How to handle big Pike in the River?

[CardiacCowboy]

Caught my first pike in the bow yesterday, big one around 33 inches. Medium rod 6lb mono and a new light 25series reel using for first time.

I was by myself and had a hard time landing it. First I tried to net it on the ice edge I use to grab my trout. I keeled down and tried to size it up, no way I was going to be able to fit it in net and going right to edge was a no go on the thin ice. I tried to lift it on the edge of the ice and slide it but only its head would come out before line and rod was near the breaking point.

Next I dragged it over to where it was shallow and tried to beach it. At 10inches of water its belly started to drag and once again gear was at max. I was able to grab my rappala and tried to bring it onto shore. I had to pull hard and as I made progress the hook bent and ripped out. The pike swam away.

How should I handle this next time? Maybe grab the tail? I could of grabbed it with pliers but might have hurt its teeth.

First time catching a pike and I was afraid of getting bit our losing my tackle or rod.

[Bushleague]

I always land them by hand, I very carefully slip my first two hooked fingers under the gill cover, then slide them forwards towards the front of the jaw, away from the gills. Basically I sort of use my fingers somewhat like a gaff. Be very careful to keep your fingers away from the actual gills, and be real careful of the gill rakers which are almost as sharp as their teeth. You mentioned grabbing the lure, personally I would discourage this, especially with multi hooked crankbaits. I've had a couple unfortunate incidents over the years involving one Rapala hook embedded firmly in me, with a severely ****ed off pike still stuck to one of the other hooks... trust me, you want to avoid this situation.

A little heavyer line and some rubber boots to wade into the water a little make this whole operation much more easy.

Personally, if I tear a hook out attempting what you tried, I generally still count it as a win. I was going to release the fish anyways, I had him whipped and if I'd wanted the fish badly enough I would have waded out and got him... that fish just saved you a little bit of trouble is all.

Lost tackle and bleeding fingers is part of what catching big pike is all about IMO, if you don't worry about those two things once in awhile you aren't having much fun

[Smoky buck]

I am going to guess you were not targeting pike so you were not prepared for it

If that is the case I hook the rod in my legs and hand line the last bit. Once I have a chance get a hand on the tail and try to scoop under the body with the other if I have a decent hold of the tail. Kind of a rodeo with bigger pike

If I am targeting pike I will have a lip griper with me

[WayneChristie]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

I am going to guess you were not targeting pike so you were not prepared for it

If that is the case I hook the rod in my legs and hand line the last bit. Once I have a chance get a hand on the tail and try to scoop under the body with the other if I have a decent hold of the tail. Kind of a rodeo with bigger pike

If I am targeting pike I will have a lip griper with me

lip grippers are the leading cause of messed up pike soon as they spin they get damaged. I only use mine for big walleye. worst case stick one of your gloves in the pikes mouth and when it bitea it slide it out if the water. may be a good idea to take your fingers out of it first

[fordtruckin]

I recall watching a fishing show years back. I believe it was Bob Isumi giving advice on how to retrieve and release like so you wouldn’t get bit. After the commercial his hbd was all bandaged up and he was saying how he didn’t listen to his own advice and spent several minutes trying to get a pike to release his hand...

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by WayneChristie

lip grippers are the leading cause of messed up pike soon as they spin they get damaged. I only use mine for big walleye. worst case stick one of your gloves in the pikes mouth and when it bitea it slide it out if the water. may be a good idea to take your fingers out of it first

I have not had an issue yet but I have also only have only used it a handful of times. Bought it because I did not want to carry my cradle hiking rivers

May have to go back to the glove

Well Wayne it did not take much of a search to see the issue you mentioned. Thanks for bringing it up looks like it will be best to stop using the gripper on pike before I experience an issue

[WayneChristie]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

I have not had an issue yet but I have also only have only used it a handful of times. Bought it because I did not want to carry my cradle hiking rivers

May have to go back to the glove

Well Wayne it did not take much of a search to see the issue you mentioned. Thanks for bringing it up looks like it will be best to stop using the gripper on pike before I experience an issue

I cant plead innocence I experienced it firsthand its sad how many pike Ive seen this season on a catch and release lake that have damaged or ripped jaws.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by WayneChristie

I cant plead innocence I experienced it firsthand its sad how many pike Ive seen this season on a catch and release lake that have damaged or ripped jaws.

From what you are saying and what a quick search turned up I would have likely experienced the issues firsthand myself if you did not mention it. I put in an effort to use good handling of fish I release but the issues with the gripper slipped by me.

I have experienced catching damaged fish in heavy pressure C&R waters as well but I assume a lot of it is from the don’t give a crap crowd as well

Either way learned something today

[slough shark]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

I am going to guess you were not targeting pike so you were not prepared for it

If that is the case I hook the rod in my legs and hand line the last bit. Once I have a chance get a hand on the tail and try to scoop under the body with the other if I have a decent hold of the tail. Kind of a rodeo with bigger pike

If I am targeting pike I will have a lip griper with me

I went to the bow for the first time in a couple years down by carburn park the other day and saw a decent pike from the bridge and there wasn’t much for trout. Are the pike becoming prevalent enough that they are in fishable numbers? If so I suspect that could be the reason for lower trout numbers

[pikeman06]

Handled many big pike in my life and I almost liken it to handling livestock...you got to know when to make your move. It's not for everyone. You need big hands and a firm grip. In open water I grab them by the "neck" right behind the gills. It paralyzes them almost. Don't make sudden movements just a nice smooth motion and instant steady firm pressure like a spock pinch. It's hard to do at the moment of truth. Nets wreck their fins and scales and if you are ice fishing slipping a couple fingers under the gill plate as mentioned will make them lock up too. Just like the belly grab on a walleye or Flippin a trout upside down. It puts them in a trance but not for long. Be calm and smooth and firm grip and get your hooks out and let her go. Screw the pictures unless you got a camera man or you gonna keep. Just my 2 cents.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by slough shark

I went to the bow for the first time in a couple years down by carburn park the other day and saw a decent pike from the bridge and there wasn’t much for trout. Are the pike becoming prevalent enough that they are in fishable numbers? If so I suspect that could be the reason for lower trout numbers

Been years since I fished the bow so I can’t give firsthand experience on what is going on lately.. I do know there has been pike in the bow around Calgary for a long time and none of my friends have mentioned a big increase in pike numbers.

As for a decline in trout numbers the reasons I hear are linked to the big floods and whirling disease not pike. But I am not living in the area fishing it all the time to really know

[CardiacCowboy]

Thanks for all the responses. No I was not targeting pike but going for large trout can get the pike too.

Talking to people on the river there have been pike on the bow for a long time. Farther north you go in the city the more there are. In the spot where I got this one since I started going there in Sept 2019 ratio is 40+trout to 1 pike. Might have lost some other pike.

People are using more crank baits and swim baits then in the olden days so more pike caught. On the decline of bow there are lots of factors. 2 major floods in the system and poorly managed flows from dams to control flooding taking priority over fish habitat.

[WayneChristie]

I know there were pike in the Bow around Bowness for at least 50 years. I catch them in the Bow a lot but Im a long ways from the big city

[58thecat]

Depends on the hook set location.....go from there....so,entices it takes a lot of effort to not further injure or stress the fish....sometimes it's pliers and a wrist twist pop out the hook come and off she goes.....

[calgarychef]

I’d say bonk them on the head and use lots of butter in the frying pan

[Tfng]

Originally Posted by pikeman06

Handled many big pike in my life and I almost liken it to handling livestock...you got to know when to make your move. It's not for everyone. You need big hands and a firm grip. In open water I grab them by the "neck" right behind the gills. It paralyzes them almost. Don't make sudden movements just a nice smooth motion and instant steady firm pressure like a spock pinch. It's hard to do at the moment of truth. Nets wreck their fins and scales and if you are ice fishing slipping a couple fingers under the gill plate as mentioned will make them lock up too. Just like the belly grab on a walleye or Flippin a trout upside down. It puts them in a trance but not for long. Be calm and smooth and firm grip and get your hooks out and let her go. Screw the pictures unless you got a camera man or you gonna keep. Just my 2 cents.

^this. In a boat I just glide them up to the side of the boat and pull the barbless hook out if I can. Pliers or hands depending on the situation. Usually hands.

If it’s buried I do as pikeman said.

I resist fishing with Rapalas for pike because I don’t like removing three treble hooks buried three different ways.

[CardiacCowboy]

Originally Posted by Tfng

^this. In a boat I just glide them up to the side of the boat and pull the barbless hook out if I can. Pliers or hands depending on the situation. Usually hands.

If it’s buried I do as pikeman said.

I resist fishing with Rapalas for pike because I don’t like removing three treble hooks buried three different ways.

I target trout mostly but always remove the belly hook on my Rapalas (all are two hook designs). Less snags in river and don't feel I have missed any hook ups. Don't like the the free hook snagging the fish some where other then mouth or possibly an eye. It is especially bad when netting and the free hooks snag the fish as it rolls or gets tangled in net.

[Tfng]

Yes I’ve done that in the past as well. You’re right about that other treble being buried everywhere except in the mouth, hands included.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by pikeman06

Handled many big pike in my life and I almost liken it to handling livestock...you got to know when to make your move. It's not for everyone. You need big hands and a firm grip. In open water I grab them by the "neck" right behind the gills. It paralyzes them almost. Don't make sudden movements just a nice smooth motion and instant steady firm pressure like a spock pinch. It's hard to do at the moment of truth. Nets wreck their fins and scales and if you are ice fishing slipping a couple fingers under the gill plate as mentioned will make them lock up too. Just like the belly grab on a walleye or Flippin a trout upside down. It puts them in a trance but not for long. Be calm and smooth and firm grip and get your hooks out and let her go. Screw the pictures unless you got a camera man or you gonna keep. Just my 2 cents.

x2, very much so.

[fishgod]

I've caught my fair share of pike in the bow, including a 41" within city limits. I usually try to grab them by the neck just below the gills, your hand slides up behind the gills but not inside giving a pretty firm grip, if the hook is in a bad position then I might try to go under the gills with a few fingers. Just my two cents

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by calgarychef

I’d say bonk them on the head and use lots of butter in the frying pan

Ya but you can't eat/keep,them all....

[slough shark]

Originally Posted by WayneChristie

I know there were pike in the Bow around Bowness for at least 50 years. I catch them in the Bow a lot but Im a long ways from the big city

Yeah that’s the only place I have ever seen pike before the flood, actually you could target them there. I’m curious if anyone is having success targeting them in or close to the city or if they aren’t that numerous, I’ve just been hearing about more guys catching them these days and I was trying to figure out the reason why, 15-20 years ago outside of bowness I had never even heard of them.

[CardiacCowboy]

I fish the south part of the bow at the end of the city. I ran into a couple of fly fisherman that normally fish the north but were iced out. They said in the north they target pike and white fish. In fact they say they had never caught a trout in the north section. They said under the stony bridge upstream from bowness there were lots of pike.

There maybe more pike but I think catching them is more of the way people fish now. Targeting big trout with swim, jerk baits, streamers is more likely to catch pike then small flies, maggots, worms on weighted lines people used 20 years ago. I actually started fishing again after about 20years away last summer and mentality is about targeting large trophy fish now and before it was about how many.

[WayneChristie]

Originally Posted by CardiacCowboy

I fish the south part of the bow at the end of the city. I ran into a couple of fly fisherman that normally fish the north but were iced out. They said in the north they target pike and white fish. In fact they say they had never caught a trout in the north section. They said under the stony bridge upstream from bowness there were lots of pike.

There maybe more pike but I think catching them is more of the way people fish now. Targeting big trout with swim, jerk baits, streamers is more likely to catch pike then small flies, maggots, worms on weighted lines people used 20 years ago. I actually started fishing again after about 20years away last summer and mentality is about targeting large trophy fish now and before it was about how many.

thats weird about the north section, I lived there for a long time and caught so many trout I switched to whitefish instead I thought they fought a lot better in the current. I never did catch a pike in a lot of years but I usually used worms or maggots anyways. I understand the trophy fish thing Ive caught so many small and regular size fish in my ancient age I like to land something that still makes me sweat luckily for me I moved where its actually not that hard to do just takes patience and a good dose of luck.

[JD848]

Originally Posted by CardiacCowboy

Caught my first pike in the bow yesterday, big one around 33 inches. Medium rod 6lb mono and a new light 25series reel using for first time.

I was by myself and had a hard time landing it. First I tried to net it on the ice edge I use to grab my trout. I keeled down and tried to size it up, no way I was going to be able to fit it in net and going right to edge was a no go on the thin ice. I tried to lift it on the edge of the ice and slide it but only its head would come out before line and rod was near the breaking point.

Next I dragged it over to where it was shallow and tried to beach it. At 10inches of water its belly started to drag and once again gear was at max. I was able to grab my rappala and tried to bring it onto shore. I had to pull hard and as I made progress the hook bent and ripped out. The pike swam away.

How should I handle this next time? Maybe grab the tail? I could of grabbed it with pliers but might have hurt its teeth.

First time catching a pike and I was afraid of getting bit our losing my tackle or rod.

You may get your line busted, unless you know how to grab them which at times they still kick out of you grip ,always watch them hooks. You get a few hooks in your hand with that fish is kicken around you can damage your hand for life.

Good long pliers and take your time.

JD

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by slough shark

Yeah that’s the only place I have ever seen pike before the flood, actually you could target them there. I’m curious if anyone is having success targeting them in or close to the city or if they aren’t that numerous, I’ve just been hearing about more guys catching them these days and I was trying to figure out the reason why, 15-20 years ago outside of bowness I had never even heard of them.

It’s been years since I fished the Bow around Calgary but I caught pike near the bears paw dam, lots near the mouth of the elbow, and where hwy 22 crosses south of Calgary. They are throughout the bow river and have been for a long time. There is also still plenty of trout in the Bowness are my buddy fishes it often

Most of the pike I have caught out of the bow we’re smaller largest being 37inch caught near the hwy 22 bridge

[Red Bullets]

How to handle a big pike over 25 lbs.? 22 short. (kidding. Been watching Swamp People on TV too much)

I gently grip/squeeze pike behind the eyes or hold them right behind the top of the gill covers too. It does seem to make them stop thrashing and lots of times they even keep their mouths opened for hook removal. This method does require a big pike to be played out a bit.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

How to handle a big pike over 25 lbs.? 22 short. (kidding. Been watching Swamp People on TV too much)

I gently grip/squeeze pike behind the eyes or hold them right behind the top of the gill covers too. It does seem to make them stop thrashing and lots of times they even keep their mouths opened for hook removal. This method does require a big pike to be played out a bit.

Nope won't penetrate...22wm...new a fella that would insert his finger in the anus area....stopped'em dead

He moved to San Francisco...

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

Nope won't penetrate...22wm...new a fella that would insert his finger in the anus area....stopped'em dead

He moved to San Francisco...

[WayneChristie]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

he ever fish Newell? lots of really ugly pike in there you sure that was his finger?