I decided to chase two of the fish on my list for the season on Saturday (10 lb Rainbow and Pike larger than 36") so I headed up to Spinney with Anglerwannabe to try and make it happen. We arrived around 8:45 after setting up camp at a friends cabin and proceeded to prep his trolling motor powered pontoon and my kayak while watching tons of people roll in and launch into the windy waters (many of whom didn't last very long on the water).
After a minor set-back of having two missing screws on my rudder to replace we got on the water at around 9:40. Wind was gusting pretty good; creating some small white caps and water temp was around 46 (Perfect conditions for the die-hards that we are).
Within 25 yards of the ramp I was into my first fish. Not a ten pounder, but a solid 20" bow. I continued trolling up and down the north ramp shoreline in about 20 FOW and was kept busy for the next three hours catching and releasing rainbows between 19" and 23". Wind, whitecaps and cold where not going to ruin my last chance for my goal. Then I hooked up with a beast that pulled like a mule and made long runs down, around and under my yak. I thought to myself this must be my ten pound bow. After a 10 minute battle I finally got the beast coming up to the surface and much to my delight and surprise it was my pike of a lifetime. He came to the next without a struggle (first clue) so I attempted to put this monster in my net (first big mistake). He wasn't going to fit for sure and wasn't happy about me trying to make him fit. He bolted for the bottom again. Luckily I didn't lose him on that run. I worked him back up to the surface for another try and got about a third of him in the net and had my hand on him trying to hoist him overboard (last mistake and the most costly). He flipped out and flung my lure, tail-splashed me and headed off to haunt my dreams for another season. I will say he was well over 40" and weighed more than the 15 pounder I landed catfishing a few years back, but can't verify anything
other than I will catch another and land it with pictures someday soon:thumb:
Never having tried to land a big pike by myself taught me a few lessons.
One: have a bigger net or learn to grab them like the pros do.
Two: always have my go-pro running. I didn't at the time, but I had plenty of witnesses watching the "rookie" in the kayak trying to land a huge pike without a clue on how to do so.
As my partner finally got close enough to see my ****-eating grin he chuckled and said at least you got him on film right??????
Oh well, at least I got to see and touch my big pike....
Now for the climax of a great day.... Two rainbows on at the same time.
Here's the video to prove I don't always tell fish tails. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poxOroKg5NA
After a minor set-back of having two missing screws on my rudder to replace we got on the water at around 9:40. Wind was gusting pretty good; creating some small white caps and water temp was around 46 (Perfect conditions for the die-hards that we are).
Within 25 yards of the ramp I was into my first fish. Not a ten pounder, but a solid 20" bow. I continued trolling up and down the north ramp shoreline in about 20 FOW and was kept busy for the next three hours catching and releasing rainbows between 19" and 23". Wind, whitecaps and cold where not going to ruin my last chance for my goal. Then I hooked up with a beast that pulled like a mule and made long runs down, around and under my yak. I thought to myself this must be my ten pound bow. After a 10 minute battle I finally got the beast coming up to the surface and much to my delight and surprise it was my pike of a lifetime. He came to the next without a struggle (first clue) so I attempted to put this monster in my net (first big mistake). He wasn't going to fit for sure and wasn't happy about me trying to make him fit. He bolted for the bottom again. Luckily I didn't lose him on that run. I worked him back up to the surface for another try and got about a third of him in the net and had my hand on him trying to hoist him overboard (last mistake and the most costly). He flipped out and flung my lure, tail-splashed me and headed off to haunt my dreams for another season. I will say he was well over 40" and weighed more than the 15 pounder I landed catfishing a few years back, but can't verify anything
other than I will catch another and land it with pictures someday soon:thumb: Never having tried to land a big pike by myself taught me a few lessons.
One: have a bigger net or learn to grab them like the pros do.
Two: always have my go-pro running. I didn't at the time, but I had plenty of witnesses watching the "rookie" in the kayak trying to land a huge pike without a clue on how to do so.
As my partner finally got close enough to see my ****-eating grin he chuckled and said at least you got him on film right??????
Oh well, at least I got to see and touch my big pike....
Now for the climax of a great day.... Two rainbows on at the same time.
Here's the video to prove I don't always tell fish tails. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poxOroKg5NA
