2015 PIKE TALLEY

[Larry3215]

If I had any hope of ever getting to go to CDA, I would beg you to take me fishing with you so I could learn the ropes. Not gonna happen, but I sure would love to get into some pike some day. Thats been on my bucket list forever.

Awesome fish and Im jealous!

4 more pike on Saturday got me to 191 for the year. The Packernut and I fished the main lake, beating up several spots before we found some fish. There wern't loots of them but they were once again of good quality.
I think I will always refer to 2015 as the "Donkey Days of September" Hopefully I will refer ti it as the "Donkey Days of Fall" and the lake will continue to rpoduce big fish!!
I released a 26", a 28", a 33", and a real nice 41"er. They hit bright colored spinnerbaits and the Rapala Glidin Rap in 5-10 feet of water. Releasing 3 pike over 40" and several more between 30 and 36" has made for a great month. I just hope it continues.
Check out the vertical lines on the big one. 25 years or so of pike fishing I have seen many patterns on these fish but this is the first time I remember seein thiese lines. Cool fish. It sure was athletic, it jumped completely out of the water trying to ditch my spinnerbait.

PS. If you guys ever need a top notch net guy, just take the Packernut along. He loves to net big fish for you.

[Fish-N-Fool]

So I got a few pike since my last post, biggest was this one that I got just after dark at a small N. Idaho lake. It was 34 " and super fat so I'd say about 16 lbs. I know it's a bad picture had to take it with my phone with no flash. Lost a really nice fish also on my 60th birthday of all things, that I know would'a been my biggest of the year if I had landed it. Not the biggest one I had on this year though as I'm so good at loosing big fish but it was the second biggest fish I lost this year. lol (And yes I'm officially old now). I had a good start to the year but didn't keep after the pike like AJ has. So my total for the year is still only about 20 fish. Got this one on a 8" Rapala that I added lead to to make my own super sized Husky Jerk out of. This fish really had some shoulders and it made a bunch of runs into the weeds and I would have to take the boat over top of it and pull em up only to have it take off again. Great battle , for such a small lake it puts out a lot of big fish.

[AJ's Dad]

That's a fatty for sure Rick. Nice going! I'm going to have to try that lake some day.

[AJ's Dad]

6 more pike in the boat for me yesterday brings me to 197 on the year. No big pike this time. That stops my lucky streak at 4 trips in a row with a 33" or bigger pike in the boat. All fish were about the same size, about 24-25". Guess the wind had the big ones hiding out. I did manage one nice bass. A new personal best for me at 6lb 12oz. Fish came on spinner baits in 8 feet of water or so. Water temps from mid 50's to 61 degrees. Fished the chains most of the day trying to dodge the wind. When it got slow we moved to the main lake for a few drifts, then ran back in the chains. No fish in the main lake, not even a bite.

[AJ's Dad]

2 more pike yesterday from Cda has me at 199 for the year. The King and I were on the water a little before 8am and I released 2 within the first half hour, then got skunked for the next 8 1/2 hours. I guess you can't slay them every weekend. The wind SUCKED!! Maybe better luck next weekend. Had to black out some of the background. I can't give away the location to monsters like this one.
Fish #200 has given me the slip yet again. I have a feeling it will be on the hook next weekend.

[Lucius]

So it looks like I might have made the right decision about not coming up to fish with you when you only caught 2 pike....especially when I got my first big game animal on the same day down here......nice to see your still catching fish....I am sure that won't stop until December like it shouldn't!!!!!

[Fish-N-Fool]

So I added 2 more pike since my last post, one was out of a small lake and one was out of the P.O. river. Neither was very big, but that's the first Pike from the P.O. in 3 years for me

[AJ's Dad]

Well ---- fish #200 finally made it into the boat on saturday. Justin and I fished all day on the main lake in beautiful weather for a boat ride. 75 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. Sure didn't seem like fall. He released 3 and I only managed 2 on the day bringing me to 201 for the year. It's been a real slow year considering the fact that 142 of those 201 pike came in a 6 day trip to canada. Hopefully some cooler temps are on the way and the bite will get better.

[harleypiker]

Fished CDA chain lake Thurs. p.m. and Friday a.m. and managed 7 pike up to 24". Partner got 6. Medium slow. Chilly morning didn't help. 49 for the year.

[AJ's Dad]

AAAHHHH, my hands were finally feeling the bite of colder weather yesterday. Not that I like the cold hands but it sure makes the fish bite better. Over night lows in the 30's the last week have the water temps at Cda down into the mid 50's. Fish are still willing to hit spinnerbaits, and they took a liking to the glide baits yesterday. Unfortunately my brother had not only cold hands, but a cold rod. He got shut out on the day. I caught and released 13 pike, 5 of them were 30" or bigger. Best 2 were a 9 1/2 pounder at about 34" and a 35" 12 pounder. Great looking fish. 13 more puts my total for the year at 214.

[harleypiker]

Hey, nice job. Looks like I picked the wrong lake or wrong day, or wrong lure or ........

[AJ's Dad]

12 more pike in the boat today gets me to 226 for the year. The glide baits were the ticket again today. I think I'm getting the hang of these things. Top 4 fish were, 30, 32, 36 and 39". The 36 was 12 punds and the 39 was 16.
Water temps were 47-50 and fish were in 8-12 feet of water. Get em while they're hot folks.

[Fish-N-Fool]

12 more pike in the boat today gets me to 226 for the year. The glide baits were the ticket again today. I think I'm getting the hang of these things. Top 4 fish were, 30, 32, 36 and 39". The 36 was 12 punds and the 39 was 16.
Water temps were 47-50 and fish were in 8-12 feet of water. Get em while they're hot folks.

I think today was the last day of nice weather this month from the looks of the weather report. I knew I shoulda went fishin today instead of cuttin wood. Dammm lol One of these days maybe you could hook up with me and show me maybe one of your spots on CDA. I have never caught a pike in the main lake. But have only tried 3 times in the last 25 years so no wonder huh. I just dont know the lake at all so I prefer to stick with water I do know. That and it's a bit of a drive for me to CDA. You ever fish it in the dead of winter Mark? I do really good on Hayden all winter so I know if I can find their wintering hole I could wack-em on CDA as well.

[harleypiker]

Those are beautiful Pike, Mark. I should have gone to the big lake instead of the chain lake nurseries. Love those horizontal Holds!

[Fish-N-Fool]

Love those horizontal Holds!

Ah Yes me too . I taught him everything he knows LOL

[AJ's Dad]

WOW were the pike on fire Saturday. Fished CDA of course, with farmer_aa and aesox all day and we released 45 pike. We missed MANY others as well. My share of the take was 22 pike and that brings me to 248 for the year. Frogs, glide baits, big hammers, savage gear eels, and xraps got the job done. 5-10 feet deep in 44-47 degree water was the spot. Great weather all day with clouds, very little wind again, and no rain other than a short drizzle for about 5 minutes. Man what a great day. I think we missed a couple of larger fish but this 33"er was the biggest on the day.

[farmer_aa]

Fun day for sure. My pathetically limited number of outings this year were made up for with lots of bites and a pretty decent success rate. I did get bit off using 100# Seaguar Flouro leader twice within about 10 minutes. That's never happened to me before, and I even went back to wire before deciding the fluoro was bringing more bites. There were lots of healthy looking smaller pike on the move, and we got to see lots of takes, which was fun. I put 12 in the boat myself, which doubles my tally for the year to about a measly 24. On a first, I had a pike follow a big hammer to the boat over about 20 feet of water, then dropped it on slack line to the bottom, gave it 1 hop, and stuck that 29 incher. Pretty fun to have that trick work! I think there are still some days left to get out that have the potential to be as good as this day, with water temps still up to 47-48 degrees. Weeds look great, and the fish were riding high for the most part. I'm anxious to give it another go! Thanks for the fun day on the water, guys.

[Fish-N-Fool]

I did get bit off using 100# Seaguar Flouro leader twice within about 10 minutes. That's never happened to me before,

Did you get back part of the leader or was it all gone. Most of the time it's because the knot breaks connecting them, not the leader failing. I have only had 1 fish that bit my 80 lb fluoro in two and it was a toad. If you didn't get back part of your leader then the knot was to blame. What knot do you tie to join your main line to your leader?

[AJ's Dad]

4 more pike on a rare midweek trip on Wednesday brings me to 252 for the year. Off colored water had the fish biting a little slow after the big wind storm. 2 of us managed 7 pike in a 6 hour trip. Biggest fish was this 32"er. The Rapala Glidin Rap is still getting the job done, along with frogs and the Xrap.

[farmer_aa]

Hey Rick, both leaders were sliced off in the middle. One about 7" from the snap. I would have liked to have seen the fish that did it! It was a sharp toothed critter, no doubt, as this is a real rarity.