Pike like spikes ?

[Brochet]

my fish story from today is a 6 1/2 pound 30-inch pike that nearly got away.

I was jigging for perch with a spike on a little glow-in-the-dark pug bug jig.  No luck with perch, then something big hits the jig and starts pulling line out fast.  It feels like its taking as much line out as I can reel in and bending my rod all the way around, and putting on big bursts of speed any time I think its tired and get it close to the hole.  This goes on for a very long time until finally I think its slowing down and getting close.

Then my line breaks.

While I'm thinking that's the big on that got away, my daughter points at the hole in the ice and yells "look at those jaws."  Turns out the line didn't break until the fish was most of the way into the hole... and with 18 inches of ice it wasn't going away quick.  All we can see is a big open fish mouth taking up the whole hole.  I hesitated for just long enough to put on a pair of leather gloves before reaching into the hole and grabbing it.  Once I got the fish on the ice, it wouldn't give me my glove back, but I got my hand out.  I couldn't feel those needle-sharp teeth but they sure made me bleed, right through a pair of heavy work gloves ! 

Not a trophy size pike at all, but I can't believe something that big went for something that small !  And lucky to have grabbed it after breaking the line !

Has anyone else had pike bite on spikes or small bait like that ?

[SkunkLuvver]

Cool story!
I live down in ma where pike are few and far between... and much sought after.

My buddy was fishing for bait with a halie tippped with a spike in one of the few places here that hold pike..   wouldn’t you know it but his bait rod bends double and he eventually pulls out a pike.

All the hours we’ve put into this place with big bait on tip tps and this a-hole gets one on a tiny hailie with a spike targeting bait.

Zero justice I tell you.

[Champlain Islander]

Fishing for sunnies and gills with small jigs tipped with spikes we often get both bass and pike to bite. Most of us consider it a nuisance since we are fishing with very lite line and small UL rods and get broken off. Hard to get the pike to the hole because of the teeth and small line but if they are hooked on the tip of the jaw they are often brought up. Nice looking pike congrats.

[PenguinIII]

Great story, I am amazed you got his head into that tiny hole at all. Congrats

[Gills-only]

Have caught numerous pike on spikes over the years , biggest 37” thru a 6” hole. 2# test line loosen drag, take your time, and if only hooked in lip or outside close, you can land them

[cbice]

Not sure about spikes but I have definatly caught a few on bibets baited with a perch eye.

[meandcuznalfy]

I've caught burbot on my favorite perch rig.

[troutcrazy]

Good story!  That's exciting!
Yeah, I catch them when fishing for panfish or even smelt.  Caught a monster on Bomoseen last year on 3 lb test in 48 feet of water, fishing for smelt.  I was totally unprepared for it-- luckily a guy fishing near me saw my confusion and gave me a hand with his leather gloves.

Friday I was fishing for crappies, and looking down the hole to sight-fish.  Pike kept coming by and scaring my fish away!  I couldn't get away from them.  Eventually, one just parked itself right under my hole and didn't move.  I grabbed my perch rod and bonked it on the head with a big bibbet!    

[VTMatt]

Panfishing dillen years ago I heard a bunch of guys yelling at pike that cut them off....had some tipups out and ended up icing a pike with a tiny little 3mm jig in his lip.  Guy close to me starts laughing - it was his jig.

[thefishingweatherman]

Pretty cool story! Not too surprised though - pike will hit anything that moves. Definitely takes skill to land them on a light setup!

[Brochet]

I've been enjoying reading the responses on here.  As always on IceShanty, I am learning a few things, like this is not that uncommon, some of you have caught bigger pike on lighter line, and I really need to invest in a bigger-diameter auger ! 

and this is hilarious, good aim ! 

Friday I was fishing for crappies, and looking down the hole to sight-fish.  Pike kept coming by and scaring my fish away!  I couldn't get away from them.  Eventually, one just parked itself right under my hole and didn't move.  I grabbed my perch rod and bonked it on the head with a big bibbet!    

[mudchuck]

Had it happen to me just a few weeks ago.
31-1/2" just under 7#

[Jschumacher]

Great story. Must have been fun.

[perch bait]

It's a morsel so tiny and easy to eat they just can't pass it up!  I caught a nice pickerel on 4mm tungsten with spikes yesterday along with a 17 inch Largemouth. Had one pickerel bite me clean off in a split second and got another up to the hole before popping off. It definitely takes a little luck on the hookset and a lot of patience to land those toothy critters. I had a pike/pickerel camp right beneath my hole yesterday as well. Had my sonar screen loaded up with nice gills one minute and then a big mark moved in. Fish stopped biting and my hot hole was compromised. 

[esox_xtm]

This is funny. And telling...

I've been on an action lake the last coupla weeks. Loaded with pickling size pike, medium sunnies, small perch and crappies. I can chase flags all day, often two at a time. the two biggest pike I've had on this lake both ate a 4mm tungsten with salted shrimp or waxies. One I never got a look at. Just tore line until I cut it off 'cause I knew I wasn't going to stop it. The other was high 28/29" I lost at the hole.

Makes me think.