Might well find out about the big pike now.....
Where did you find and catch your biggest Pike in Quetico or the BWCA, what did you catch it on and what time of the year was it? I'm not looking for any lake names, just the type of area.

I was taking a break from sitting in the canoe when I caught the fish. Was fishing off a point with a nice drop off to 20 feet or more. It was mid-September. I caught it on top-water throwing a bullfrog colored Lucky 13. I cast the lure as far out as could and just let it sit there and bob in the waves, never moved the lure. Then I saw this big head come straight up like a periscope, engulfed my lure, lowered it's head and then swam off with my lure. I couldn't believe what I just saw.

Jackfish Bay Basswood, My 3 biggest pike I have ever caught came from here in the same trip, Mid May on number 5 mepps and Big sluggos.They were hanging out in five feet of water, rock rubble/sand marl bottom.

Poohbah, fishing for Walleye, 6 pound test, 1/4 oz. jig, white twister tail. 25 pounds.

Cairngorm lake, Steel River Provincial Park. 44", the lake appeared to be full of big pike.

quote walllee: "Poohbah, fishing for Walleye, 6 pound test, 1/4 oz. jig, white twister tail. 25 pounds."

Area\structure?

quote QueticoMike: "Might well find out about the big pike now.....
Where did you find and catch your biggest Pike in Quetico or the BWCA, what did you catch it on and what time of the year was it? I'm not looking for any lake names, just the type of area.


I was taking a break from sitting in the canoe when I caught the fish. Was fishing off a point with a nice drop off to 20 feet or more. It was mid-September. I caught it on top-water throwing a bullfrog colored Lucky 13. I cast the lure as far out as could and just let it sit there and bob in the waves, never moved the lure. Then I saw this big head come straight up like a periscope, engulfed my lure, lowered it's head and then swam off with my lure. I couldn't believe what I just saw."

Off first break of a small island northeast corner of the lake. 12 feet, lots of rock, with cabbage close by.

quote walleye_hunter: "Cairngorm lake, Steel River Provincial Park. 44", the lake appeared to be full of big pike. "

The question is where in QUETICO or BWCA did you find your biggest pike. Don't need to know what lake, just what type of area were you fishing, what time of the year did you catch it and what bait or lure were you using? Thanks.

quote QueticoMike: "

quote walleye_hunter: "Cairngorm lake, Steel River Provincial Park. 44", the lake appeared to be full of big pike. "

The question is where in QUETICO or BWCA did you find your biggest pike. Don't need to know what lake, just what type of area were you fishing, what time of the year did you catch it and what bait or lure were you using? Thanks."

Yep I can read. I still consider the Steel River loop to be in canoe country and I know that board members have had questions about the route in the past. Sorry for not following directions, I promise to do better next time:)

shore fishing BW(early may) dead sucker on the bottom 40"(she was released, the stringer was for to get her in the water ASAP while we got our camera)

quote walleye_hunter: "

quote QueticoMike: "

quote walleye_hunter: "Cairngorm lake, Steel River Provincial Park. 44", the lake appeared to be full of big pike. "

The question is where in QUETICO or BWCA did you find your biggest pike. Don't need to know what lake, just what type of area were you fishing, what time of the year did you catch it and what bait or lure were you using? Thanks."

Yep I can read. I still consider the Steel River loop to be in canoe country and I know that board members have had questions about the route in the past. Sorry for not following directions, I promise to do better next time:)"

No problem. What did you catch it on? What type of area were you fishing? What time of year was it?

Small lake on the eastern side of the BWCA with a creek feeding into it. The lake was divided into two sections with a channel connecting them. We were fishing on the wind edge of the channel where it emptied into the bottom section of the lake. Lots of weed beds with a sandy bottom in mid-May.

My brother had a gold Rapala that he brought up to the canoe and I noticed what looked like a giant log floating behind it. Two casts later, I hooked into it with my identical gold floating Rapala. Ended up being 36" - I was 16 and I was on top of the world!

It was on my first trip ever to the BW…

Living in Chicago area all my life, I had always dreamt of landing that "trophy" northern. The kind you see Al Linder or Babe Winkelman reeling in on TV or pictures in a Midwest Outdoors publication growing up. Obviously near my home city that really wasn't going to happen and even more so when you don't have boat. So I was determined my first trip to the Boundary Waters would be it.

Second week of June 2011, my buddies and I were on Knife Lake camping on the island opposite to Dorothy place. We arrived at our campsite pretty late in the evening. Coupled with the long drive we were all pretty tired, so I decided the next day I would get the line wet. It was late morning maybe even very early afternoon the next day, I decided to start fishing near an area we had setup our tent because I saw a downed tree extended into the water and the surrounding structure was very rocky. Rocky in a sense that it was not smooth, yet piles and piles of jagged shale all over the shore and into the water. The island was a bit high above the water near that area so I had to work my way down the steep decline carefully with pole and gear to the waters edge. Not much room below but certainly enough to stand and cast. I'm thinking some bass may be lurking in the area so I cast a bobber and a leech and worked the presentation around the fallen tree slowly retrieving to shore. Maybe four or five cast in, it happened. Next thing I know the bobber is missing so I gave it a firm tug and then I knew. The thing is It didn't really fight as I really just dragged it to shore, but when I started to see the size of that head, Oh My! I couldn't believe it. This thing was massive. I get it to shore and estimate it being upward to 40 maybe closer to 45 inches with such big fat girth. I yell repeatedly to my friends so they can see it before I release it, but to no avail. They just couldn't hear me from where I was at as they were all near the fire grate which was a bit away. Next thing I know it flipped violently a few times, cut the line and swam off back home.

Rest assured, I no longer fish anywhere in the BW without a camera. In fact, now I keep a GoPro strapped on me ready at moments notice. Will be heading to the South Arm early August this year, so hopefully this time I will have another and this time some proof to go with it!

BWCA......same small lake I hooked the whopper smallie. Early July I think, trolling a Perch colored Fat Rap on 6 lb line. Took quite a while to land the fish.......it was dark when I finally got the boga on her standing calf deep in water totally covered in skeets.

Walleye hunter the Steel River PP is on my bucket list.......did you do the Diablo portage?

42 inches
Quetico
20 feet of water
6pm
Was casting a red eye spoon while my wife was filling water :)
1 st week of August, 75 degrees clear skies

Quetico, mid June, nearing end of day, 37". Caught on the deep side of a large 4' flat with a fast drop to 30'. The drop was running perpendicular to shore. Casting a rapala jointed shad rap (JSR-5 hot tiger) parallel to the drop on the deep side and about 40' from shore. This was a lure that i got for free as part of a mail in rebate (they send a lure of their choice). Most of my cranks are natural colors but since it was the last fishing hour of the trip thought i'd give it a shot. Eye opener for me.

Quetico. A neck down area leading from main lake to a bay. Early Sept. On a 1 oz Red Eye spoon, gold color. The fish taped out at 44 inches. The next year same time, same place, same lure I caught a 42.
~JOE~

June 1992 43 inch pike caught on a #5 Mepps with silver willow leaf blade and black dressing. Caught it around 10 AM in a shallow bay of Kawnipi in Quetico.

Sept. 2001 Basswood River 41 inch. I was trolling a 4" Johnson Silver Minnow with a 5" lime green pork trailer around 1:00 PM.

Sept. 2013 McEwen Lk. just south of the big island around 9:00 AM. 40" northern on a 3" shad rap.

My best northern was in Eddy Lk in the BW Aug. 2000. Was trolling a 3" crayfish colored shad rap on 8lb. test mono no leader. Amazing fighter. It came out of the water several times and even shot straight up and slammed into the stern next to me.

This was a very mean fish that I could not land. We had no net and the lure with trebles was down his throat so I didn't dare grab under the jaw. I couldn't fit my hand over the neck before he finally broke me off. I'd estimate around 45". Just a brute of a northern and almost silver in color. This was around 12:00 PM.

I was fishing Lac La Croix and a bad storm blew in. Me and the fella I was with decided to get in behind an island and hide from the wind. There was a small reef and we were catching smallies on a 1/8oz jig head and a 3inch curly tail grub, smoke colored. Hooked a Pike in about 6 feet of water, spooled me 4 times (6lb test) finally got it in --- right at 42 inches. Hooked the fish in the very middle of its front lip. Released the fish and have a memory of a lifetime.

My largest in the BW is 37" out of Little Sag. Casting the shoreline with a spoon-- the name/brand escapes me now.

This story needs to be told (many know it from previous threads)-- it's of the largest NP that I have landed. Fishing opener 1997-- may have been 1998. Alpine Lake. inflow from Jasper. Suckers running. Buddies 2nd cast of young season on SAT morning (Tom Gust-- more on that later) with a #7 Shad rap silver and black. Large fish on. Too the canoe side in less then 2 minutes. Myself down on my knees to land it. Reach over and grab and lift-- and lift and lift some more. A few expletives as I didn't think it was as big as it turned out because the fight was over so quick-- and then finally on the bottom of the canoe. Tom and I look at each other in amazement. What to do?? Of course the camera is back at camp (that ended up costing the fish). So we put it on a stringer and paddle back to camp. Pics taken. Notch put on paddle to measure when we get a ruler. 50 1/4" long. moss growing on the side-- it had very few teeth left- at least not as many as healthy fish. I have lost the picture(s). Tom Gust ,, if you ever read this -- please look me up.

After pics taken and measured on paddle- I spent the next 45 minutes trying to revive the fish , which it would swim down about 3 feet below the surface -- then turn over and go belly up. Repeat this at least 10 times before finally it went away from sight and watch for 5 minutes and didn't see anything-- but that fish didn't last much longer.

quote mastertangler: "
Walleye hunter the Steel River PP is on my bucket list.......did you do the Diablo portage? "

We did do the Diablo portage. It's very appropriately named.

Two years ago on Knife my son and I (with our partners). We had stopped on the long shoreline just across from Dorothy's island/Robbins Island area. The first morning, as we move up the shoreline my son says, "Look how green the water is....check out this weedbed!" He snaps on a large, silver Daredevil and chucks it out and WHAM he gets into a nice pike. It's swimming all around at will and jumping and I am laughing saying, "Don't even get your hopes up because that fish is never coming in on 6 lb. test." But then, of course, the boy plays it perfectly run after run until the fish is right below in the crystal clear water. I look down at the pike and next to it is another pike the same size with a big silver hunk of metal sticking out of its mouth straight up--yup, there's TWO pike there and I'm looking at the wrong one! Then he eases the fish up next to me and we pull it in.

42".....a real beauty. He also got a 22" walleye, 21" bass and 25" laker on the same day. Kid is way spoiled.

I love Knife in early June!

I caught mine in a little bay on Agnes in BWCA. Fished from canoe landing at camp 1797. Used a red and white jitterbug. I felt the weight when it hit and told my wife to get the camera. As I got it to shore my wife got scared and moved back towards camp!

Afternoon, trolling a large Rapala in the Pickerel Narrows in Quetico, mid September. 42 inches.

Strangely enough, the largest one I have ever personally seen caught was in the BW's Lake One.

BWCA
3.5" water melon tube
38"
Early July

A high current area in a lake fishing for small mouth(obviously).
In a similar area in the same lake saw and tried repeatedly to catch one that looked like it could eat the other one ,easily 45". Really got my heart pounding but was not interested in anything I offered.Had one in Agnes(quetico) that attacked an 18" smallmouth and hung on for a full 2-3 minutes(we almost landed him)that would have been 42"+ on a shallow rocky,weedy saddle between 2 islands surrounded by very deep water.Early June.

Everywhere, can't keep the slimy critters off my line.

A few years ago. Late-June. Sunny day, late morning, light and variable wind, trolling a deep husky jerk, glass perch in 15 feet of water along the edge of a thick weed bed that went from the shoreline and ended at dropoff into 20-25 foot of water. The 100 yard channel we were fishing in came from a major falls area and we were almost at the end of the channel before it opened to a larger bay.

I wasn't the one who caught it, it was my son...he was 6'1" back then...I've caught a longer one since then, similar conditions, but it was skinnier...

Not me; but I was in the stern. Bowman was reeling in a small walkie 10-11" an hooked a 42". I'm guessing 20' of water with 6-8' of water close by. Middle of Iron June 1 , 2007. First big like I had seen up close and I refused to try dragging it in the canoe. We got to shore...finally, and he measured it. I had a pic on a 35mm and it got soaked that night . I haven't caught one over 3'. Some buddies landed some big ones in 3-4' of water AT the camp landing on Splash Memorial Day 2013.Late May south island camp on iron in 2009. A 4 footer or near it kept cruising shallow just left of the landing/fire grate all week. My son was obsessed and offered it every bait we had. It would bite on Nothing. Big stick baits, spinners,minnows,crawler, cut bait, bacon rind, dough ball..Nothing. 4-8 ft off shore. All week.

I caught this pike on Shell Lake while on a solo trip. It was late afternoon and I hadn't caught a single fish. I decided to filter some water. As I usually do, I dropped a Rapala down about 6ft. on the outside chance a pike might be around. Sure enough, after I was down filtering, I raised my rod and this pike hit. It took 20 minutes to land as there was a good breeze blowing me across the lake. I drifted right in front of a camp site occupied by Boy Scouts. They took the picture. Pike was photographed and released.

Here is a photo of the Knife Lake northern described above.....

Fishing shorelines for bass/walleye on jigs and plastics...plenty of long fish 36"+ but few with shoulders. I'm guessing our early June trips still have them pretty lean from the winter and spawning conditions.

July. Weedy flat. 13'. Leech/bobber. Walleyes suddenly shut off. 20 minutes of nothing, and then I caught a 14 lb pike. I don't recall the length exactly, I think around 38".

Funny, in my early Bdub years, I knew the weights but not the lengths, over the last 16 years or so, I know the lengths but not the weights. Although I can guess well enough.

quote analyzer: "July. Weedy flat. 13'. Leech/bobber. Walleyes suddenly shut off. 20 minutes of nothing, and then I caught a 14 lb pike."

Funny how often that happens. I have caught a lot of big pike during a good walleye bite. All the attention attracts them, the walleye bite turns off, and minutes later you have a big pike on the end of your line.

Problem with me is that they get to the canoe and break my line because of the light walleye gear I'm using.

Back Bay, Basswood Lake. Caught while trolling Lazy Ike in shallow water (6') near weed bed.

"Snowbank Lake Area"...43" big girl caught on a leech, slip bobber, and 6 lb test fishing for walleyes. Biggest pike I had ever caught. One hour later caught a 29 3/4" walleye making that my personal best. What a day...won't soon forget!!!

Casting a #5 Mepps off a rocky point, with a small waterfall feeding the bay. 37.5", just a baby compared to some of the monsters on here. Caught a 32" on the opposite point the next day. This was on Saganaga.

current area, crooked lake, on a leach with tiny hook, got lucky, hooked in very tip of upper mouth, somehow the hook stayed in and the line did not get cut. 10'- 15' fow, bottom fishing.

current area, crooked lake, on a leach with tiny hook, got lucky, hooked in very tip of upper mouth, somehow the hook stayed in and the line did not get cut. 10'- 15' fow, bottom fishing. Late June.

Southern part of Knife Lake. Pulling a large red and white taildancer over a reef in about 15 ft.

Stumbled across a mid-lake cabbage patch, caught a number of nice pike out of it, including my largest - a thick and mean 39incher. Purple X-rap...

1991, 46", 26#, Farm Lake fishing for crappies in about 18' of water leading to the mouth of a cabbage bay right about this time of year. Skipped my plant bio class at VCC and for once it paid off! LOL!

Again Lac La Croix 39"

Reed Lake, caught on a jig head while walleye fishing. Didn't put up much of a fight. Just over 46". Didn't get a weight before release, but it was FAT

quote walllee: "Poohbah, fishing for Walleye, 6 pound test, 1/4 oz. jig, white twister tail. 25 pounds."

Same setup I caught my big one on. Black lead head, white twister tail. I think 8lb test.

Hustler lake - targeting small mouth. Caught a 42 inch - er ... twice! The second time was shortly after the release, the fish hit my stinger and pulled me backwards for a while ... not too cool in a solo canoe!

Bob.

Carp Lake. I was trolling a Taildancer TDD-09, Perch in about 30 feet of water, about 20 yards off shore. The underwater structure was rocky, sloping grade that tapered steeply and it was over Labor Day. The weather was overcast but still warm at about 60s or so. The nights were starting to cool off then. I was looking for late-season lakers. We caught a SM or two but mostly in shallow water on that lake (less than 10 feet) on husky jerks HJ7s and all under 12 inches. The pike was a hefty 37".

Basswood Lake, early 90's toward the end of May. Might have been back bay. Using a firetiger husky jerk, thought I got it snagged in a stump until it started running. Did not have a tape measure, but I would guess close to 40". It was a beast.

Thanks everyone for your input on where you caught your biggest, how you caught your biggest, and when you caught your biggest. I enjoyed reading all of your posts, they were educational!

Son #2s - 42"

Middle of June 2015. Mid morning shallow weedy bay light on and off rain. Firetiger Doctor spoon.



Son #1s - 46" Same trip. Mid afternoon after light shower. Mouth of a large bay. #5 red and white Mepps with bucktail.

quote countrybois: "


Son #2s - 42"


Middle of June 2015. Mid morning shallow weedy bay light on and off rain. Firetiger Doctor spoon.





Son #1s - 46" Same trip. Mid afternoon after light shower. Mouth of a large bay. #5 red and white Mepps with bucktail."

hey Countrybois, What criteria did you use to rank your sons? I'm still trying to come up with a good system to rank my two daughters #1 and #2. So far they are still both #1 to me, except when they are whinny and they are both #2's. :)

The biggest pike I ever caught was in the Bdub in May around Memorial Day. It was in a mid-sized lake with an average depth of 8' and a max depth of 15'. This lake is ideal for pike with shallow weedy bays around the entire lake. I hooked the fish around 8:30 in the morning in one of these grassy bays in about 4' of water. The fish was 47" and 22 lb 8 oz (no joke). Unfortunately, this fish was caught back in 1983 before I learned the importance of catch and release. This fish is still on the wall in my basement. I caught it on a 3/4 oz original daredevil with 10 lb test. I have since been back to this area several times, the last being in 2007 and have had great success with many pike coming in the 12-17 lb range. They of course have all been released.

Lower Basswood Falls, Late May, Jig and minnow in the rapids. 41 Inches.

quote : "The biggest pike I ever caught was in the Bdub in May around Memorial Day. It was in a mid-sized lake with an average depth of 8' and a max depth of 15'. This lake is ideal for pike with shallow weedy bays around the entire lake. I hooked the fish around 8:30 in the morning in one of these grassy bays in about 4' of water. The fish was 47" and 22 lb 8 oz (no joke). Unfortunately, this fish was caught back in 1983 before I learned the importance of catch and release. This fish is still on the wall in my basement. I caught it on a 3/4 oz original daredevil with 10 lb test. I have since been back to this area several times, the last being in 2007 and have had great success with many pike coming in the 12-17 lb range. They of course have all been released. "

Back Bay?

Not quite. A few miles to the south and east.

quote Grouseguy1: "Reed Lake, caught on a jig head while walleye fishing. Didn't put up much of a fight. Just over 46". Didn't get a weight before release, but it was FAT


"

Whoah.

Caught a 42" pike on Basswood in mid may of 2003. It was late afternoon, I was fishing a narrow channel between an island and the main shore that was maybe 10 foot deep at most. The lure was a small perch colored mimic minnow on 6 lb test. At first I was certain I had snagged up on the bottom but then he ran and really stripped out a lot of line.

40" pike on Saganaga lake near the falls. Late August. On a beetle spin in a shallow(4-6') reedy bay. First ever big pike experience and we landed it in the canoe and released it, was glad to not see it not float back up. I also have a video of it fully jumping out of the water while bringing it in. Gotta say this is probably the best fish experience I have had in the bdub.

South Knife Lake in late May 2020 fishing a rocky point. Had a 35”> on that we lost at the boat in 3-5’ ft of water. 5 minutes after I casted in the same spot and hooked into this 43”. 1/8 oz jig and a twister tail on 8 lb test line, great fight and barely fit in the net.

On a big Border lake. We got two monsters in a shallow muddy bay in early June. The bay was filled with aggressive smallies. We landed the canoe to take my friend’s off (first pic) and I caught the second from shore (second pic). Not positive on the length but I’m 6’5” and that fish was hefty.

Lake Noneyah.

Savage Voyageur: "Lake Noneyah. "

If you read the first paragraph of this thread it says I'm not looking for any lake names. But if want to share where (like lake point), what lure (like Lucky 13) or time of the year (like spring), that would be awesome!

First paragraph of this thread........

Where did you find and catch your biggest Pike in Quetico or the BWCA, what did you catch it on and what time of the year was it? I'm not looking for any lake names, just the type of area.

Jasper Falls into Alpine. Fishing Opener 1997. 50.25" . Buddies 2nd cast of the season. #(9Shad RAp) Took perhaps 5 minutes to land. She had moss growing on the side and very little teeth left. Picture has been lost. But Tom Gust (the catcher- I landed) , may have a pic.

Personally my biggest Pike caught alone was on Little Sag. Flat/shallow/sandy area on a spoon. Early June. 37". Have a pic somewhere but really not big enough to show/brag about.

11.5 lbs on basswood trolling for walleye with a lindy rig and a leach in about 10 foot with very little structure. Don’t know the length. I believe it was the Lewis Narrows on Basswood.

QueticoMike: "

Savage Voyageur: "Lake Noneyah. "

If you read the first paragraph of this thread it says I'm not looking for any lake names. But if want to share where (like lake point), what lure (like Lucky 13) or time of the year (like spring), that would be awesome!


First paragraph of this thread........


Where did you find and catch your biggest Pike in Quetico or the BWCA, what did you catch it on and what time of the year was it? I'm not looking for any lake names, just the type of area."

I was just kidding. I’m sure I’ve answered this somewhere before on a thread. Sorry Mike.
I tell most anyone my exact fishing spots. Especially in the BWCA, because it takes a lot of work to get to a spot up there. So many people have helped me over the years, including you. I like to give back now and help anytime.
I’ve caught many Pike and Musky but not in the BWCA. I only target Walleye and Bass up there. This is because we eat walleye and not Pike.

I do target them in central Ontario and Lake Vermilion. I’ve caught them mostly on Super Shad Raps trolling 3-4 mph. I also do well with Mepps #5 spinners, 6” reef raiders, 6” Jakes, blue fox super-bou #8 in-line spinners. Also minimum size 1 Oz spoons five o diamonds yellow, red/white, Black/white. My musky/pike rod can only handle a 4oz so I’m not tossing the huge baits. My biggest musky was 46” on the Fourth of July on Pelican lake right in front of my lake cabin. My biggest pike 39” was caught in central Ontario on Lake Kukukus in June.

Savage Voyageur: "

QueticoMike: "

Savage Voyageur: "Lake Noneyah. "

If you read the first paragraph of this thread it says I'm not looking for any lake names. But if want to share where (like lake point), what lure (like Lucky 13) or time of the year (like spring), that would be awesome!



First paragraph of this thread........



Where did you find and catch your biggest Pike in Quetico or the BWCA, what did you catch it on and what time of the year was it? I'm not looking for any lake names, just the type of area."

I was just kidding. I’m sure I’ve answered this somewhere before on a thread. Sorry Mike.
I tell most anyone my exact fishing spots. Especially in the BWCA, because it takes a lot of work to get to a spot up there. So many people have helped me over the years, including you. I like to give back now and help anytime.
I’ve caught many Pike and Musky but not in the BWCA. I only target Walleye and Bass up there. This is because we eat walleye and not Pike.


I do target them in central Ontario and Lake Vermilion. I’ve caught them mostly on Super Shad Raps trolling 3-4 mph. I also do well with Mepps #5 spinners, 6” reef raiders, 6” Jakes, blue fox super-bou #8 in-line spinners. Also minimum size 1 Oz spoons five o diamonds yellow, red/white, Black/white. My musky/pike rod can only handle a 4oz so I’m not tossing the huge baits. My biggest musky was 46” on the Fourth of July on Pelican lake right in front of my lake cabin. My biggest pike 39” was caught in central Ontario on Lake Kukukus in June. "

I knew you were just kidding around, but just figured a lot of people might be thinking that way if they don't read the original post. I was never looking for lake names, just what kind of area, what time of year, and what lure was used. Thought this information might be helpful. Thanks for sharing!

My buddy and I stayed on Good Lake the week after the 4th and spent an afternoon exploring Hoist Bay on Basswood. I primarily fish for muskies outside of the BWCA, so I brought a heavier bait casting setup to cast for pike. Knowing that Basswood produces giant pike every year, but this being my first time on the lake I was absolutely giddy to find acres upon acres of cabbage throughout the bay. We found no shortage of fish with most being 24"-28", but managed to land a few in the mid 30" range. A few more bigger ones that couldn't stay pinned through the weeds. It will definitely be a yearly trip from now on. Our bigger fish came on MuskyMayhems #6 bladed "babygirl" bucktail and MuskyInnovations regular swimmin' dawg

In the water….

IronRangeMike: "In the water…."

What type of water were you fishing? Points, weed beds, moving water, back in a cove, some other area? What lure were you using? What time of the year was it? Thanks for sharing!

Here’s another pike from Shell Lake. I caught this on a Clackin’ Rap Rapala trolling.

egknuti: " Here’s another pike from Shell Lake. I caught this on a Clackin’ Rap Rapala trolling. "

Very nice fish. I love those Clack-n-raps when trolling for Pike. No idea why they discontinued them. I was able to buy a load of them in the bargain bin at Gander a few years ago. It has the loudest clack of any lure on the market. It could have been a cost issue or because it was made in another country that they got rid of this lure design.

Pickerel Lake in Quetico. Spied him cruising the shallows in front of camp. Tossed a Ribbett frog in front of him and he inhaled it.

Agness...."lilly pad & rock bay" a tiny bay pre-dusk throwing an oldschool black buzzbait. Unlike other fish it simply came up, sucked it in and down it went. 13# I'd post a pic if I could find one. First week of June. Everyone else was to tired to go out that night.

This one 45 inches at a creek outlet, into mid Quetico Lake.


This one 45 inches, & more girth, off a mid lake reef, central Quetico.
Both safely released.

Below a rapids/waterfall on a travel day in late May. Did the portage and then anchored in the first slackwater below the falls. My brother hooks a ~15” SMB on his first cast before I’m even situated, and we see a large pike sideswipe the SMB. We had a similar thing happen earlier that trip, so my second rod has stayed “pike ready” with a leader and #5 dressed Mepps. The pike lets go of the SMB and on my third cast it hits the Mepps. No net, but I have the Boga ready....can’t get it to open it’s mouth to get the lip. It has made several runs, and I’ve barely kept it out of the current. My brother had his hand on the anchor rope ready to follow it into the current if necessary. Finally get the Boga on, and that Mepps is hooked through its tongue, which was probably what was keeping that mouth shut. Didn’t get a good measurement so it could be released quickly, but measured afterwards how much longer it was than the canoe was wide. Just shy of 40” and still swimming for someone else.

*My favorite fishing moment….my daughter – who was 9 at the time – tied into a “memory maker” pike – Basswood (huge lake don't mind sharing), June, shallow bay, windswept, just before big storm rolled in – small Williams Wabler. Her first big fish – she fought it solo through jumps and runs and every trick the monster could come up with - until it finally made it boatside. She beat my biggest pike by ¼ pound – which made her the pike champ of my family! She also won the Ely Echo catch and release annual competition for that year and even got her picture in the paper & a check from the newspaper! 43.5 inch, 21.25lbs. The head on that fish was bigger than hers.

*my brother (ohiopikeman) – 1993 - trolling an Esox Minnow between campsite moving day, deep water off an island, July, tagged into a monster in La Croix. It stayed deep, and was straight down from the canoe as he fought it. We knew it had size, but hadn’t don’t anything at this point to tell us how much size. Just as my brother says “I really hope this isn’t a big walleye” he line went slack as he raced to reel fast enough to keep up with the fish – which in an absolutely breathtaking move shoot straight up towards the surface, breaching the waterline without slowing down, going full airborne no less than a few feet from us. It felt as if that fish hung there for an eternity. At this point we hadn’t seen very many large pike in our fishing lives – and immediately knew that this fish absolutely dwarfed all of them. It landed that magnificent jump and the fight was one. “That’s way bigger than dad’s” my brother excitedly yelled (we grew up drooling over a 17.5 my dad had mounted that hung in our basement). I knew our net wasn’t anywhere near large enough & started maneuvering the canoe towards a suitable landing spot. At some point in the battle she settled down enough that I decided to take the canoe to shore – he kept fighting now from shore – while I waded out and nervously tried to figure out how this was going to work. As it came close, it looked like the loch ness monster, and I “went for it” with what was not my best idea ever, but was my best at the time. I waited for the right moment, praying I didn’t end up with a treble hook attached to both my arm and that fish, then basically did a shot as if I was still in high school wrestling. Grabbing the fish in some goofy version of a bear hug (just enough to let her not get away, wasn’t going risk hurting a fish like that) and hauling her to shore. It came in at 45.5” and 25.5lbs.

*my ridiculously lucky brother matched the above fish on basswood a number of years later. Same exact length, weight, and lure, also trolling just off deep water. Still not having a better plan, this fish was also landed via wrestling move. These fish are particularly memorable as he reminds me on each annual trip that he not only has the biggest fish – he has two of them!

*my best BWCA – trolling a daredevil on the way into a windswept shallow bay, at the point where the deep water meets the shallow water. This lake isn’t as big so wont mention the name. Hit like a train & was an amazing fight. Trying to get the boat to shore, in heavy wind and waves, with me in back (fighting the fish and not paddling) and a fairly green canoeist in front paddling was nuts – like a controlled crash landing. We made it & landed from shore (equipped with a cradle at this point to avoid wrestling future fish). Came in at 43”, 21lb. Daredevils don’t usually bring me much luck, but that lure came through for me that day.

*biggest robbery – on the same day I scored a skinniest of all pike, a 43’ 17lb stick and bones fish – my brother landed the fattest of pike, a 39” 22lb mass of blubber. We go by weight, not length, so he had bragging rights that year. These fish both came out of 3.5ft of water in the same bay. Cold water springs are awesome when you find them.

**the one that got away (same lake as above) …. Fishing a very tiny bay in July with a feeder creek, begin hearing strange splashing noises… we get close to the incredibly tiny creek and there in the middle of it is a virtually beached HUGE pike, thrashing about while gorging on minnows. Largest pike I have ever seen. These minnows where in such a panic that they where diving every direction, including onto shore – to escape. After staring in disbelief for what seemed an eternity – we played a single round of paper/rock/scissors to decide who would get first cast – each cast thereafter we switch. Careful to keep the boat out far enough to not spook it – but close enough to get a cast just outside the creek. Somewhere around my 5th cast – I felt the hit and my adrenaline shoot through to roof. I set he hook with all my might and began frantically reeling – only to realize it was coming in way too easy – it wasn’t the monster I hooked, but instead a little two pounder with a now likely dislocated jaw (it would soon have bigger problems). Just as a said “it’s not her” to my brother – my rod doubled up and my drag started screaming as line ripped off. I had her for two good runs & then she was back off. The small pike that had hit my lure came boatside and was as close to being bitter in two as possible – only the backbone was intact – it had looked as if someone had taken a fillet knife and cut everything out of the middle except the backbone. Both of us had multiple looks at her and estimated the fish at over 30lbs.

*the only digital pic I have on my phone is my daughters – so I’ll include that one.

**we have let every large pike landed swim free – hopefully catching her and her offspring for years to come.

This is my only pike in a pic. I've caught other big ones, but released them in the water. I caught this girl on a twitched F13 Rapala. Rainy, dark evening. She hit the Rapala with such force that she came completely out of the water and beached herself.

I pointed for my partner and said, "That's my fish."

She flopped back into the water, rushed the canoe, and kept going, making my drag sing.

We had brought a net specifically to finally get a pike pic and we caught her on the first evening using an abandoned boat. Then we returned to a normal net and our canoe.

Vernon Lake in the late fifties or early sixties. Caught two more about the same size, one on Brule and the other Echo Lake, BWCA. Kept two, my neighbor mounted one of them. They weighed in the 18 lb. range and 48 inches in length. Recall hooking one on a yellow hair jig, tied directly to monofilament line.

One of the bays on the south side of LLC.

37"
8 lb mono
Firetiger crankbait cruising around for walleye.

August

12' of water.

Basswood, Basswood, Basswood and LLC

Pike,46 inches on Lake Three in the fall 2020

On my end of my sons fishing rod!

Old thread - but what the heck...Wish I had pics - My three biggest Pike in order of size are;

1. May Walleye fishing - Trolling a lindy rig in about 10-15 feet of water.
2. May - Little Cleo - Trolling for Lake Trout 15-20 feet of water.
3. May - Dead Smelt on the bottom cast from camp in a pool where two rivers converge

Fun thread! I don't tend to target them but I do hang a lure out pretty consistently. My largest cought was on Gabi, I was trolling for trout off some cliffs and I didn't have a measure that big but my best guess is 43" (spread hand length beyond my 36" fishing rod ruler). I was solo so the pic is of it in the bottom of my boat after a good fight. I'll see if I can dig that one up. That fish was last year and is the reason I bought a camera clamp for my thwart.

Biggest I've ever seen was on LLC. We were casting around a bay and we seen the alligator head monster up in the shallows sunning itself. It started moving towards deeper water and went right under our canoe, not giving a damn about our frantic attempts to put a rap in front of its face. Very cool to see one that big.