25 pounder caught @ Coal today!

[timsesink]

Braved the morning blizzard and somehow convinced my wife to come with me, so we headed out to Coal for a few hours, settup my tipups and sat in the van drinking coffee. She was getting bored and cold when one of my tip-ups sprung. In the mad dash around the van I almost bit it a few times on the sheer ice and the saw the spindle spinning like mad. Gave it a few seconds then set the hook.

IMMEDIATLY I knew it was a big fish, took me about 5 minutes to bring it in, but then I realized very quickly that there was no way it was fitting through the 6" hole! I yelled to my wife to get out of the van and help me, she was a bit nervous but like a trooper held the line. Looking down the hole it looked huge, grabbing my hand auger I gingerly drilled a second hole hoping like heck not cut the line, as I punched through I felt the fish come up and pulled it tot he surface. However as it came up it spit the hook. Now he was off but vertically up in the hole and it was still so tight I couldn't fit my hand beside it. I grabbed my ice scoop which has a soft corner and hooked him in the jaw and pulled, and pulled, and pulled him onto the ice, like pulling out a Boa. My wife was actully scared and ran screaming back to the van, I think she thought it was going to eat her. LOL Quickly put it back after we realized her phone was dead so no pics Oh well, biggest too date! Hopefully I'll see it again in spring! They're out there boys

[Chris84]

Awesome....sounds like quite the adventure. Makes toughing it out through a blizzard worth it!!!!

[timsesink]

Made it so more satisfying! Still kicking about not taking the camera, never caught anything huge out of there so thought no need. Lesson learned. LOL

[Lefty-Canuck]

Grats on the nice fish.....there are some gooders there. I hope that one makes it to spawn and no one else grabs it!

LC

[timsesink]

There are some, but I've never seen one that big caught in the winter, usually first ice out seems top be the time for the biggies in there.

[bain]

where is coal lake?

[Monster Pike Man]

I cant believe u were fishing pike in a 6" hole. Good story though. Everytime i fish coal i get nothing but really small pike.

[Guitarplayingfish]

Sounds like an adventure... And that's why you don't pike fish with a 6" hole.

[fish gunner]

it is my veiw that fish of this caliber live in 80% of lakes containing pike I have been told by many locals there are no large say 10lbs or larger pike in pine or burnstick. I believe they are wrong very wrong I lost a big 5 of diamonds in the prop wash at pine(sure sign of a big fish)and seen its head one of those 6" between the eyes stories and had.1/0 treble straightend at burnstick when a home made tip up thingy failed to trip. no 4lb hammer handle going to do that. great fish,great story, and what a great lady u got your self. shame ant the pic I keep a cheep disposable in my gear for just such a fish.rock on !!

[whitetail Junkie]

awesome Story!!! I fish pike through a 6" hole aswell,and I'm sure that i'll learn my lesson some day,but its rare to hook into a pike even close to 30 lbs,however You landed your big fish,so you never know I might make it work

[FishingFrenzy]

Thats awesome! Over this past year it seems like people have been pulling some monsters out of coal... i guess all the little guys make good food. Sounds like im going to have to go out and try to find my own coal lake monster...

Congratz on the fish, hopefully you have better luck with a camera next time!

[timsesink]

First thing I thought was I need an 8" hole, heading to TFH this afternoon! They're in their but few and far between. 90% of the fish I've caught are hammerhandles. As for6" Holes you can pull some pretty big fish out if you take your time.

[timsesink]

after looking at some pike pics, I'm going to say actually 24-26pounds would be closer to what it was, still a hog for Coal though

[Tylerf150]

This fall my boy coaght a 18 pounder out at coal and it was 40" long and the girth of a football i posted a pick yesterday under the title big pike.
I know their out there good catch.

[Alberta Bigbore]

congrats on the beast

[bushnell]

Hey Tim congrats on a good fish. I know there are some big fish in there,not as common as they used to be. If you want use of a 8in auger let me know.

[BeeGuy]

length and girth will provide a reasonable weight estimate.

sounds like a riot!