NPike

On 11/16/2023 at 1:38 PM, muskiedreams said:

I think that since more and more of the fishing community has been leaning more toward conservation and safely releasing all fish that are not kept, those measurements are becoming less and less important. Once you are set up, length and girth are fairly easy to measure accurately. Bump board for length and soft measuring tape in the net while in the water is easy on the fish and easy to do. Getting an accurate weight is another story. There are just too many things that can cause inaccuracy. The scale must be periodically certified and protected from anything that can affect it's accuracy. And on a boat, the boat is moving, you are moving and the fish may not be still enough to get a steady reading. That is why any official record fish have to be weighed on a certified scale on land.

 

And also, I think that as you get older it also becomes less important.

This is soo true  and after having read responses maybe I  should upgrade my bump board which is just  piece of aluminum with marking up to 42".It'sonly about  2 ` 3" wide.  I rarely weight fish but when I do I weight  the fish and wet net together then just subtract out the net. I still see folks with that scale hooks jammed thru an exox jaw, terrible.

On 11/2/2023 at 1:21 PM, muskiedreams said:

I have heard it said that squeezing the gill plate (cheek) tight between your thumb and fingers (in front area of gill plate) is like a pressure point that will calm the fish down.

This is true but many abuse this methods squeezing the crap out  of the esox,  a good approach with lots of caution on the amount of pressure applied while squeezing the fish. I still think grapping the jawbone is best, but a big green esox is a hand-full and is best in  the net for the most part. I just bought a new scale that has a tare function to zero out the net when weighing fish.

On 10/27/2023 at 9:19 AM, muskiedreams said:

Another thing that helps the survival rate it to take measures to avoid rubbing the protective slime off of the fish. The slime protects it from infection. If you lay it down for measuring or a picture it is best to be on a smooth surface that has been whetted down to minimize any removal of slime. One of the reasons for using a bump board to measure unless you make a quick measure in the water. The carpet on the floor of the boat is very bad at removing slime, especially when it is dry. If too much slime is lost, the fish could die several days later from infection.

The troubles these were all caught fishing alone. Very on top of being green :no barbs, no Trible trebles (always  remove middle hook, rubber net. All unhooking done in water and in net (its also much easier unhooking large pike in the net which is in the water).  To get a 15 to 25 pound pike to calm down on my 42"bump boards in the second I release it to take a picture, the  fish usually does not want to stayed lined-up on the bump board. Big pike have a mind of there own and they can be very feisty and hard to keep still when alone.  If I have company issue is resolved. Attached is a rare pic when the pike 42" actually cooperated. 40+"ers aren't easy to come buy on Conesus and when I get one I Iike a pic, if I haven't forgot my phone. My methods are light years ahead of how I see others handle esox. Good reminders muskiedreams.

your right sir, get back  in ASAP. I do unhooking in my big Clam rubberized musky landing net while the fish is still in  the water. I really try and whip that camera out quickly and hope  it  sits still for just a moment. Can't have those esox whacking the boat bottom w their tail. The other thing is that to many people hold the fish vertically and that's a lot of weight on that jaw. Never pock it with a scale, Weight, instead with the fish in the landing net and get a scale with a tare feature. Occasionally a fatality cant be prevented hook hard  in gill rakers or down too deep it's inevitable. Don't blame your  selve with these crazy critters its inevitable.

On 8/11/2023 at 10:33 PM, fisherman21 said:

12$

8” fat a z raptor custom painted chain pickerel 30$

8” fat a z raptor custom painted alwive 30$

8” fat a z raptor gold rapala 20$

5$

10” phantom glide 20$

10$

12$

12$

5$ real eel

5$ real eel

10$ regular bull dawg

 

OR 150$ for all

Some real winners here Grandmas and Phantoms should sell

I  still don't think y can beat St Croix. It really is worth  the extra  $(50 to 80). And they backup  their guarantee. Over the years sent 3 back or reported (no loner need to send back the rods

On 10/14/2023 at 6:49 PM, spoonfed-1 said:

I seen a professional on youtube get one off the side of a house and he used some stuff that killed them all in less that a minute with one shot. He mentioned the name of the stuff but the research I did would indicate you got to be licensed to buy it. Also the nest was about 1/4 to 1/3 the size as the one I got to deal with. Also he was in a bee suite.

I simple  find the in/out hole and late at night I hold a flame (on a stick  or board) right outside the hole in nest (they're not always at the bottom.  As they become alarmed and try to fly out the flame singes there wings and they  drop  helplessly to the gnd. Go in nxt day and  finish it off very few (hornets, yellow jackets, wasp, etc.

On 8/22/2013 at 9:47 PM, old man said:

try fishing with the barbs of your hooks pinched down. most of the fish you net will get off the bait on their own in the net. safer for you and the fish.

This is critical and I  loose no fish  because of the  lack of a barb. Also  on most 5" to 7" crank-twitch baits I  remove the  center treble and replace  the front hook w a long shank and go up1 size. Lot less hooks to remove and the hooks are separated buy enough distance to prevent them from getting all jammed-cramped up inside thee  fishes mouth simultaneously." Its a lot east to remove a single treble than 2 or 3, especially w/o a barb.. And again I've yet to lose fish w/o the middle treble.

1. Me too, but 40"s are rare, 3rd bass was 6.4 lb,, I fish alone normally so reason fish are on boat floor for a quick shot. I don't let the fish jump-bang around. Just a quick shot and back in only some like the last pike wouldn't cooperate.   Congratulations on the fish  . BTW best to  hold esox  horizontal less stress  on fish.

o

Big fat old girl got on Conesus last week

I swap out all my trebles and replace w Owners or Gamakatsu hooks. Well I finally used up my stock of long shanks trebles by above 1/0 to 3/0. Come to find out they stopped making them, yet there's tons of short shank hooks. The whole reason for doing this is to protect fish and quick releases I find the middle treble just gets in the way. So if I remove it an replace the front treble with a size up long shank hook, problem solved. So here's where Id appreciate feedback. I was thinking of adding a couple extra split ring to the front hook in order to move it back to where it would be w a long shank hook, any thoughts?
thks

Screws on bottom of my Lund are 10" apart. I was alone and was trying to get it to set still for a sec while I took pic. The pike had other ideas and went crazy, so I snapped these real quick and back in she went.

Cool Pond, I  wonder how a few pike would do

Nice size 22" to 27" and stuffed like footballs, some of the best walleye fishing to date. We couldn't catch  15" to 18",, only one all week. The small ones were 3 pounds to 6+  for  the 27".  I try to remeber this nxt time I get skunked. Lost one  that was easy 30".

got  lucky one day  this summer

I got mine 8..5' from St Croix 2  piece. They had a  line of rods in varying  degrees of loading  and lengths in  the  Mojo Musky series.  For medium-heavy 1/2 to 2 oz, I bough St Croix Triumph   series never  had a better casting rod in >> 40 years, excellent sensitivity.

Docks are scheduled to come out Monday 10-15, call yourself they are based out of Letchworth  park 585-496-3600. The number for  the launch is 585-346-6373 but nobody will be there as they are taking out docks, ya is sucks but  if more of us contact them the more the better. I wrote a letter to the park commissioner to but in  permanent docks like  at Irondequoit or Cayuga

On 9/5/2023 at 9:04 AM, justtracytrolling said:

Ive had the same thing happen 4 times on otisco with big tigers on walleye, and several other times with bass, catfish, and white perch.  Most recently a 20 inch largemouth. 

Now that's a mouth full 20" LMB

Hi fellow  fishermen,

A  friend who fishes a lot for musky's told me about  this crank-twitch bait(s), made by Mr. Crane. Well after I got  over the price ~ $26/ea depending on bait size and color some colors re more expensive. Anyways these things are great and I wish I had known about  these little fish catching marvels. The trouble is that  they are hand-made and they  only make  so many annually. Wondering if  anyone else has had luck with Cranes.

this sounds about right. No good news the docks are scheduled to  come out Monday 10-16. Also for smallmouth thy some the points in the  south practically the southwest side. 

On 11/30/2022 at 10:18 PM, tmag said:

If you carry jaw spreaders and bolt cutters, the hooks can be cut out. One might be surprised. I've released some very deeply hooked fish. Need a good net, some long pliers and Knipex cutters are the best - spring-loaded.

Nice fish, though.

Tight Lines

The 1st jumbo fish opened up a bit and flung my spreaders in the lake along with my cutters. This was unbelievable with the Grandmas. I just got a couple in and forgot to pinch down the barbs. Usually all hooks in my boat are barbless and I have stated using many single hooked baits, swimbaits, Rapalas, Dept Raiders, ect. If the fish doesn't get slack while fighting I see no reason for the barb. 

17 hours ago, Big fat pike said:

What size are the trebles on those lures

3/0 VMC I beleive

1 hour ago, Big fat pike said:

Nice fish sucks they died it always sucks when a big fish dies

defiantly agreed, I defiantly prefer a successful release the grandmas have 3 big trebles and it's like darn could they swallow it any deeper, darn. Thanks Jim

Caught several big Conesus pike a 41.5 and a 40.25. The fish both got Grandmas deep inside, so I wasn't gonna throw back mortally wounded fish. The fall bites been great nice walleye and jumbo pike, the fish god been good to me this fall.

excuse my absence. Didn't fish much for 3 years until this year (Service related disabilities from paratrooping w 82nd).  anyways on to my fishing concern help appreciated with a bit of detail if possible. after nearly 50 years of fishing for pike and musky I just started this year to try my luck at figure 8's. I caught quite a few some were follows , some came up form the other way under the boat to hit the bait. The trouble is I've lost all the bigger fish that hit while figure 8'ing. I was told that when a good one hits while top side or figure 8'ing that don't immediately pull back and set the hook but to let the fish fight the rod even putting the rod end into the water a bit to try and force the fish to run or dive down then set the hook. The reason is that when y pull back to set the hook when the fish is only inches under the water doesn't provide good hook sets since the angle is bad for good hook set. so let em fight the pole until they make a move out or down. So far I lost 2 mid forties doing figure 8's, thy came up shook their heads and were gone.

Your input and thoughts are much appreciated.