gymcoachdon: "Last June I spent a layover day fishing McDougall Lake in Quetico. I was solo, and had a GoPro mounted on the thwart to get fish pics and video. It is a little long, but some of you may enjoy it.
Quetico June 2017 "
Don, I luv ya (seem like a good guy) but I cringe every time I see you reach down with that boga to lip a pike which has a mouthful of treble hooks hanging outside their lip. Reaching, stretching, often reaching behind and clamping on. Sooner or later your going to have a problem.
And that problem occurs when a pike decides to jump........which they often do, especially if they are still green. So your reaching out, trying to clamp on and away she goes airborne and it will be luck if you don't end up with wearing one of those trebles.
Have you ever had a hook in your hand? How about a hook in your hand with an angry fish still connected? Might cause plenty of damage. Get it caught in your wrist on a vein and it could cost you your life (stranger things have happened > God forbid). I have wore several hooks in my day and most were caused by small and medium sized pike.........so now they command a great deal of my respect. The worst was a Magnum Rapala in my palm caused by a smallish pike. I reached down with a nice big pair of channel locks figuring I had plenty of distance between my hand and his mouth and then he jumped and I ended up wearing a nice fat hook.........I was fortunate the fish got off during the exchange or some real damage might have occurred. Surprisingly enough we got the hook out rather easily and the lesson was learned at low expense.
First off is make sure they are tired. Pike will often come right in, especially small ones. They sit there and wait for you to reach out and then WHAM! I never grab for them unless their mouth is open.........that is an indicator that they are tired. And I usually slip on a Lindy Glove with the thumb cut out a bit so I can operate the boga effectively. Hassle? Yes, a bit but if your using something other than a jig, and a three gang Rapala certainly qualifies as a dangerous situation, then it is a few seconds of insurance against a potentially catastrophic happening. No hook will penetrate the Lindy Glove.........get the hand which you use to operate the boga.
If you choose not to acquire a Lindy Glove then don't come at them from the front but rather behind and from the side is best. Obviously when the dart off they go forward.
I am standing on my soapbox spouting off (its what i do best ;-) but I have only your best interests at heart.
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