biggest pike out there in AB?

[Kyle]

Anyone ever see what a skin mount looks like after 20-30 years? If I manage to get a pike over 48" (has to be a late ice GIRTHY fish) I will have a replica done. Came very close last ice season, but wasnt quite the magical #.
Lax reproductions seems to do very good work throughout the musky/pike community and I will use them if I ever get that elusive 4 footer.

[LacLaBicheNS]

I didn't think I would get this many replies to my question. Thanks for all those who replied to my original qustion.

I really wish it didn't turn into a arguement/disscussion/juding of others... Start your own topic and have at er..

I think if the thread didn't take this turn we would still be sharing stories of huge pike which is what I enjoyed about the thread..

[Warren77]

29 years ago it was normal to keep those monsters. Now days, most taxidermists want the angler to take measurements instead of bringing the fish in. It's the anglers god given right to keep any fish that is legal to keep...But as more and more people take big fish out of the waters,it will only make things worse for generation to generation....It's funny how alot of people say " I remember when".....

[spinerfisher]

Originally Posted by unclebuck

I have a 32lb. pike on my wall that came from Tobin Lake 29 years ago! I also have a 12lb. walleye from the same lake, caught on the same day. A 22inch grayling from the Kakisa River hangs on the same wall. There is also a 26lb. laker from Cold Lake there too. Yes, I do enjoy taking large fish and keeping them, because they were all taken legally.

29 years ago What about in the last 5 or 2 years from Tobin??? didnt think so.

[nicemustang]

Originally Posted by spinerfisher

29 years ago What about in the last 5 or 2 years from Tobin??? didnt think so.

What dat mean? Just last year the world record walleye through the ice was caught, plus we catch many 30 + lb pike there every winter during our annual trip.

[terriblebear]

A biologist once told me that because the southern reservoirs lower their water level each season even though pike might have a good spawn survival of those hatched is poor. Perhaps this is why it seems the whitefish can over run these waters. Pike and whitefish have shared a predator prey relationship for thousands of years and the pike do ok across Canada. Nothing against a guy trying to make a living commercial fishing but perhaps if one or two reservoirs were closed to netting it might result in some very very big pike. Extremely high forage base low predator numbers equal huge predators, albeit in low numbers.

[struik9913]

pulled a 31 pound and 49" pike outta my secret spot at newell last year!

[joeti7]

I don't understand why some prople say throw it back and some people say keep it. As long as its legal, do what you want. Say that there should be a 1 meter rule is ridiculous as lakes would winter kill even worse than now, some lakes don't have the potential to grow large fish. If anyone has ever fished fork lake (SE of Lac La Biche), you know that it isn't possible, thats why the size limit is 55cm now(as opposed from 63cm a few years ago). The lake has a large quantity of fish, but the size is lacking. If you want to keep the larger trophy fish in the lakes, you still need to take fish out so that the remaining fish have enough food and oxygen for the winter. It is easy to determine this as there is commercial fishing allowed on lakes. But if someone spends time and money to go out and catches a legal fish, how is it anyones buisiness to tell them that they shouldn't keep it. It is no different than hunting, yet you never hear a fellow hunter saying you shouldn't kill a "trophy" buck because it should get its genetics out there. There needs to be a balance of nature, I think that the biologists involved in helping decide what can be kept have a little more information and knowledge of what size limits and quantities are enforced to ensure that the lake stays at a HEALTHY population for what the lake can support. Just my opinion.

[lenardobc]

my kid brother and i over the years have pulled in lots of big pike, my personal best was 47.5" out of the bow river.released to be caught again. standing in a low irrigation runoff into the river, had way bigger ones shooting back out into the river.. right between us! kinda freaked us out and back to the shore we went. nothing like a big coldwater river pike. good times.cheers.

[pickrel pat]

Originally Posted by lenardobc

my kid brother and i over the years have pulled in lots of big pike, my personal best was 47.5" out of the bow river.released to be caught again. standing in a low irrigation runoff into the river, had way bigger ones shooting back out into the river.. right between us! kinda freaked us out and back to the shore we went. nothing like a big coldwater river pike. good times.cheers.

way bigger than 47.5" ? wow! ahhh those bow river pike!

[terriblebear]

For the last 25 years or so the biggest pike coming out of Britain are coming out of stocked trout reservoirs. These waters ability to produce pike forage are supplemented with hatchery trout. Pike purists call these pike" Plastic fish" because under normal conditions they wouldn't reach their massive sizes. This mimics those super conditioned largemouth bass in the California reservoirs. Waters such as Badger, keho and others in southern Alberta used to produce pike 35 pounds and better. The Aberta record is 38 pounds but was only 45.5 inches long. What could a fish from those water weigh at 50 or 52 inches if they could evade the nets or anglers. For years North American waters only produced one 50 pound musky every 5 or 6 years until protective management like high the 54 inch limit on trophy waters were implemented. Now Minnesota kicks out a couple fish that big every year and Ontario produces better than half a dozen fish like that each year. I think with some enlightened fisheries management Alberta could surprise that pike fishing world. Politics unfortunately does get involved as many fisherie technician have told me.

[New Hunter Okotoks]

I would think that there would be pike north of 50 lbs in this province. I have often wondered if those fish just eat a 2 or 3 lb whitefish every few days and that is how they evade capture.The fish, I had thought might just get into a routine and not chase irregular or unfamiliar baits that fishermen present. It could also be a case of the big ones at that 35 lb+ size break the lines that they do get mixed up with.

[ishootbambi]

this was a few years back....how big is it?

[New Hunter Okotoks]

I'll take a guess at 24 lbs.

[WayneChristie]

depending on how big you are, Id say around 12 to 14

[mooseknuckle]

24 is a bit too generous that fish is 13lbs!

[ishootbambi]

im 6'1". the fish was 22 on the scale. maybe not the worlds most accurate scale....but a digtal scale nonetheless. she was released unharmed at the protest of nearly everyone in attendance. i burned up the last of my film on this one and promptly caught a 28 within minutes of releasing her. this was back in the good old days of late april fishing at newell, 1994. the 20's have been much harder to come by since that trip.

[WayneChristie]

There are still lots of 20s around. and bigger, had at least 3 on my line last winter. unfortunately they didnt make it through the ice.

[whitetail Junkie]

June 2005,Traver's resivour,little over 30 pounds,48" x 19",Let em all Go!

[jts1]

Originally Posted by WayneChristie

There are still lots of 20s around. and bigger, had at least 3 on my line last winter. unfortunately they didnt make it through the ice.

Wayne you had a few 40lbs out on the ice as well if I remember correctly. Only diffrence is you drank them ones...

[mooseknuckle]

Originally Posted by jts1

Wayne you had a few 40lbs out on the ice as well if I remember correctly. Only diffrence is you drank them ones...

LOL thats good!!

[terriblebear]

Any theories on why many of Alberta's southern reservoirs don't seem to be producing as many fish over 30 pounds anymore? Has Crawling Valley res ever produced any giant, 35 pound plus, pike? Milk river ridge, Keho, Badger and other waters have a history of giant pike but not Crawling Valley.

[calgarygringo]

I know sometimes there are food factors etc. but also keep in mind CV is fairly new to Walleyes and Pikes. It used to be a Rainbow factory many years ago when I first came to Alberta. We used to catch them 5-10 lbs all day long and they looked like big footballs with tiny heads. They introduce the other fish later on. Keep in mind some of the big ones we have talked about coming out of Badger, Newell, Chins etc. have been around for a long time. Lots of time to grow. Some like Chin don't get a lot of pressure for it's size as well. You can catch 20 lb plus all day long at the right time of year there. I have seen several over 30 and rumour has even bigger. Newell is much the same.
Now the Badgers have been getting heavy pressure especially since about ten years ago it met the front page of a magazine of the top ten pike lakes in Canada. It got really busy after that then the fishing dropped off. Are there still big ones in these lakes. I bet they all do. You just have to spend the time and go hunt them down. Even go try a new one like PCR. Everyone jokes about a new lake and tiny Walleyes but don't leave the rod unattended or a monster or 2 that is in there will surprise you. Spend more time fishing and lookinf for the monsters and you will find them in most of your mentioned lakes and others in the south....

[Krisrf]

I'd say that Newell is a good bet for big pike. I'd also say Gull is a decent bet as I've had one on there in its 20s that got away. The Ridge also has potential. Pigeon should have some big ones too. I look for amount of white fish to start with and then go to surface area of the lake mixed in a bit with volume. Shoreline might add a bit perhaps explaining the Ridge. Sylvan has at least one monster in there I didn't even have a chance to turn around as it ran out my line.

[great white whaler]

Originally Posted by ishootbambi

this was a few years back....how big is it?

i say 12 to 14 pounds

[WayneChristie]

Originally Posted by terriblebear

Any theories on why many of Alberta's southern reservoirs don't seem to be producing as many fish over 30 pounds anymore? Has Crawling Valley res ever produced any giant, 35 pound plus, pike? Milk river ridge, Keho, Badger and other waters have a history of giant pike but not Crawling Valley.

I think the big fish are still in there, maybe they are just getting smarter with all the pressure they get. I was at the taxidermist's the other night and he told me he has a huge pike to do that came from a reservoir not even mentioned here, and there are a lot of smaller reservoirs that have some very big fish that get little pressure. I am convinced that there have to be some very very big pike in the river system too from Bassano down, they have a lot of feed and get very little pressure as well. Its all a matter of luck with a little bit of skill before someone breaks the record, and I have a feeling its going to be broken by quite a bit when it does fall.

[pikergolf]

There are a lot of big pike in the bow between the forks and Bassano, if I was targeting fish between 15 and 20 pounds I would fish this exclusivly, but over 30? I don't know, never seen or heard of any this size. Food and cool cold water are abundant but constantly fighting current probably takes energy that could be used to grow.

[terriblebear]

Giant pike in Bow river. Always thought that with that dense trout, sucker and rocky mountain whitefish population the Bow should be able to kick out a giant pike. I think a 40 pound fish is a possibilty. No one is seriously targeting pike and certainly not big pike. Those giants are living off 10 to 20" plus forage, who's throwing baits that big consistly. Big deadbaits drifted through deep holes might be a pattern.

[WayneChristie]

Originally Posted by terriblebear

Giant pike in Bow river. Always thought that with that dense trout, sucker and rocky mountain whitefish population the Bow should be able to kick out a giant pike. I think a 40 pound fish is a possibilty. No one is seriously targeting pike and certainly not big pike. Those giants are living off 10 to 20" plus forage, who's throwing baits that big consistly. Big deadbaits drifted through deep holes might be a pattern.

I will have to give that a shot next summer, Im fortunate to live where the river has a lot of pike. I know my brother years ago helped a guy land a 35 pounder right below the dam at Bassano.

[terriblebear]

I would expect Glennifer reservoir to produce but have heard nothing big coming out of there. In those southern reservoirs besides whitefish what forage is available. A Biologist told me pike have poor growth rates early on, about a pound a year the first 7 years then growth is explosive. Good forage for young pike must be poor. Are shiners or other minnows present in those waters and in what numbers? Since most pike don't live more than 9 years a good part of their growth potential is wasted before they start putting on real size. Interestly even in the far north most don't make it past age 9, though pike have been aged to 26 years. There seems to be a bottle neck in growth in the southern reservoirs. If that issue can be addressed I suspect more big pike would be seen. By the way in Idaho some waters produce 30 pound fish in 6 years. Gotta love that kokanee salmon forage base.