40" Pike

[Esoxmn]

How many of you have caught a 40" or longer pike? I know quite a few 50" muskies are caught. I feel a 40" Pike is more rare.

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Why did'nt Noah swat those two mosquitos?

Gary

[Guest]

I've came close!!! My biggest pike is a
39" in a metro lake. I let her go so she can grow!!!

Brian (aka muskieschaef)

[Roseypike]

My biggest pike was 43 inches.
One of my buddies caught a 45 incher and another friend caught a 44. All released on lake vermilion. I agree, a 40 inch or better pike is truly a rare fish and should be handled carefully, then released.

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Rosey

[DUCKJ]

I have boated 2 42" and a 41" on Mille Lacs lake in the last couple years not to mention a ton in the 35 to 40 range.

Happy Hunting
Duck

[The Grebe]

I got one on Mille Lacs that weighed 17 pounds, I weighed it, but I did'nt measure it, in looking at what 40 inches looks like, I like to think it was at least that big...?

What does the book say a 40 incher would weigh? Some fishermen tend to think that their catch is bigger then what it really is (Me)!

[LocalGuide]

I also came very close to 40", mine was 39". I also let that one go to swim another day.
Im still going for the 40" mark yet. Cant wait until I get to reach it.

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And keep those hooks sharp!

[whitesand]

just caught one 39 inch northern, 38 inch muskie,46.5 inch muskie in grand rapids area this past week.great fishing!!!

[hanson]

A 40" Pike is definitely a rare fish on most lakes in this state. LOW, Red Lake, Mille Lacs can consistently produce 40 inchers. The protected slot on LOW is definitely helping to grow these fish bigger.

I have to admit the 40" pike I caught on LOW a couple years ago was kept and went on my wall. That was the biggest fish I have ever caught and catching it ice fishing made it even better. We weighed the fish after we had got home, the fish was frozen solid, and it weighed in at 18 1/2 pounds. Hard to say what it weighed right out of the water.

Hopefully someday large Pike will earn the respect from anglers that any muskie gets.

[Biggestfish]

I caught and released a 41 inch pike on Leech 2 years ago fishing for Muskie. To say the least, I was surprised when I saw it was a northern.

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Just Having Fun!
Love to Fish.

[Seabass77]

39.5" out of basswood lake. 16#'s 10oz.

[walleye_dan]

My biggest is a 44" out of Lake of the Woods through the ice. I kept it for the wall, but If I catch anything over 30" , it goes back. I love big pike and want to keep catching them. I was out on a small lake by Detroit Lakes last saturday with a friend that has the special pike regs on it(anything over 24" has to be returned to the water) and we caught 10 fish over 5 pounds and 2 that were 32". It was a blast. It's nice to know that people still respect pike enough to throw the big ones back.

[Stratosman]

Got a 47"er a few years back in Canada, released but got a replica made of it. About ten years ago caught a 40" on the St Croix in what is now the Bluffs Launch in Washington County. Last year my buddy and I were musky fishing on White Bear when he caught a 41" pike off Manitou. All of the above pike were caught while fishing for another species. But all were a good surprise.

[Muskie-searcher]

A 40 inch pike is a very nice fish, but to say it is more rare than a 50 inch muskie is something I would have to disagree with. I have been fishing pike/muskies for a long time and have yet to catch a 50 incher, however I have caught quite a few pike over 40 inches.

The reason you don't see a lot of big pike is most people don't know how to fish them. They fish them in the same spots they might catch smaller pike or muskies and the fact is outside of spring the big pike are in deeper, colder water.

Now a 50 inch muskie is a simple numbers game. There just aren't a lot of those out there, and then to be in front of one when she is ready to go is a feat. I have come close with a lot of mid-high 40's but am still waiting for the true trophy.

[Big G]

Well;

I guess I'm lucky.

I do have a 45.5" (29lbs) Vermillion
Another @ 44" (24lbs) LOTW
A couple in the 42 and 43 inch range. (Mille Lacs & LOTW)

I would honestly say about 15 in the 40 to 42 inch range. All fly-in fish north of Armstrong, Ontario. (on our fly ins, of 8 people, probably 10 to 15 fish each year would be boated that were over 40" in 4 days of fishing)

I don't take pictures of fish under 40" anymore.........

My buddy has a 47" fish off Mille Lacs, a 41, 41.5, 42, 43, 43.5 off LOTW.

My other good buddy has a 24lb, 38 inch off Mille Lacs.

Of all these fish, only 1 was put on the wall.........the 29lb

[Fish-n-Freak]

My best Pike was caught last fall, a 44"er on Vermilion.

[andy j]

40 incher are pretty rare, finally got one last year in canada, lot of fish over 36 inches few 39's but 40 is tough. A 50 muskie is tough. If one really wanted to catch 40 inch pike and 50 inch muskie, the key is finding water with little pressure for these species. Not alot of people target big pike and know how to catch these fish in the summer. There are some lakes out there that have a lot of them and don't get fished much, lakes that have a lot of 50 inch muskie get fished a lot and these fish see a lot of lures. I think it would be easier to target bigger pike.

[AWH]

I would agree that a 40" pike is more rare than a 50" musky in most lakes. But there are a few lakes where a 40" pike isn't that rare. Vermilion, LOTW, and a number of lakes in Canada are just a few that hold good numbers of 40"+ pike.

I've been musky fishing for 15 years and have yet to get a 50". I've got two at 49.5", so I'm close. And I've got just one 40" pike. So they've both been very tough to come by in my boat.

AWH

[TMan]

My neighbor just caught a 50 1/2 incher last month in Canada (Wallaston lk.). I'll see if he can get the picks. Als caught a 46 1/2 that looks almost as big, and is thicker. He brought the pics over as I got back from going O'fer musky fishing the other day. Sad when his pike are eclipsing my 'skie sizes this year...

[TMan]

I've got the pic of the 50.5" Pike if someone wants to post it.....

[marine_1]

I've caught 1 40" Northern. I think they are more rare because not as many people fish for or know how to catch them.

[whitebearlakeguy]

I've caught one 40" many in the high 30's. Here comes the famous "one that gotta away" on Mille Lacs last fall trolling a banna colored believer alon the sand break line. I thought I hooked into another 50" Muskie. After a short battle the fish finally layed on the surface about 6 feet from the boat. My brother-in-law saw it first and he started yelling "it's a pike, it's a pike" instead of netting like he should have we both stare at it in amazement. It made a quick turn over the line and down under the boat. All that came back was my yellow believer. Oh well, I would have put her back anyhow.

Good point on this topic though, I think they are probably more rare than the 50 inch ski. At least in most Minnesota Lakes.

Whitebearlakeguy

[hanson]

TMan-

You can shoot me that photo. I'll get it up for you.

chris_r_hanson at hotmail dot com

[hanson]

TMan's neighbors 50 1/2" Pike! Now that is a monster fish! I've got to get myself up to Wollaston Lake in Canada! Wow!!

Nice 'ski also!

[This message has been edited by hanson (edited 08-05-2004).]

[MuskyMark]

Holy smokes. Both of those fish are awesome. But that pike...beautiful markings, no blemishes, no split fins... incredible. What a trophy that one is. I'd have to pop for a replica for a fish like that. Sweet!

Mark

[TMan]

I told him the same thing about that pike, that is a once in a lifetime fish and if he is ever to get a replica of anything in his life, that would be it....
TMan