I feel more comfortable handling them. I usually net them, lay them in a boat and put a towel over upper body to keep control of them. They are slimy as heck and usually to big to handle otherwise. However, usually when I net them, the unhook themselves which I find kind of wierd.

What suggestions do you have to ensure the saefty of this beast while handling..? Because sometimes the hook are set real deep and you cant really get to them without ripping apart there mouth.
 
#11 · (Edited)
What I posted above is pretty much how I handle them if they seem big and nasty enough to give us problems. Like I mentioned I don't use the gripper but that should help you even more than my method. The first thing I do once I have them in the net is figure out where the hooks are and how to remove them. I then use the pliers to pop the hooks out before picking up the fish. Then when I handle them I grab from the underside up in front of gills and in to bottom of mouth and grip FIRMLY. Then I use the other hand to support the fish from the underside back behind belly. This picture here shows my method although the fish does not even compare to the ones in your picture.:D




You mentioned that they are unhooking themselves. This is probably because they are getting the hook or hooks stuck on the net as they thrash and then they are managing to tear the hook loose. While some tearing in the mouth I think is fine I still try to minimize it which is why I try to leave them in the water where they can not do a lot of damage. I will usually net them and then sort of fold the net over on them. That really helps cut down on how much thrashing they can do. If you are wanting to not damage the fish I would try to avoid using the paper towels as they will pull all of that protective slime away from their skin which can create and area that is susceptible to infection. Try to remember to wet your hands before handling them. Anything dry will tend to rub off that slime. And the longer you handle them the more slimy they becomes as they get stressed. If the hook is set deep you may need to lay the fish on a surface but again if you can keep it wet that is better.
 
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#12 ·
Thanks for the Pic. I have tried that a few times, but it seems faster and safer for the fish when I use the grips for some reason and like you said (not bragging) but mine are bigger then that. I am 6ft5 295lbs also, so I dont wanna be to firm and hurt the fish, but yet I dont wanna be to gently and the fish bite me lol, because believe it or not they do try.....

Also.....have you ever heard one. Two or three of the 9 I caught that day, seemed like they were actually barking or grunting at us. Is that uncommom or does it mean something.....
 
#14 ·
No doubt the fish in your pictures are bigger than the one I have but I think the technique is the same. The grip tool that you are using can replace the grip that I am applying to the jaw. The other hand would be in the same area as I am handling them. Many of the guys who are catching big pike and muskies use cradles rather than a hoop net. That allows them to get to the fish better although I am not sure how easy it is to actually net them with a cradle since I have never done it.
 
#15 ·
Get some jaw spreaders, long needle nose pliers, and a pair of hook cutters. It's much safer with the spreaders and better to cut the hooks and leave them there than to mess up the gills. The hooks will quickly disolve but if too much damage is done they may swim away but will die.
 
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#17 ·
Steve, unfortunately one did die that day, but it was a smaller one. We had problems getting out the treble hook of the spoon because it was right beind the jaw line. I made the mistake and tried to rip it out instead of just leaving the lure in. I wasnt sure if the lure would eventually fall out.....Also the only problem with the grips I have is sometimes when there on the pike, they will go nuts and punture a small whole in the bottom jaw. I want to try to avoid this, but keep my safety in mind also. If anyone else has suggestions i am 100% open to them.....Also whats a cradle net?

When I do release them they are usually extremely warn out from fighting so hard. I try to grab them by the tail and rock them in the water back and forth, but they begin fighting and trying to bite again my hand. Anyone who has handled a pike know they are extremely slimy and hard to geta grip on.....Any advice on hwo to release them and so its not to early that they just float upside down befoe swimming off.

I am so sorry for asking so many questions, but aqua actually sent me a notice that if you catch a pike larger then 28" to keep it because they are taking the lake over, having no natural predators....(except me)...I am 100% against keeping a fish, but I was wondering if I should put in the lake somewhere other then i caught it?
 
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#18 ·
Usually when it feels like I got something big on, I play with it for awhile and let it wear itself out. There's a better chance of losing the fish, but its fun to savor the fight while you can instead of just hurrying up and getting it in the boat. I don't know whether that works for pike or not, never caught a big one, but I don't see why not.
 
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#20 ·
If they are trying to turn and bite shouldn't they be revived enough to swim off then?
Looks like you have a heck of a honey hole and get the small knipex cutters because having a hook in a hand with a thrashing fish still attached is not fun
 
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