how do you pick up a pike

[Guest]

How do you pick up a pike? I have seen pictures with people sticking their hands in the sides of their gills but I dont want to try it first without asking as those fish have some nasty teeth. So whats the technique?

Thanks

[Blackstarluver]

Thats easy. For me I use the Berkley big fish lip grip. It makes things a lot easier.
My2
God lyk!
JC

[Guest]

http://www.muskies101.com/propergillhold

Remember that you still have to support the body of the fish - no vertical holds. I have heard some bad things about lip grips and boga grips. They definately can be dangerous if used wrong, but if used right, are they safe for the fish?

Thanks,
MJB

[Guest]

are gill rakers the same as teeth? sorry for all the questions but I dont know a thing about pike. Thanks.

[Guest]

Gill rakers aren't really like teeth but they will definetley chew you up if get the back of your fingers against them. I was up on Upper Red a couple of weeks ago and my wife caught a 40" as I tried to lift up it began to thrash, before I could get it back in the water it rolled on my fingers and the gill rakers chewed me up good.I still have a few scabs left from two weeks ago. Always a tough lesson learned for me.

[Lunker]

Heres how I pick them up, and the bigger they get the easier it is with this method. One hand on under the jaw, between the lip and the gill or head there is a sort of groove that runs along the bottom of the jaw. I'm not talking about the gills however. Get your fingers in this groove with your thumb over the top of the mouth, and your other hand holding the tail. It doesn't touch anywhere near the gills or teeth, so both you and the fish will eb safe.

[Aquaman01]

MJB_04 - Thanks!

Your other hand should be supporting weight back by the anal vent. Head holds look great for pix, but keep in mind that in the water, the fish's body weighs nothing. Hoisting it by the head is an exertion of force that their skeletal/muscular system can't possibly be designed to take.

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Aquaman
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Peace and Fishes

[Guest]

"When your hand reaches the base of the gill plate, place your thumb onto the thin skin tissue just to the inside of the lower jaw bone. You will actually feel the index finger pressing against your thumb. Lock your hand into place as this is the grip you want. Be careful not to move your thumb, as this is where most accidents can occur" OK what sort of 'accidents' are we talking about? Do they mean if my thumb slips I get a hang nail 0r do they mean I get 30 stitches?

Thanks

[Guest]

I think they are warning you about the danger to the fish. Like Holding your thumb and pointer finger on each side of a piece of paper and moving the opposite directions. There is always the danger of the gill rakers to you though.

MJB

[Blackstarluver]

Okay, here I go; I read some years ago about the whole vertical vs horizontal hold of the pike. One school of thought says that due to the horizontal nature of the pikes environ. that one must hold horizontally. Another school believes that the esox genus are some tough sobs and that a vertical hold does no to very minor damage and that holding the pike period (by hand ) does more damage to the slime coating than the vertical suspension. I have used both holds throughout my career as an angler but I have held mostly small pike by the "shoulders" behind the head above the pectorals. The reason for this is that I am.....AAhheemmmm CHICKEN! Since I was very young i was warned 'bout the razor blades that pike hide behind the gill covers just waiting in anticipation for an unweary finger to find itself in range, then, SLICE! MAYHEM CARNAGE and "choke" STITCHES! I learned to fish solo no one really in my family fished much. So through the years I have tried to learn how to hold pike but was worried about being belittled/condescended to about my ignorance. I have attempted to find diagrams, pictures etc. of how to hold a pike to no avail. Then in march of 02 I picked up a lip grip in FL used it for some Na species and thought it would be great for pike, and have used it for such since. BTW How do you hold a pike horizontally for hook removal? I usually grip the pike (vertically) remove my lure smile in awe and return the fish to its home.
If anyone knows links to the most proper way to handle a pike please post here (if permissible) or e-mail links or suggestions to
[email protected] .
I have appreciated all the advice and wisdom that I have received here at FM.com and I would like to thank you all.
God lyk!
sincerely,
JC

[fiskyknut]

There is a pic of me holding a small pike on the home page! I use the method described in that link above with good results, as long as you don't reach in to far, and you get a good lock with finger and thumb you're quite safe, and the fish can take it. I definetly think their body mass should be supported as well. Got this fish resting on my leg and my other hand holding it a bit further back. I will be catching that fish again as I released it to grow to that 48 inch mark I've been waiting on for so long....One of these days it'll happen if I keep releasing those small ones!

Also please don't hold the fish way out to make it look huge, detracts from a photo to see it out of proportion from the angler.

Regards....Fisky

[This message has been edited by fiskyknut (edited 06-13-2003).]