2018 Pike Tally

[AJ's Dad]

Here it is. The new scoreboard for the 2018 pike season.
Feel free to post your photos and fish counts for the year here.

[AJ's Dad]

I'll be on the shelf for the next three weekends. Weather sucks this weekend, and the wife and I are heading off on vacation that will keep me out of the fishing action for the next two weekends after that. The Packernut and I plan to begin our pursuit of Pike the last weekend of the month in the Lester Smith Pike tourney on Cda Lake. Good luck to everyone this year!!

[harleypiker]

thanks for getting us going for 2018, Mark.
I've tried pike a couple times bank fishing Roosevelt to no avail. There were 6 settings of gill nets
on each the north and south shores of the inlet to the mouth of the Colville River set by.....?.
So no luck there. Hopefully that will not affect that popular springtime area for walleye fishermen.
So off to better environs.

[AJ's Dad]

OK, I'll get this one started. I managed to catch 2 pike on day one of the Lester Smith memorial pike tournament. It was a tough tourney for everyone entered. The top weight for day one was 28 pounds, and big fish of that day was 12.5 lbs. I weighed in a 31" fish that was 6lb 10ozs. caught in one of the chain lakes. She was a bit skinny indicating that she had already spawned. My other fish was a 24"er. Our day one weight of 10.5 pounds had us in 27th place out of 114 teams. I also had a nice fish roll on the bait near the boat on Sunday but never actually hit the lure. I don't know how things turned out for the tourney as a whole. Since we didn't have anything to weigh in, we just headed home. A friend that weighed in 15.5 pounds on day one was in 15th place but couldn't find any biters on Sunday either.
It was announced at the tourney that this particular tourney is in danger of not continuing. They are under pressure from Idaho fish and game as well as the Cda Tribe to have all fish killed before being weighed in. Tourney directors say they are not interested in holding a tourney like that. We were all encouraged to write to Idaho F&G with our thoughts on this matter and on the pike situation as a whole.

[harleypiker]

Fished Hayden Tuesday and got on the 2018 talley with a little 23". Tried Killarney Thurs but its flooded
out and almost twice its usual size so nothing.
Tried Hayden again in the pm and nothing except a couple bass. Things remain springtime tough.
Forget Roosevelt in the Kettle Falls area. The Kettle River can now be called "the big muddy" like the Missouri River. It has browned up Roosevelt a long ways downlake.

[AJ's Dad]

I put 5 pike in the boat Saturday to bring me to 7 on the year. See my report for details. the 5 fish weighed 7, 8, 8, 9, and 10 1/2 pounds.
Great short day on the water!!

[AJ's Dad]

8 more yesterday gets me to 15 for the year. Nice fish again from 6-10 pounds. And one 25" dinker.

[AJ's Dad]

5 more last night after work gets me to 20 on the year. Got some decent fish 27-33" Biggest was 33" and 10 1/2 pounds. Silver minnow spoons in less than 3 feet of water.

[AJ's Dad]

Still finding pike in the shallow water. 6 more nice ones on Sunday gets me to 26.
Soft plastic frogs and spoons still doing the trick. Photos can be seen in my report.

[AJ's Dad]

8 more on Sunday gets me to 34 on the year.

[harleypiker]

Well, Mark, you are rolling in the pike this spring. I've pulled about 42 walleyes out of Roosevelt so
far but they are food fish; not fun fish. I hope to get to Idaho after the 4th and do some 'reel' fishing.

[AJ's Dad]

Thanks. I need to get back out there and catch some walleyes myself. I got only three pike yesterday but one was a doozey! 43 1/2" and 23 pounds. Yee haw! I'm up to 37. Good year for nice fish just no real numbers yet.

[Mike Carey]

wow. I wish I lived closer!

[harleypiker]

My oh my, that's a beauty. Congrats. You know I've fished my favorite fish--pike--for 68 years and not one over 20 lbs yet. The good lord will not take me out
until I achieve that. I may live forever!!

[Fish-N-Fool]

Been to busy to post much, here are some of the bigger ones I have got so far this year. I found a new spot that it putting out some monsters. My biggest of the year was 26lbs and one 22, a 20 and a 19lb. I'm at 56 on the year, but I'm switching over to mainly just bass fishing so probably wont get a lot more.

[Fish-N-Fool]

a few more

[AJ's Dad]

Rick, I had heard you were finding some nice fish. Those are some real beauties. If you're done fishing for pike for the year feel free to let me know where you've been getting those nice fish. I'll be glad to take over for you.
I made one trip up there this year and got a goose egg to show for it. Had one roll on me close to the boat but I had stopped watching the bait and didn't even get to see it, Just had a loud splash right at the boat. Things were really muddy the day I went. I hear it's cleared up a little. Maybe in a week or two I'll get back up that way.
Nice going!

[harleypiker]

that's a mighty fine accomplishment, Rick. it's certainly rewarding when one's diligent searching pays off. I'm heading to the chain lakes today for 3 days of
piking. They were amazed by the pics and wanted me to ask you what lake you got those?

[AJ's Dad]

2 more on the 1st and 2 more Saturday has me at 41 for the year.

[harleypiker]

Fished chain lakes last weekend. Caught just 3 pike in 3 days but did get a personal best with a nice
15 pounder. It had a deformed bent down tail making it probably 39" straightened out. Pretty slow but
the big guy made it worthwhile. I have a pic but it tells me the file is too large