Late ice pike
- Thread starter Northwoods
- Start date
SD_Prairie_Goat
Well-known member
Take any measurements on them?
Hem
Well-known member
Looks pretty damn nice .
Curious the dimensions?
Northwoods
Well-known member
Those were 37.5” and 39.5”. Our groups biggest of the week was 42.5”.
What measurement do you consider "giant" in your neck of the woods? 42.5" is one of the largest pike I've caught in NW MT, 45" largest. I consider the 40"+ the beasts caught that chariot my kayak! Haha!
42.5" through a fugging hole in the ice? Wow!
42.5" through a fugging hole in the ice? Wow!
Northwoods
Well-known member
I was just throwing words out there but I guess a giant in my mind would be 45”, a mark that I’ve never hit. I think any pike over 36” is big. They start to get the big pike look at that point. It’s not always easy to get big fish through the hole, as one guy figured out the other day. Especially when there is 36” of ice.
Those are giants to me, holy crap. Late ice northern always look cool too, they have a nice build this time of year.
Always interested- what tipup/bait setup @Northwoods?
Always interested- what tipup/bait setup @Northwoods?
SD_Prairie_Goat
Well-known member
Nice freaking fish man!
I go after them in the spring ( going in two weeks might be late with the early break up this spring) and my goal is to get an SD proud angler which is 40".
We've gotten two over that mark in the half a dozen years of going out....
As others have said, those cross the mark to monsters in my eyes.... And even more impressive getting them through the ice!
Sask hunter
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10” hole helps a lot with big pike and getting them up
Northwoods
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This was the first time I’ve ice fished for pike in ages so I’m by no means dialed in. We were strictly tip-up fishing. The other guys all had fancy tip-up systems that used a regular ice rod. I just had the old fashioned tip-ups. I think hand lining is more fun, just personal preference. Anglers who say they don’t like hand lining have probably never caught a big lake trout on a hand line through the ice, it’s a riot.
For dead bait we had smelt and our live bait was 10-12” suckers. All of the big fish were caught on the oversized sucker minnows, as well as some smaller fish. No fish bigger than 32” were caught on a smelt. It was definitely easier to hook up on the smelt though. A lot of fish would just grab on to those big suckers and then let go after a bit.
Gellar
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It’s gonna take a lot of beer to get through that much pickled pike! Hell of a catch. To say I’m jealous would be an understatement.
Sask hunter
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My favourite bait is bigger smelts like 8” long or so
Pickled pike sounds amazing. Tell me more
Hem
Well-known member
My biggest pike on a fly was 37". I'm crazy about big pike with my flyrod, I get more excited about Spring pike than anything all year. Your fish @Northwoods were impressive, loved the girth.
I don't fish them just know guys that do. mtmuley
Hem
Well-known member
Screw Huey. Nice guy. I've met him and actually had a beer with him. Took him duck hunting on a place I was working on. When he bought his property everything was off limits. Glad the stream access is a thing. mtmuley
