Nice pike from the weekend!

[Mitchthefisher]

Spent the weekend targeting some pike and it paid off big time with a few giants including my PB a chunky 44" with a gnarly scar on her back!
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[Angler]

Wow dude!
That's a beast!
Congratulations!

[RiverHawk]

What a Sow!! Nicely done Mitch.

[Big Red 250]

Now that's a good pike. Did you happen to weigh it so we can all play the guessing game.
My guess is 28 1/2 lbs maybe 29 lbs. LOL

[Sooner]

Congrats, beauty Fish.

[Lowrance Fishburn]

What a beast. how long was she? Gotta be pushing 30 lbs. I landed a 27 lb, 46" pike last spring, it was not a girthy as that hog but maybe as long. Great fish

[1bluZebec]

Wowzers


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[lovich12]

Throw out your tape measure, that thing looks way longer!!! Well done sir!!

[410]

Nice

[chain2]

Beautiful congrats

[Imagehunter]

Stunning fish, congratulations.
As I'm new to fishing in Alberta I hope it's not a stupid question and ok to ask, I never went ice fishing (yet ). You said you targeted pike, do you cut a bigger hole in the ice to be prepared in case you get one this size? Or are the standard augers big enough?
Also, how long did it take you to land it? Does the colder water 'calm' them and make them fight less?
Helped a guy land one this size years ago home in Germany in the summer, holy cow. Took nearly 40 minutes until it gave up and it jumped three times out the water, all on a 7' carbon spinning rod for pike that really had to work.
I'm always amazed at how you guys can land fish these size with these short ice rods through a hole in the ice, that's really great fishing skills.