Pike on Ice

[recon6036]

Wow. That's a nice load of Pike. Looks like you have the whole lake to youself.

 

[duckhunt]

Thats gonna be some good eatin.

 

[mtmander]

Wow, great catch , hope the ice stays thick for you.

 

[RobG]

Forget bear next year, 2016 Hunt Talk Pike Fishing...let's make it happen.

Did I hear someone say Ft. Peck Walleye/Pike adventure?

 

[theat]

How the heck does one pull a piggy out of a hole with that tiny diameter short length pole?

Did Kujo give the finishing blow to the flopping pike?

Looks like some great fun! Pike are such a blast! Gotta say though I've never fished for pike through ice... I think I am annoyed as to how people pull so many fish out of a 2' hole in a lake while I venture the entire lake and maybe have the luck you have out of the tiny hole... Jealous!

We did catch a few of the smaller 4-8lb fish on the short rods and a few up to 15lbs in past years, but for the most part they are caught with tip-ups. I have fished pretty hard on this lake for pike during the warmer months and have never done nearly as well as in the winter.

Thorne used to get pretty excited when we had a fish on. He would stare down the hole waiting for the fish. Now he just wants to lay on the seat in the shanty in front of the buddy heater

Forget bear next year, 2016 Hunt Talk Pike Fishing...let's make it happen.

Sounds good to me. So far this year we have been out two weekends and caught well over twenty pike each time. I wish I could say that was normal, but unfortunately we typically average around ten.

I'd be there fo sho!!! Great haul of pike, Travis!! Are you going to pickle them?

That is the plan for most of them. The "Y" bone dissolves in the brine. Not having to remove it makes it way easier to clean them.

Beautiful fish, but how good is the ice when you're using benches, boards and ladders to get out on it?

It was from 5 to 7 inches once we got away from shore. The water level here fluctuates a lot causing the shoreline to break up. Last weekend the water came up almost 7 feet from Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon. That really made it tricky on Sunday. The last guy off the ice broke through in crotch deep water.

What are the measurements on those first two fish?

The first one on the right was 18lbs, not sure on the length. The second was 23lbs and 44".

My kids sure enjoyed their time on the ice with you guys. Thanks for letting them pull the tip-ups last Sat! We ate the slimer and a bunch of perch for Sunday dinner. They were great.

Glad you guys made it out. It is just as much fun for us watching kids pull those pike in as it is catching them ourselves. If conditions improve we will probably be out again next weekend.

 

[jryoung]

Did I hear someone say Ft. Peck Walleye/Pike adventure?

I'd love to learn how to ice fish, I made these fishcakes lastnight that would be perfect with pike/walleys.

 

[e300winmag]

Awesome fish Travis!!!
JR that fish cake looks restaurant quality!!!

 

[GSP4EVER]

Nice haul of pike. I can catch pike all summer long, but not so much when it comes to the ice fishing.