A Few Pike for a First Timer

  • I took out a rookie today to chase a few pike around as things are finally starting to warm up here. Water temps up to about 55*, visibility is still poor (due to to runoff) at 8-10ft. The fish were surprisingly shallow today as almost all of them came from under 12ft of water. Mike shot really well for a first timer, especially given the small size of some of his fish :laughing:. He was pretty happy with the bag of fillets he walked with too. I got a chance to jump in at the end and got a solid fish (35") with my new pike gun I just finished (46" mid) All in all a good first local dive for the year.


    "Whiskey don't make liars, it just makes fools. So, I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said."
    -James McMurtry

  • Those are some nice ones, I use to love seeing a big log of a fish as I quietly cast out my live frog as a kid, boy my heart would be a pumpin! before a big fish would go airborne. I have never shot a fresh water fish, but getting a nice Pike or Muskie is on my bucket list.


    Thanks for the report mate. Love that inlay too.:thumbsup2:


    Cheers, Don

    "Great mother ocean brought forth all life, it is my eternal home'' Don Berry from Blue Water Hunters.


    Spearfishing Store the freediving and spearfishing equipment specialists.

  • Fantastic inlay. What is it made of?


    What a beautiful place to dive.


    Ab shell inlay. I did a poor job of cutting the recess in the wood (the wood doesn't come to the edge of the shell).
    That lake is one of my favorite places to dive. Always quiet as the water skiers and jet skiers seem to forget it is there. Lack of boat traffic makes for good vis (wave action stirs things up) and usually it produces at least one fish over 15# per dive.


    Don, you are always welcome to slay a few pike and cast a few flies up here if you are in the neighborhood. :toast:

    "Whiskey don't make liars, it just makes fools. So, I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said."
    -James McMurtry

  • Ab shell inlay. I did a poor job of cutting the recess in the wood (the wood doesn't come to the edge of the shell).
    That lake is one of my favorite places to dive. Always quiet as the water skiers and jet skiers seem to forget it is there. Lack of boat traffic makes for good vis (wave action stirs things up) and usually it produces at least one fish over 15# per dive.


    Don, you are always welcome to slay a few pike and cast a few flies up here if you are in the neighborhood. :toast:


    I actually like the inlay work as it stands, the oval gives it a more retro 50's look, along with that beautiful grain.


    Thanks for the invite to fish, it's been a long time for me since I tied a fly, now that I'm away from Connecticut, I would have to buy white tail fur.;)


    If your around New Port Beach/ Orange County after I finish my boat PM me.


    Cheers, Don

    "Great mother ocean brought forth all life, it is my eternal home'' Don Berry from Blue Water Hunters.


    Spearfishing Store the freediving and spearfishing equipment specialists.

  • I would be very interested to see a thread on how to make an ab shell inlay. Are there materials/shells in the Caribbean that can be used for this with the same effect?


    I will get one started shortly-or maybe just revamp my original post about my yellowtail inlays. (I have a trailer sitting in the driveway with blown bearings that needs to be tended to-I swear it never ends)
    As far as other materials I have seen used horn, bone, ivory (my next attempt), and wood-but I'm sure there are some others out there.

    "Whiskey don't make liars, it just makes fools. So, I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said."
    -James McMurtry

  • What amazing fish!! never would I have thought fresh water hunting could yield such monster quality looking fish, great report!!

    A bad day at sea is better than a good day in the boatyard
    George Steele

  • I used to fish for them when we'd go to Canada every year. Fresh water barracudas. And they're great eating. I don't care what people say about the Y bones.


    So how do you hunt those? They just lay near the bottom waiting to ambush other fish? You see them from the top and go down?

  • I used to fish for them when we'd go to Canada every year. Fresh water barracudas. And they're great eating. I don't care what people say about the Y bones.


    So how do you hunt those? They just lay near the bottom waiting to ambush other fish? You see them from the top and go down?


    Hank, Typically these fish are out of sight from the surface so we typically dive and slowly cruise the deep edge of the weed line. There is only vegetation until the 16-18ft range in these lakes-then lack of sunlight (and possibly cold water below thermocline) prevents their growth. The lakes are mixed rock and mud/silt beyond that. These fish target Kokanee Salmon (landlocked Sockeye) and Cutthroat Trout as their main forage in these lakes. Kokanee Salmon (and trout for that matter) tend to act like pelagic fish and are usually found free swimming (around the thermocline line) in deeper open water. The pike seem to like to hang right on the edge of the thermocline/weedline, facing into open water....until they find their way into the cooler that is. :thumbsup2:

    "Whiskey don't make liars, it just makes fools. So, I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said."
    -James McMurtry

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