Big Pike

[AhYah]

my buddies and I fish a lot for big fish all around the North east area in NY and it seems like the number of big pike are less and less .  I now that everyone loves to catch these nasty fish, however, they won't get big unless people catch and release!!!  I am asking that those of you that love to fish for these monsters return them to get even bigger.  tight lines guys and good luck this winter!!

Team AhYah

[ChenBassHead]

I wouldn't go as far as to say that the reason for the pike not being big is because people don't catch and release.  In fact, I believe that harvesting MORE pike would be a good idea if you want bigger fish.  I can name a few places up here that are absolutley infested with pike, all of which are small.  The fewer there are, the bigger the average size will be.  Yeah, you may not get the numbers, but if you're looking for size, fewer is better.  Look at Great Sacandaga Reservoir...There aren't necessarily a ton of pike in there, in terms of fish per acre, but annually it produces some of the biggest pike in the state.  Just my $.02.....

-Zach

[BUCKSKI]

There are plenty of place to get big pike, sometimes is just the hammer handles biting. Been to Wilson and talked to a guy with a camera and he saw lots of big fish that just did not want the offerings. Have lost some whoppers there that I would suggest were 12-15lbs or bigger. Personally a 13 lber came out of there and I think they could grow or are much bigger.
All depends on the place and situation.
Being a panfishermen I like to leave some pike to keep the panies on the bigger side.
One pike from Cuba had 2 crappies in it's belly and took a 8 inch minnow??
Rather see guys leave the border line crappies and take some pike.

[AhYah]

I agree 100% on the fact that the more fish in the water the less food for them to feed on.  I am suggesting throwing the bigger one's back!!  It takes some time for a pike to reach trophy size, and removing the ones that are in the ten pound range hurts.  If your looking for fish to eat, catch the trout, leave the monsters.

[toothycritter00]

Yes, I agree with you, harvesting can help thin out the population and help produce bigger pike. However, we need to practice selective harvesting. Keep a few of the smaller ones and release the big one. I personally don't keep any pike I don't like the taste or cleaning them.
This is the reason that I personally don't like tournaments. The biggest and most successful breeders are always killed.

Praying for the cold to come back....
toothy

[AhYah]

toothy, do i know you..

[Seabass06]

  Please put those big fish back folks. AhYah needs all the help he can get to catch one of them..

[hali-man]

..In fact, I believe that harvesting MORE pike would be a good idea if you want bigger fish...
-Zach

I have to agree with Z on this one. I'll keep some pike through the ice, but not if they're big 'uns. Incidentally, I live close to some great pike waters in WNY.
They are a blast, even if they're not very big.

[AhYah]

good for you hali.  We need more fishermen to catch and release the big ones.  As for you SeaBass,  you know what I'll be kickin' this winter..     The best part is that you will be right next to me watching my flags go up, just like last year

[coldbum]

hrm all this talk about the mighty sacandaga and those giant toothy critters got me wondering were I am gonna find some fat suckers and shiners for early ice this year

[GAMBELL]

I only kept one pike last winter.  That one is hanging on my wall.  All of the other pike we caught last winter are still swimming in that lake.  We caught 15 pike over 33" all winter and 14 of them were released.  If I do keep a pike it is usually a small one 22-24 inches.  I have noticed a difference on Braddocks Bay in the past 5 years.  We do not catch as many big pike any more.  You see a lot of guys keeping every pike they catch on Braddocks.  6 years ago I was fishing Cranberry pond in Greece and a guy stopped to see if I wanted the pike he had caught at Braddocks that day.  I looked in his truck and he had 5 large (28" +) pike in his truck.  That really bothered me that he was keeping fish that he didn't even want.

[Booker]

coldbum, i'm with you on the sacandaga pike. can't wait. don't catch many but we know that the big ones are in there. if i do catch the big ones, i take a picture and put them back in. catch and release  hoping to get some on my slammers that i built this fall

[fishfinder24]

I've always bought into the idea of keepin the hammer handles and let the nice ones go back.  (If you have somewhat of a decent population in the body of water)  Too many little ones will hurt the food supply.  I've seen it happen over the last 10 years or so on a small lake I fish.  When the food supply get's hurt so does the quality of fish.  Just my thoughts!  Good luck out there this season!

[reubenpa]

I agree 100% on the fact that the more fish in the water the less food for them to feed on.  I am suggesting throwing the bigger one's back!!  It takes some time for a pike to reach trophy size, and removing the ones that are in the ten pound range hurts.  If your looking for fish to eat, catch the trout, leave the monsters.

pike taste better than trout and if people keep trout then someone will jump down their throats for wasting trout and not releasing trout!!!!!    THATS WHY I JUST WISH PEOPLE WOULD KEEP THEIR OPINIONS TO THEMSELVES AND THOSE of us who keep fish won't change anyway.... I do practice C/R  but I also keep a lot because God created fish for us to eat and I am doing that!!!!!   I get even more tired of being criticized for keeping fish that you are for not catching anything.....   a lot of lakes have tons of fish you just need to know where to go and what to do.....   we have state limits and they are there for a reason..........   if you have a personal limit good, but that doesn't mean I will agree!!!! 

I know of one guy that catches tons of trout.......  and jumped down my throat for keeping trout when I kept like 12 trout last year and he kept 23.........    yes he C/r   a lot of fish and I didn't but I didn't catch as many... I have caught way more this year so I released more......    I get tired of it... let it drop

[cnyfishing]

pike taste better than trout and if people keep trout then someone will jump down their throats for wasting trout and not releasing trout!!!!!    THATS WHY I JUST WISH PEOPLE WOULD KEEP THEIR OPINIONS TO THEMSELVES AND THOSE of us who keep fish won't change anyway.... I do practice C/R  but I also keep a lot because God created fish for us to eat and I am doing that!!!!!   I get even more tired of being criticized for keeping fish that you are for not catching anything.....   a lot of lakes have tons of fish you just need to know where to go and what to do.....   we have state limits and they are there for a reason..........   if you have a personal limit good, but that doesn't mean I will agree!!!! 

I know of one guy that catches tons of trout.......  and jumped down my throat for keeping trout when I kept like 12 trout last year and he kept 23.........    yes he C/r   a lot of fish and I didn't but I didn't catch as many... I have caught way more this year so I released more......    I get tired of it... let it drop

well said reubenpa

[AhYah]

Reubenpa
     You simply just showed your ignorance to the fullest degree.   You obviously don't understand the biological aspects of C/R and it's people like you and cnyfishing that ruin the fishing for not only other fishermen, but for yourself as well.  If you are going to base your argument on NYS fishing regulations, that's even more entertaining.  (relying on information from a guy or girl sitting behind a desk making policy)  The people that you should base your arguments on are the one's that spend their time on the ice.  consider it dropped..

[tgrm]

Everybody is entitled to there own opinion remember it goes both ways. I support catch and release and have been doing it for 30 yrs so be it.

[hali-man]

pike taste better than trout and if people keep trout then someone will jump down their throats for wasting trout and not releasing trout!!!!!    THATS WHY I JUST WISH PEOPLE WOULD KEEP THEIR OPINIONS TO THEMSELVES AND THOSE of us who keep fish won't change anyway.... I do practice C/R  but I also keep a lot because God created fish for us to eat and I am doing that!!!!! 

Wow! The preacherman with attitude 
No one was attacking you, Reub.
Others opinions are just that- you're not doing anything wrong...
See ya on Conesus.

[pikeman]

Speaking of big pike , does any one know a good place to pike fish around greene or albany county ? (besides saratoga) Won't be long before the ice freezes .

[BUCKSKI]

Want and waste is terrible, here is to editable pike, PS the big ones don't taste as good.
As a predator there will always be bigger fish.
As for the areas you fish heard those names about a hundred times in tournaments, how many of those fish get eaten or pad the shallow egos of competitive fishermen.
Oh sitting in someones freezer till the next tourny?
Be thinking of ya putting out a full spread, keep it real!

[littlesturgeonguy]

not an answer to you question.  but if you get a chance try little sturgeon bay in wisconsin.  pulled out a 42"  22 1/2 lb last winter always lots of large ones caught there

[cnyfishing]

AhYah- tell me: How I am ruining the fishing for other fishermen and myself by keeping a few fish to eat?  I could see your point if I was saying that I keep pike, and let it go to waste. But I keep them to eat and usually don't even take the limit. The way I see it is, if I am not taking the big fish, and I am keeping the limit or less there is no more harm done than fighting a fish then letting it go. I'm not trying to say that there is anything wrong with C&R, just it is well within my rights to keep a couple of legal sized fish, and doing that will not harm the fishery. Now consider it dropped.

[coldbum]

amen cnyfishing

I EAT FISH

If I can get out, enjoy nature, get some exercise, catch a few meals for my family?
what can I possibly hurt?
I don't keep illegal fish, I don't keep trophy fish
I keep tasty fish

[AhYah]

What is the matter with you guys.  I don't think that you have read the first post.  I have no problem with keeping a few fish, I simply said that it is important to release the big ones!!  The group that I fish with, myself included, would like to see some larger fish come through the hole.  The only way that that will happen is if more fishermen would release those 10-15lb fish.  The idea is very similar to antler restriction for bucks.  Here is the question:  If you had a private pond and you wanted to produce TROPHY fish, how would you do it??

[butterworm]

have it stocked with big ones

[BUCKSKI]

Have ample food sources and take out fish!!!
Big ones will only get to trophy size if they are able to grow!!!
Too much competition will stunt them.
By the way deer hunting is deer hunting, not trophy hunting.
I put meat in the freezer and do not appreciate someone telling me what I can shoot or being frowed upon for shooting does or a 4 pointer.
Ever eat a tag sandwich?? Not as good as a venison steak sammy??
Not busting your balls only, do not care for antler restrictions, create a better food source for your animals you hunt and don't shoot small bucks early in the season. Passed on 3 bucks before I shot mine, bet ya they did not make it pass the day and hopefully they will be a trophy for the person who harvested them and get eaten.
There is a place for all gods creatures I think you know where it is???
By the way end of the season is my favorite time to hunt, plenty of extra tags to fill, and deer to butcher.
I do practice C&R but I do not make it a 100% mandatory.

[Mentiply]

 If you had a private pond and you wanted to produce TROPHY fish, how would you do it??

Stock a large number of prey species and a smaller number of predators and then do not touch the body of water for a number of years for any reason.

However in my opinion that is not either a good or viable solution for any body of water in NY, but it is exactly what some environmentalists want. The problem with not catching as many large fish is not caused by a responsible person fishing for food or for sport. To put it simply it is the number of irresponsible people that fish a lake and unfortunately they seem to be increasing year to year.  Take a look at this site and you can see many examples of loss of access to lakes each year because of such anglers. If we practice conservation and not take fish we do not plan to eat or making sure we remove a hook and return a fish a quickly as possible we can put a big dent in the depletion of our states large fish population. What is even more important then conservation is if you see someone being an @$$hole do something about it and don’t just walk away and complain later because they are the ones who deserve our anger and will ultimately be the reason no-one catches any large fish in the state.

[IceGeek]

AhYah,
  Before you go attacking other people, I was just wondering what your credentials were and why you think that your opinion on matters carries more weight than others...If you tell me you are a world reknowned fisheries biologist or something, then fine, but until then you are just another guy on this site with an opinion.......

[FingerLakesFisher]

Opinions are like Aholes, everybody has one.  We all realize that our resources are not endless, so to some extent letting some fish go for other to catch and see another day is understandable.  However, so is keeping the fish to eat.  I personally only keep pan fish.  Family, including 4 year old, loves to eat those perch and gils.  I do fish with tip-ups for those big guys, and have no doubt that they taste good.  But would much rather hold them up for a photo and let them go.  What pssss me off is when these so called sportsman catch a pike or a bass for that matter,out of  season  and still keep them. Fing hate that.  Have seen it many times.  A good fishery is Cayuga Lake.  Funny ice some years.  Large Lake, easy access and lately not many people fishing it.  It is without a doubt one of my favorite places to fish in all of central NY.   You can get into gils that will rival those caught anywheres.  Perch as large if not larger than those found in Onieda and Sodus.  What makes it special is that you can be sitting there jigging and pull up a crappie, a gil , a perch a bass(large and small) a pikerel or a pike.  Your tip-up goes off and if you are in the right spot, it could be a Laker, a bass (large or small) a pikerel or even a pike.  There are some Large pike in there.  If anyone this season is interested in fishing here that has never done so before, send me a pm and we'll talk when ice arrives.  Usually mid Jan.

[IceGeek]

FingerLakes Fisher......I totally agree with you.  I grew up in Canandaigua and fished these lakes quite alot...I have never fished Cayuga though, so I might take you up on your offer and meet you out on the ice some day this winter.  Here's to a successful year!