[whompuscat658]

I went to spinney/eleven mile this weekend and caught several pike. It was my first time catching them and it was really cool. Everyone there was adamant about killing any pike that were caught. But, based on a lot of comments I've read on here, there are a good number of people that want them thrown back. Is this because they disagree with the dows strategy on improving these fisheries as trout fisheries? Or is it just that they like catching pike? On one hand, I could see how the Dow would think that reducing the pike population would help the trout population. On the other, it would seem that the pike would help weed out the small trout and eliminate competition for the bigger ones, thus producing more big trout. Sorry if this has been answered before. I did a search and there's just so much info to cover.

 

[Oyey]

My reasoning for not killing pike is because they are about 100x more fun than trout. We have piles and piles of trout lakes in CO.... also, It seems to me the best pike lakes produce the best trout.

 

[slayerfish]

I kill some of the smaller ones I catch at the Mile.

 

[rivrunnr1]

Take a look at lakes that have pike in CO. 11mile, spinney, elkhead, taylor, etc etc etc. Those fisheries are trophy fisheries not only for pike, but for other species as well. Gotta be something to that.

Plus pike are way more fun to catch than trout.

 

[Neal/CO]

I kill some of the smaller ones I catch at the Mile.

Nothing wrong with that! And they are great eating! Once they get over 25" they should be released! I have kept a bunch of small ones over the years at the Mile and Spinney.

 

[albow]

Anytime you catch a fish with teeth, it's cool! 8)

There used to be signs at Spinney stating that all pike must be kept. I think that is still the official regulation. I do let the big ones go, keep and eat the rest. There was a post here last year about pickling the small hammerhandles. Haven't tried it yet but it sounded pretty good. You should be able to find it using "search" function.

 

[WestSloper]

I keep everything I catch between 20 & 30", they are delicious! Pike will over run a lake if not kept in check. This is what happen to Harvey in the 90's, finally after 20 years of people removing the juveniles the lake is coming back as a decent warm water fishery again. Big pike in a lake aren't the problem, its the mid size ones that do the most damage. They are eating machines when they are 20-30", once they reach a mature size they matabolism slows down and they can go several days without eating.

There was a post here last year about pickling the small hammerhandles. Haven't tried it yet but it sounded pretty good. You should be able to find it using "search" function.

^^^Pickled pike is AWESOME!^^^

 

[albow]

Found it:

http://www.coloradofisherman.com/forum/81-food-recipes-bbq/74138-pickled-hammer-handles.html

 

[catchn]

My buddy fed a 12" to a pelican at spinney a few weeks back... I know I know feeding wildlife blah blah. He's an idiot though. At least he doing his part to keep the population in check

 

[Dave M]

This horrid nu metal band wrote a song about pike. It seems they are a problem in flint michigan.

http://youtu.be/yJDAgMVzNto

 

[psb anglers]

I have yet to catch a Pike, hopefully I can finnally get one of those toothy creatures..I may try tomorrow if not, then Ill have to wait until around the 8th of July

 

[JohnnyO19]

Pike are pretty darn tasty, and getting the Y bones out is easy. But to kill them just for the sake of killing them, I will not do.

 

[TthePikester]

pike are over rated...stick to crappie!!! :biggrin1:

 

[swimbait]

Pike do tend to be prolific breeders. Lots of fish will overpopulate. Crappie and perch are two more good examples. The thing is, when crappie or perch overpopulate you get a lot of little crappie or perch. When pike overpopulate, it reduces recruitment of gamefish to the extent that you are left with a marginal fishery.

Lake Ladora is a great example of this. The big mature bass that are out there are set, the pike don't cause them any problems. The sub three pounders, however, are very much on the menu. If few young fish can survive, attrition takes its toll on the older specimens and we are left with many medium sized pike in the lake. There are very large numbers of pike out there. There just are hardly any over eight pounds. Most have poor to horrible body condition. Once they get big enough to eat their fellows, they are set, nothing goes down the hatch for a pike like a smaller pike, but they have a tough time bridging the forage gap from crawfish to two pound pike.

Killing small pike is good if you want to catch big pike, or most any other gamefish, in a lake with large numbers of pike.

my 2¢

 

[albow]

You do yourself and other fishermen a favor when you keep or kill the little pike like you are supposed to. ;D