I just read an article about fly fishing for Northern Pike. I was amazed that one could battle such a powerful fish with what is normally gear meant for smaller fish such as trout.
Some of these Pike were over 40 inches long!! Since I can barely fly fish at all, this will take some time before I venture out. I believe the article i read was from Alberta or Manitoba up in Canada, but I am not certain.
I will post further information later about fly fishing for Pike, since it seems like the trip of a lifetime.
Enjoy.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Northern Pike - Fishing In General
This post is more of a general speech about fishing and what makes the Northern Pike so interesting.
Each person enjoys going to fish for their very own reasons. Some like to relax, some like to compete, and some just like to eat fish. While the reasons we go fishing are not that important, the fact that we continue to go and teach children about fishing are very important.
Learning to fish can not only help a person survive, only a few hundred years ago man lived off the land, it can also help a person understand the balance of man and nature. Often times we go Pike fishing in the wild wilderness with nothing around but animals and trees and water. There are no cars or phones ringing, just like the old days.
I am not saying this is better or worse, just different. Fishing can help bring back the sense of belonging to nature that is often gone from our every days lives in the office or at home.
This is why we often value the time and want to catch the biggest fish possible. Northern Pike fishing provides a great chance for a large aggressive fish to be caught. Often, large fish are tough to catch and hard to get to bite. Northerns are better for this than most due to their nature of wanting to hammer any lure.
Once a trophy is caught, many of us must decide to let it go or mount it on the wall. These days fiberglass replicas can provide an identical match if a quality picture is given. Releasing the fish will give you another chance to catch it when it gets bigger.
If you choose to mount the fish, then properly preserve the fish in a wet towel and contact a taxidermist immediately. They can give you instructions on what to do next. Do not wrap it in newspaper as this can cause decolorizing.
I think each choice is about the same amount of money, so its up to you. I prefer the fiberglass replica method do to it being less hassle and their is no time rush to get it done quickly.
Each person enjoys going to fish for their very own reasons. Some like to relax, some like to compete, and some just like to eat fish. While the reasons we go fishing are not that important, the fact that we continue to go and teach children about fishing are very important.
Learning to fish can not only help a person survive, only a few hundred years ago man lived off the land, it can also help a person understand the balance of man and nature. Often times we go Pike fishing in the wild wilderness with nothing around but animals and trees and water. There are no cars or phones ringing, just like the old days.
I am not saying this is better or worse, just different. Fishing can help bring back the sense of belonging to nature that is often gone from our every days lives in the office or at home.
This is why we often value the time and want to catch the biggest fish possible. Northern Pike fishing provides a great chance for a large aggressive fish to be caught. Often, large fish are tough to catch and hard to get to bite. Northerns are better for this than most due to their nature of wanting to hammer any lure.
Once a trophy is caught, many of us must decide to let it go or mount it on the wall. These days fiberglass replicas can provide an identical match if a quality picture is given. Releasing the fish will give you another chance to catch it when it gets bigger.
If you choose to mount the fish, then properly preserve the fish in a wet towel and contact a taxidermist immediately. They can give you instructions on what to do next. Do not wrap it in newspaper as this can cause decolorizing.
I think each choice is about the same amount of money, so its up to you. I prefer the fiberglass replica method do to it being less hassle and their is no time rush to get it done quickly.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Fishing Stories
I would like to share with you all one of my Northern Pike Fishing stories. This happened a while back and I was not even Pike fishing!
I was at a small lake that is regularly stocked with channel catfish and also has some bluegill and carp in there too. It just a couple casts long and wide and is only about 4 feet deep or so.
Since these fish are near a duck feeding area, the best technique to catch the catfish is normally just bread on a treble hook. Nothing fancy here. Grab a stick or rod holder and cast it out there and wait. We normally get a few bites every hour and the catfish are about 3-8 lbs. It is exciting fishing but nothing really too crazy.
That changed one evening has I saw a huge fish break this kids rod in half. Obviously I was a little skeptical because the biggest catfish I have seen outta there was 9 lbs, which shouldn't break a rod. Anyway, it turns out the rod was like 50 yrs old and probably would have broken on the next bluegill too.
I thought no big deal and kept on fishing. Caught a small catfish and was about ready to move when i was reeling in my bait I noticed something ripple the surface and chase it. I thought it was strange and started to reel in my other line. Same thing happened, and this time something slammed my stupid bread doughball like it was a spinnerbait. Drag starts peeling and I had no idea what happened. Was hoping for a huge carp, but I noticed the fish was not shaped like a carp when we got it close to shore.
Yup, it was a Northern Pike. About 40 inches long. We netted him and returned him to the water after a few pictures. Completely shocked. Someone must have stocked the Pike accidentally when they stocked the catfish. There is no reason for a Northern Pike like that to be there.
The point of this story is that you never know when and what you will catch. The next fish could be a fish of a life time. Always be prepared with the proper fishing tackle and equipment.
I was at a small lake that is regularly stocked with channel catfish and also has some bluegill and carp in there too. It just a couple casts long and wide and is only about 4 feet deep or so.
Since these fish are near a duck feeding area, the best technique to catch the catfish is normally just bread on a treble hook. Nothing fancy here. Grab a stick or rod holder and cast it out there and wait. We normally get a few bites every hour and the catfish are about 3-8 lbs. It is exciting fishing but nothing really too crazy.
That changed one evening has I saw a huge fish break this kids rod in half. Obviously I was a little skeptical because the biggest catfish I have seen outta there was 9 lbs, which shouldn't break a rod. Anyway, it turns out the rod was like 50 yrs old and probably would have broken on the next bluegill too.
I thought no big deal and kept on fishing. Caught a small catfish and was about ready to move when i was reeling in my bait I noticed something ripple the surface and chase it. I thought it was strange and started to reel in my other line. Same thing happened, and this time something slammed my stupid bread doughball like it was a spinnerbait. Drag starts peeling and I had no idea what happened. Was hoping for a huge carp, but I noticed the fish was not shaped like a carp when we got it close to shore.
Yup, it was a Northern Pike. About 40 inches long. We netted him and returned him to the water after a few pictures. Completely shocked. Someone must have stocked the Pike accidentally when they stocked the catfish. There is no reason for a Northern Pike like that to be there.
The point of this story is that you never know when and what you will catch. The next fish could be a fish of a life time. Always be prepared with the proper fishing tackle and equipment.
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