My new pet pike in the Minnehaha

[Stick500]

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(I posted this on the Northern Pike Forum as well, but since I do most of my posting on the Carp/Roughfish Forum, I thought some of you guys might like this story too....)

About three weeks ago I was hitting a tiny little pool on the Minnehaha (Edina) with my ultra-lite trying for some sunnies and chubs just for fun. I hadn't fished this same spot since last year when I caught a bunch of them when the water was higher, but this time the sunnies and chubs seemed to be gone. Then something big hit my little jig and snapped my 4 lb. test instantly. Then I remembered I caught a few small pike here last year, too.

Dang! Since my ultra-lite was all had I put another jig on and tried to catch the pike again and he hit and snapped the line just as quick. Now I felt bad that this fish had two jigs in his mouth. I came back the next day with my medium pole and 10 lb. test and a different lure and sure enough the pike was in the exact spot in the stream and I caught him and he looked to be just shy of about 2 feet. When I checked for hooks- nothing, not even in his throat. I was hoping to be able to say I caught a fish with two lures in his mouth, both of which were mine, but that didn't happen. I of course let him go and he seemed no worse for the wear.

So then I got to thinking; this could very well be one of the small pike I caught here last year. And now here he is, king of the pool, but not many fish to eat, with winter approaching. He's probably stuck here (at least until spring floods) because there is no escape for a fish his size upstream or downstream with the low flow right now. I hope I see him again next year, but I don't want to weaken or hurt him any more this fall. Then I think, hey, how about if I just toss a chub out there with no hook and give him a good meal to fatten up for winter?

So today I caught about a 8-10" chub upstream (couldn't get anything smaller) and threaded my line through his tail and tossed him out there. I kept the bait at the surface, hoping to see a spectacular surface strike but nothing. When I let it go deeper in the spot where I've always found him he hit and started running around and I fought him for awhile but the line wouldn't come loose and the chub pulled out, pretty cut up. So I sent it back out there and this time when he took it I let him keep it awhile and swim around and when I gave the line a little tug it came loose from the chub and he had a big meal!

I seemed to have as much fun successfully feeding him as I did catching him. I think I'll keep it up as long as I can. I just hope no dopey neighborhood kid finds him and takes him to the frying pan! I have never seen anyone fish this particular stretch, so I'm not too worried. I like my new pet!

I snapped the above pic after I caught him on the lure a couple of weeks ago.

[BartmanMN]

Haha, that is pretty cool.

[Stick500]

he takes dead chubs too

took two right off the surface today