Got on Pappakeechie just before it got cold

[taxi1]

The brook trout are huge this year!  Don't tell anyone. I didn't have permission. Nobody does.

[taxi1]

Actually one of the lake property owners gave me permission. He said I can bring as many people as I want. We can park in the lake association president's driveway. 

[princecraft]

LOL

[chicagill34]

Nice Fish!!

[OpryIcin]

That's the fattest football-brookie I have ever seen... Wow!!

[Fishking83]

Ya that's a good one Taxi.  I saw the perch you did for Doug and it looks good.  If I get a pike that goes 40"+ this winter I'll look forward to meeting you.  I'll be putting tipups on every trip out so I've got my fingers crossed.

[taxi1]

Ya that's a good one Taxi.  I saw the perch you did for Doug and it looks good.  If I get a pike that goes 40"+ this winter I'll look forward to meeting you.  I'll be putting tipups on every trip out so I've got my fingers crossed.

I can tell you what lakes you're most likely to hook up with 40 inch plus northern by the pike I've mounted. Clear Lake in Steuben County and Oliver in Lagrange. The 25 foot hole on the northwest end of Clear that is surrounded by shallow water is a great spot for a tip up. Did a 25 pound fish from that spot once or twice. Also mounted the state record from Clear. A friend that trolls Clear for trout in the summer gets bit off by pike once in a while.

Oliver is a sleeper for huge northern. Not a lot of northerns but big ones. Did a 45 inch fish out of there once that was just under 26 lbs. The weedline outsde of the public access channel closer to Dove Creek is a good area.

Gage in Steuben and Dallas Lake Chain in Lagrange County are good for large fish too. I did a really big pike from Emma in Lagrange County once. Adams lake Lagrange County  has a few big pike and surprisingy a few large smallmouth.

The lakes that are deep and holdwater stocked trout and cisco are your best for monster pike.

Pp

[taxi1]

That's the fattest football-brookie I have ever seen... Wow!!

Here's the biggest weight wise at 6 lbs. 11 oz.



Didn't take a picture of the longest at 22 3/4 inches.

Here is the one with the highest back. Over 6 lbs. too if I remember right:

[Fishking83]

Taxi, Ive never fished any of those lakes you mentioned.  I usually fish north of the border(Michigan) 90% of the times I fish.  I fish Wawasee every once in a great while and another sleeper lake in Indiana which I believe has several 40+" pike I just have never got one in there.  If I happen to put the right bait in front of the right fish this winter our paths will cross.  Hopefully someone on here takes your advice of monster pike and gets the fish of a lifetime and brings you some business.  Good luck to you this season.

[tightliner812]

Wow looks like that lake must be putting out big ones this year . I would like to thank you again for doing a great job on my walleye it looks great . And I hope to get something to bring your way again this year .

[sprkplug]

Beautiful fish taxi! Well done!

[taxi1]

Wow looks like that lake must be putting out big ones this year . I would like to thank you again for doing a great job on my walleye it looks great . And I hope to get something to bring your way again this year .

You're most welcome and thank you for being patient.

[tightliner812]

Your most welcome and thank you for being patient.

I was well worth the wait . 

[fishogger]

i heard they had a major fish kill there this summer. i havent fished it for a couple years myself. loads of small bass is what i caught.

[taxi1]

i heard they had a major fish kill there this summer. i havent fished it for a couple years myself. loads of small bass is what i caught.

Probably not enough fishing pressure! With that crazy guy that won't even let lake property owners allow a friend to fish! If I lived on that lake and he confronted me I'd probably head butt him! 

Just for the record for those of you that don't know the Lake Papakeechie thing is an inside joke. A few years ago someone posted a story just to get a rise out of a couple of people on the lake, but that time it was rainbows. It was funny because the lake pictures were obviously not Papakeechie.

The fish in my picture were actually caught in a private pond on my property. I stock them and raise them to sell frozen to taxidermists all over the country. Also raise large bluegills and yellow perch for the same purpose in another pond. I alternate between brooks and browns but the next go around may be both. I've grown browns to 12 pounds in the pond. I have no doubt I could grow a 15 to 20 lb. brown as they have a long life span. Unfortunately the brooks seem to be done for at age 3 to 4.  The ones in the pictures were age 3.

A well I installed keeps the water temp below 62 F. even during the hottest part of the year. It's only 1/10th acre and about 10.5 feet deep, but small is better as it's easier to keep it cool I can harvest up to 500 lbs. of trout with the well flow of 45 gpm. I shut the well off about 5 months of the year. Some of the well flow seeps back into the ground a huge willow next to the pond probably sucks up a bunch. Once it goes under ground to the bluegill and yellow perch pond there isn't much left over.

[taxi1]

Taxi, Ive never fished any of those lakes you mentioned.  I usually fish north of the border(Michigan) 90% of the times I fish.  I fish Wawasee every once in a great while and another sleeper lake in Indiana which I believe has several 40+" pike I just have never got one in there.  If I happen to put the right bait in front of the right fish this winter our paths will cross.  Hopefully someone on here takes your advice of monster pike and gets the fish of a lifetime and brings you some business.  Good luck to you this season.

You should try Oliver. It's a beautiful quiet lake and has two more connected to it. Most of Oliver's south shore is undeveloped and it doesn't get the boat action many of the other lakes do. The next lake in the chain is the largest undeveloped lake in Indiana. No houses whatsoever on it. There's a 10 mph speed limit on it although I have seen bass boats in a tournament and jet skies open up on it.

Oliver is planted with rainbow trout every year and many hold over although they don't reach the size they do in Clear Lake east of Fremont. There are some big brown trout left in there planted by NEITA but unfortunately NEITA is no longer present due to lack of interest.

[tightliner812]

Way to go Taxi . You just had to let that cat out the bag I liked that joke . Lol
I fished Oliver a few times last year and caught about 1 rainbow each time . It wasn't fast fishing but it was fun catching something different . Here is the first one I caught .

[princecraft]

Nice bow tightliner

[tightliner812]

Nice bow tightliner

Thanks Princecraft all the one we got were about this size . But I know there bigger ones in there .

[bramabull]

Taxi, Ive never fished any of those lakes you mentioned.  I usually fish north of the border(Michigan) 90% of the times I fish.  I fish Wawasee every once in a great while and another sleeper lake in Indiana which I believe has several 40+" pike I just have never got one in there.  If I happen to put the right bait in front of the right fish this winter our paths will cross.  Hopefully someone on here takes your advice of monster pike and gets the fish of a lifetime and brings you some business.  Good luck to you this season.

Not sure if you ever fish Eagle Lk in Decatur, MI but there are big pike in there and good numbers. I have had a 40+ incher come up and inhale a crappie I was reeling in beside the boat.