[NSR Fisher]

In reply to RedBullets: 27 pound pike?! nice dude! I believe there are some big pike in the NSR for sure.

I didn't have a boat grip to weigh it but my biggest pike (from north wabasca area) was 15 pound range and 40" caught back in 2013. This fish here is probably the second or third biggest Pike I've ever caught, and on a walleye set up, of course!

I would love to catch a 20 pounder one day. I've seen one weighed in the same boat as me though, so I know what they look like at least :-)

And a Sturgeon!! Definitely need to catch one of those.

BTW You're bang on with the small jig.

I was using a 3" all black mr. twister plastic grub, unscented. the jighead I used was one of the ones that has the little flasher hanging off the bottom, adds a nice shine and vibration that helps the fish find your lure in the muddy North Sask.

Story of the actual catch:

I'm jigging walleye all afternoon, catching a bunch in the range of the first photo earlyin the morning. Nothing huge but some nice chubby ones. The bite slowed down in the mid afternoon, so I headed over to the deepest hole of this stretch figuring they are trying to get away from the heat.

This hole in front of the outflow is maybe 8 or 10 feet deep. Big current is separated from the hole by a big concrete wall that comes out into the river maybe 8 feet or so. Creates a nice current break and a huge, 20 foot eddy to the left of the hole.

So anyways, i toss the jig down into this hole and as she sinks my line goes slack. No tap, just suddenly slack line. Thinking I hit bottom or maybe a walleye has slurped up my jig on the fall I quickly popped it up, hoping to set the hook or trigger a bite if it was just the bottom.

I pop it up and nothing but weight. I'm using a 7' Shimano Convergence, not a very stout rod at all. Excellent for walleye jigging but you can understand this rod went into full bend immediately.

First thought: I had snagged a log. What ever it was didn't move right away. It was just pure weight. So i tighten my drag maybe 2 clicks and give it another tug...this time it tugged back.

It goes ballistic, ripping around this hole, into the eddy, into the current break, out into the main current and around the side of the outflow to the pebble beach where she thrashed around in maybe 2 feet of water. I reach down and try and grab her behind the head. The second I touch her back she explodes away from me, I almost lose my rod and fall off the concrete ledge I'm standing on. She goes for another couple mins out in the main river before turning on her side and coming in nicely. Jig popped out real easy, I had just hooked her in the tip of the nose! (Important, because I was only using a 15 pound Flourocarbon leader, I no longer use the steel ones in the first photo of the walleye which is actually an older photo) If she had completely inhaled my jig, I would have lost her for sure while she was thrashing around. Had tape measure ready to go and she was back in the water in just over a minute.

I stood with her in the current and revived her for probably 2 whole minutes. Didn't let go until she was kicking strong, she took off right to the deep hole where she's probably still hanging out right now.