How big was your largest ever BWCA or Quetico northern? Also, which lakes would you say are the best for trophy pike?

My personal best was an estimated 15 pounder caught on Basswood in Sept 2007. Basswood is home of the current state record pike, so probably a good place to start.

We never actually target pike, but catch them incidentally while fishing for walleye and smallmouth. There is a large shallow bay on Quetico lake that seemed to be especially good pike waters. In 2006, my brother caught and released a 36 inch pike, then 20 minutes later landed this 41-incher.

I have seen large pike, over 40 inches in length at the following locations over the past 20 years:
Wind Bay- Basswood Lake
Saturday and Thursday Bays of Crooked Lake
western end of Cummings Lake
Ge-bo-ne-quet Lake

I have also witnessed 2 very large pike in smaller lakes- each less the 1,000 acres in size, over the past couple of years but since I'm still planning future trips to them next year I will keep them secret for now. Dave

36" on Gabbro Lake. Dead cisco on a slip bobber.

36 incher on Hustler this last June

BW Agnes

There is a large weedbed on Poohbah that contains lots of walleyes and smallmouth bass and patrolling the deeper edges of this weedbed are some large Pike. While my Dad and I do not target the Pike we have caught at least one 40+ inch Pike on each of our trips to Poohbah near this weedbed. Our outfitter says that at least one Pike around 50" is caught in Poohbah each year.

The first picture is of me from August 13, 2009 with a 43"x21" Pike.

The second picture is my Dad from August 16, 2009 with a 43"x17" Pike.

35" 13lb on turtle lake off bald eagle.

How heavy was that 43/21?

that 43" is an absolute beauty!

Like father like son, huh? Very nice! I noticed both of you on shore. Did you get the strike in a canoe and then horse them into shore and landed them there?

Lake Insula produced a number of 30" + pike for us last year, trolling rapalas 30' deep.

Insula is an excellent large pike lake.

There are some biggies in Agnes(BWCA)as well.

Not in the BW but a big one none the less.


One of two over 40" my 14yo son caught on this trip.
We totaled 7 over 40" as a group.



Caught them on twister tails while walleye fishing.

J

1992 in Kawnipi. I never weighed or measured it. I did however re-enact the same pose and used a measuring tape to get the length at 43". I used a #5 black mepps with a silver blade. It was a shallow weedy bay in July.

42" pike on a bay in Insula, early Octover 2007. Unfortunately no picture, as I wanted him back in the water ASAP after a long struggle. Wish I'd just taken that 30 seconds now, but hey.

Our group has caught several large northerns in Basswood's Back Bay. It's a very large and shallow bay with lot's of spectacular weed beds and wild rice areas. In 2006, my brother landed 36" and 44" northerns. This year, I landed a 36" northern. Had another on the line that was well over 40", just couldn't get it in the boat with my walleye rig.

Where is Poobah located? I've never heard of that lake.

It's a very big lake that's not easy to get into in the middle of Quetico. This lake and Burt Lake in the Quetico are two lakes I really want to fish someday.

My largest pike was 45" caught out of Basswood. I have had a few over 40 come out of that lake. Caught the fish on top water using a bull frog colored lucky 13.

thats pretty much a catch of a lifetime... had to be awesome seein it smash a top water.

39 incher Never Fail Bay of LLC....Don't have a photo currently but I believe there is a photo in Snakecharmer's photo journal.

Caught a 45 incher in the LIS (EP14) area this past weekend.
Quite the excitement in a canoe!

Caught trolling 4-4.5 mph using a deep diving Rapala.

This came off of Ramshead a few years ago. Went out last December and had very slow fishing.
This one measured 37"

Two 17 lbers. on Basswood. One on a #9 shadrap. One trolling a suick.

My best pike in the BWCA is this 46 incher caught in Disappointment Lake. I've caught several nice pike there over the years, but nothing quite as nice as this one.

Nice bunch of pics!

I notice stringers on a few of these pics. I also saw someone catch a nice 15 pounder on my last trip and instantly kill it and put it on the stringer. Our group caught one hog, probably around 20 pounds and let it go. I just don't get why you would keep such a large fish in the Bdub. Just seems like a waste...

Caught a 41in. and 42in. out of Sturgeon.
Anthony

"I just don't get why you would keep such a large fish in the Bdub. Just seems like a waste..."

Amen......not only in the Bdub, though.

"I just don't get why you would keep such a large fish in the Bdub. Just seems like a waste..."

Unless you want to feed a group of nine I guess... Personally, I could never justify keeping such a large fish unless I wanted it up on the wall. Currently, I have no fish on the wall cause my standards are very high, despite that my father does taxidermy work.

Awesome fish pictures so far by the way.

I like Big Pike!

43 inch northern caught on Crooked Lake

I love big pike - without them BWCA would not be an annual trip!

I'll try to get a couple pictures to post. My brother has been a trip partner of mine for 20 years now... and somehow he still has me beat for biggest pike. It drives me nuts, I can consistantly put more nice fish in the boat than him, but he has a knack for turing a "skunk" into a "hog".

Our best BWCA pike are:

45.5' - 25lb
45.5' - 25lb
43' - 23lb
39' - 21lb - this was the fatest pike I have ever seen
43.5' - 20.5lb

Interestingly enough - 4 of those 5 fish came while trolling.

quote walter: "I notice stringers on a few of these pics. I also saw someone catch a nice 15 pounder on my last trip and instantly kill it and put it on the stringer. Our group caught one hog, probably around 20 pounds and let it go. I just don't get why you would keep such a large fish in the Bdub. Just seems like a waste..."

agreed.