Last week a blog was posted that disagreed with the weight of the Pike caught by the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. The issue for me was not the quality of the fish, or the fact that the fish was an excellent catch, or who caught the fish, it was about the reported weight. It was stated the Pike weighed 21 Kg. Now as a retired health care worker, I know a little bit about converting pounds to kilograms and vice versa. So here it is, one kilogram is equal to 2.2 pounds. Taking 2.2 times 21 Kg. you get 46.2 pounds. This size of fish would be almost or over five feet long. How do I know? I have caught a fair amount of big pike in the last 50 years. Anyway, I am not into politics but hunting and fishing. Regardless of where a public figure is from, be it the earth or Mars, they should get it right. For your information Vladimir Putin was born in 1952.
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| He has the eyes of a fisherman. |
When I saw the fish on the video, I called my wife so she could take a good look and we both agreed this was a really healthy fish. What impressed both of us was the fact that it looked so thick for the length. That could have added to the weight, but not to 21 Kg. Paste the link into your browser and enjoy the catch.
We also studied the area where they were fishing and noted to the right of the picture was standing weeds. It was assumed that the water was fairly shallow at this location from the weed line out to the boat and then it dropped off to deeper water. Northern Pike are sight feeders and they probably are hiding in the under water weeds waiting for something to come by. We felt that they were fishing close to the edge, as the first pictures of the fish is fairly shallow. This would be a fish hiding along the weed line laying in wait for a tasty morsel.
Auto Fish Grabber
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| The fish grabber is an excellent way to haul in a really big northern. If the fish to be kept, this is what I use. One is always kept in the boat and it literally cripples the pike and you can get the hook out and get it in the live well. This tool is for big pike and it really saves on fingers. For small pike it is not good, so you will have to get the slime from the fish on your hands and face a minor chewing. Be careful out there boys and girls, they will bite. Click on the link above or the pic to price and buy from Bass Pro. |
One e-mail received criticized me harshly for stating the lure was not the right kind. My friend, read the blog again. Not one word was said about the lure. Now that this item has been brought up, the lure looked like a Meps Spinner. I saw it only briefly, but it looked like a spinner with a weight above and the hook behind with a big blade covering the weight. I have used a Meps Spinner many times, but my favorite lures for big northern are spoons. When I fish big northern, I use the darker color on dark days and the shinny ones on clear sunny days. The big spoons have a really big treble hook trailing. I peel off one of the hooks and bend the barbs down so that they are flush with the body of the hook. A friend from Minnesota used to file his hooks off. Whatever, get rid of the barbs on the big lures with a single treble hook. If you keep the line tight, you will not lose the fish. If you don’t keep the line tight, you should not be fishing for big northern pike. Also, the hook comes out easier if the barbs are bent down. The previous blog had a picture of the tool I use to get the hook out.
Eppinger Original Dardevle Spoons
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| My favorite spoon and it comes in sizes and colors from dark with spots to shiny. Peel off the extra hook and bend down the barbs. Click on the picture or the link to see the options from Bass Pro and price and buy. |
Eppinger Red Eye Wiggler Spoons
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| I also use the Red Eye Wiggler Spoon. I take off the front hook as experience has shown me that this just puts more hooks in the fish and all you need is the treble at the rear with one hook peeled off and the barb bent down. They have a shiny lure that I use for bright sunny days and I have caught a lot of pike on the shiny lure. Click on the link above or the pic to price, pick out a color and buy from Bass Pro. |
I did not see steel leader from the end of the line to the lure as I watched the fish after it was hauled into the boat. I highly recommend a 12 inch steel leader if you are fishing for big northern. When the fish hits, and this is a thrill to see, they turn very abruptly and dive for the deep or run to deeper water. Many moons ago, in perfectly clear water in northern Manitoba, I was able to see the fish come out of the weeds, hit the lure and do this remarkable turn. It is really exciting to see, and I caught decent size northern and threw them back. Remember, the barbs were bent down and the treble hook only had two hooks.
Joe Butcher Musky Leader
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| If you fish big northern or musky, I recommend the use of steel leader. Those sharp teeth will slice right through line when they hit, and you will lose a big catch plus an expensive lure. Click on the link or the pic to price and buy from Bass Pro.With a little practice you will be able to cast using the extra piece of length on the line. |
A couple of decades ago, I used to fish a reservoir in central Kansas. The closest town was only about 250 people, but they had a bait shop. The shop was a big open air tent and the bait was lined up in buckets along a really big table. Prices were posted and he also sold some lures. It was always early in the morning, and no one was ever there to help you. You got what you wanted and deposited the money in a tin box, making change if you needed. This was amazing. One day, the crappie were pounding the bait, and I ran out. My partner stayed with the boat because he wanted to keep fishing, and I went to get bait. Lo and behold, there was the owner of the open air shop. Introductions were made, and I inquired if he was losing money. His response was “Fishermen are liars, they are not thieves.”
Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck. Hank.
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