How Valuable are our Big Pike?

[fishgutz77]

After reading 5 pages to catch up my brain is oatmeal, especially after the treatise. I caught my first pike at 7yrs and am now 48 do the math. those that know me also know I put more hrs on the water soft or hard than a lot of tourney fisherman. participated in large pike/muskie catching for broodstock for muskies inc. with past president John Bohndus in the mid and late 70's John and Frank S. are gone now god bless them for the work they did. and this has been my experience.

Fact. there are basically 3 lake types in MN

each have very different growth rates for pike in a given

regein, north, central and southern.

And now let's factor in the large lake thing with the

middle and small lakes.

now lets factor in one of the most important things there

is and that is the lakes water under and over 15ft as it

relates to the total acreage of the lake.

and then the final factor of forage speices available like

high fat high protein fish, tulibee, ciscos, smelt.

Is it any wonder why the DNR and others are having a hard time coming up with a plan that makes sense to me or others.

The other fact is: there is no spear and release only good stewardship of the resource you love. And I love big pike, which is what the thread is really getting to.

the pike/ resource is so valuable that is impacts the entire economy of MN and the nation.

Lets just start with the bait suckers/decoys/shiners/artificals what do you see in a mega sized chains that target pike/muskies. this is a billion dollar industry that supports lots of families.

Now the Marketing and resort industry:it's so large that I would venture to say that it probably impacts the photo industry as well. And now for the nostalgic/experience/sportsman/ fish hugger factor. the pictures of my kids with big pike are like lottery tickets to me. The memories of my fishing partners with big pike are priceless.

John B and Frank S taught me to think like this:

A givin body of water only has so many acres of water that are really good fish habitat and which will support so many pounds of fish per acre just like some ag animals in a pasture. And each acre will only support so much with in that lake type and geological area/climate. it boils down to you can have 10-ten pound pike per acre = 100lbs or 20- five pounders and so on,you get the picture.

A great study was done years ago and was published in the in-fisherman magazine by Dr. Bernard Labeau on transmiters in large pike and muskies. this really opened my eyes up to the world of large pike and how they can be elusive and conditioned to baits and people. this is why I think the spearing guys see so many large pike. by the way I have hundereds of hours in Buddy Kalpins spear house as a comapanion and never have speared a fish though the ice but understand the attraction and I do collect the decoys they are the bomb. Lets go to barbless hooks on the big water and treat them like liquid gold. because this is our true trophy resource that grows'em big. Great Thread keep it going.

[Bowfin]

Wow, this is a hot topic! All the interest, comments, and strong opinions prove to answer the original question - our big pike are indeed valuable! Valuable for catch and release, catch and keep, spearing, watching video taping or just knowing they are there. Through my own experience, and the strong comments of others, I am convinced of a point I made in my earlier post some 3 pages ago:

That is:

One last point - In Minnesota I think it is important and possible to provide a variety of northern pike opportunities. I have come to realize the value of providing for some trophy northern lakes (although it was hard personally because they chose the lake I spear on "not in my backyard mentality"). I also think it is important to leave other lakes open to spearing large fish. It concerns me a bit with talk of expanding slot lakes that someday it would lead to a statewide slot. Everyone who spears should have the opportunity to "go after the big ones" from time to time.

This thread proves we will never get everyone to agree on one pike management standard. We should be thankful we live in the State of 10,000 lakes. A place where the DNR can provide (through differing management regulations) a variety of fishing/spearing opportunities and a place where big pike will continue to roam.