18.5 Pound/41 inch pike pulled out of the NSR near Edmonton!

[timsesink]

Well I thought I'd share my story of my PB pike. Yesterday I had some free time so I thought I'd go work one of favorite holes in the NSR for some Goldeye. They'd been going nuts for one of my spinners so I grabbed my light rod, a few spare lures, my trusty net and I headed out. I started on the downstream end of the hole and began to work the 200m stretch using my patented "Tim Twitch" :) I got all the way to the top, with only few bites but no solid hook-ups, well I thought I've hiked in a klick I might as well work down it again. First cast back into the pool I let the spinner sink and then when I went to twitch I felt it snag what i thought was the bottom. Oh crapp I thought I just bought this darn thing. However the log all of a sudden began to scream out into the current. Holding on for dear life on my fragile goldeye rod I ran down the bank hotting and hollering. It tired and I began to gain some ground, I finally got it within 10ft of the bank and realized I was staring at the biggest pike I had ever caught. The only problem was that it saw me, well back out it went again taking 40ft of line. This occurred a few times before I had it on the bank, all 41 inches and 13.5 pounds of it. In landing it I even bent my little net :( I still can't believe it caught and landed it on a spinner with no leader and a little dinky rod! The big ones are in there, you just got to find them and no I will not tell you where! (Unless you tell me your secret hole) :bad_boys_20:

pics to come

[sdimedru]

sweet lookin forward to the pics....!

[5Weight]

Nice story and great fish. Thanks for the read!

5W

[Fishingnutter]

Sweeeet.

I love it when you target a specific fish and catch a gigantic relative. I find less hits with a steel leader (I don't hook - line & sinker fish) when spoon/spinner casting and if I know I'm in big pike territory, I'll rig a homemade leader of a heavier fishing line, but rarely. There are some spoons that tell stories and not just of what they've caught but how deep they are taken. A 5 of Diamonds that has been around as long as I've been fishing has a distinctive crescent shape from where the majority of teeth have laid across it, and the swivel is still a good 3 quarters the way to go. Look at flyfishers who only target Pike, what's their leader line?

Aaaah, I love catching river Pike! Way to go!!!

[AxeMan]

Way to go Tim. Ya never know what your going to hook onto in the old NSR. When they get out into the current on you all bets are off, good job at getting him in on light tackle. Get those pics up.

PS. what is it that you are smokin with that smiley face...:lol:

[crazyfish]

thats awesome fun ! pics would be nice ! Had the same thing happen on the lower part of the little smokey, trying for grayling with a spinner, no leader, but mine was only about 8 pds, what a fight ! congrats again !

[bubba 96]

A buddie of mine did that on the bow at mikinnon flats last year, 6lb test no leader and the yellow eagle claw, took him 20 mins to land he gets it on shore the line snaps it starts flopping back to the water, but he got it and now you can see the pict at bass pro in balzac.:sign0161:

[timsesink]

The pics are on a laptop as I couldn't find my camera at home (yes I kept him) he was too wrapped up in line and to well hooked to be able to release effectively with only my trout net. I thought I'm having some people over so there's supper :) I usually wouldn't keep one that big but it was my PB and I wanted my wife to see. Not meaning to open a can of worms on the whole C and R thing though!

[spopadyn]

The pics are on a laptop as I couldn't find my camera at home (yes I kept him) he was too wrapped up in line and to well hooked to be able to release effectively with only my trout net. I thought I'm having some people over so there's supper :) I usually wouldn't keep one that big but it was my PB and I wanted my wife to see. Not meaning to open a can of worms on the whole C and R thing though!

Nicely done. That is a nice lunker and I hope you enjoy your barbecue or your fish and chips.

[mooseknuckle]

The pics are on a laptop as I couldn't find my camera at home (yes I kept him) he was too wrapped up in line and to well hooked to be able to release effectively with only my trout net. I thought I'm having some people over so there's supper :) I usually wouldn't keep one that big but it was my PB and I wanted my wife to see. Not meaning to open a can of worms on the whole C and R thing though!

Nice Job, look forward to the pics!! As for the C & R thing?? Dude it's your right eat up and enjoy I know I look forward to some pike dinners this summer!! May ask if it was west or east of edmonton?

[timsesink]

West Eastish :)

[timsesink]

Still working on the pics, should have them tonight

[-JR-]

Try sending them before you eat it for supper:sHa_shakeshout:

[greylynx]

My neighbor tryed to cook a walleye that came out of the mouth of the Redwater River into the NSR.

He said it tasted and smelled like motor oil:)

[timsesink]

Here's the pics guys enjoy! And man it was pretty good!

[braxxtonn]

nice fish , good read:)

[walleyechaser]

very nice fish, well done with the light setup

[Geezle]

That's awesome man, congrats! :cool:

[timsesink]

You also have to realize I'm 6'8, puts the photo into proper perspective :)

[alpineguy]

Nice fish. Are you sure it was only 13.5 lbs. I caught a 43 " 5 years ago and it weighed 21.4 lbs. It had an empty stomach. I make the fish look huge because I'22203m a strapping 5'8" LOL.

Congrats

[WayneChristie]

You also have to realize I'm 6'8, puts the photo into proper perspective :)

is that caused by eating fish out of that river? :sEm_oops2: :) Nice pike, they are a lot of fun in rivers too.

[hockey1099]

nice fish. Makes me want to go out and fish the river.

[timsesink]

Thats a good question about the weight, I was kinda wondering as well, 13.5 pounds seemed pretty light. I guess thats what I get for having my wife weigh it :) If that fish is 21 pounds mine was defiately around the 18-20 mark

[deercamp]

who knows it could be a long and skinny fish, i caught one through the ice this winter, 39 inches and it was just over 15. Also Seen a 16 lb fish that was only 35 inches. But then on the other end of things seen one that was 42 inches long and just over 12 lbs. just depends on the fish

[timsesink]

This fish was pretty fat and full, under closer examination it seems my wife mistook the 18 for a 13.

[mooseknuckle]

Ahhh just test your scale at home with an ol dumb bell or something 13.5 sounds reasonable I've pulled out a 36" pike that weighed 17lbs. Just like us humans fish vary too. Of course I've been out with the boys caught a 10lber and by the time we get chatting around the camp fire it's 15.:sHa_sarcasticlol:

[timsesink]

lol, yup. Fish are the only thing that get bigger after they're dead.

[fishinggeek]

looks closer to 20lbs to me. nice catch.

[LintonWeikle]

good fish Tim. id say hes a solid 17 lbs for sure. but with pike its all about length (as far as i am concerned) and in the low 40" range that is a decent fish. congrats on the PB by the way but why not snap the pics and set him free! that old fellow would likely match your age.
take care


keep it wet! and if you cant, make her swim!

Linton

[timsesink]

yeh now that I look back on it I probably should have set him free, I didn't have a camera and I wanted my wife to see. plus with my dinky goldeye net it was pretty tough to get a handle on it. However the more I think about it, the more I wish I had set it free and had the pics in my head :) Oh well I'm sure I'll catch many more and I'll set them free :)

[mountain_man]

yeh now that I look back on it I probably should have set him free, I didn't have a camera and I wanted my wife to see. plus with my dinky goldeye net it was pretty tough to get a handle on it. However the more I think about it, the more I wish I had set it free and had the pics in my head Oh well I'm sure I'll catch many more and I'll set them free

:sign0023:
All that being said, I bet he tasted really good with a little lemon and butter!

[timsesink]

sure did, just like lobster :)

[mooseknuckle]

sure did, just like lobster :)

That's awesome. Hey nothing wrong with keepin the odd fish for dinner. With pike and this is just my opinion I really enjoy eating them but only out of colder waters and in the 4-8lb range. But lime you said if it was pretty wrapped up and hooked deep. Then it may not have survived anyways so Bon apetite!!

[-JR-]

Holding him upright seems smaller . I would of guessed 10 pds
so 13.5 might be right

[diesel777]

Great Fish! Maybe the weight does sound light. I caught a 40.5" pike and he was 20lbs 8oz. But maybe a river fish stays a little on the lighter side because they are constantly swimming the current. Anyways sweet fish and probably good eats. Congrats