Author Topic: How Big is a "Big" pike? (Read 3418 times)

Boilerhawg · « **on:** Dec 09, 2007, 10:40 PM »

Since there are posters here from all over North America, I'd like to hear what y'all consider a big northern pike. I live in Edmonton, Alberta, and around here, I would say a nice one is over 5 pounds, a big one is over 10 and anything over 15 is getting into 'monster' territory.

What's it like in your neck-of-the-woods?

WARRIOR_ON_ICE · « **Reply #1 on:** Dec 09, 2007, 10:49 PM »

Boilerhawg, I would rate your 5, 10 and 15 pound thresholds as very reasonable for the same ratings in the lakes I fish in the Adirondacks of NY. I am very happy with anything 10 plus. My PB is 12 pounds. The largest pike I have ever witnessed caught is 15 pounds. Some of your Canadian comrades from Manitoba ( usernames Meadowpikeman and Tip-Up ) have posted pics. of more than a few pike close to or at the 30 pound mark, so maybe the Manitobans would raise the bar for the Monster catoegory.

Haywood · « **Reply #2 on:** Dec 09, 2007, 10:53 PM »

9# and over. Not sure why 9#, but that has just always been the line for me. Probably because I don't ever recall catching an 8# and 7# aren't that rare. It has to be a 40", (18#) to go on the wall.

John_BZ · « **Reply #3 on:** Dec 09, 2007, 10:53 PM »

i would say around here a 32"+ is a decent pike 36"+ is a big one and anything over 40" is a sow

Buck1985 · « **Reply #4 on:** Dec 09, 2007, 10:54 PM »

For the lake, this one was a monster, my personal best. 33 1/2", 15 1/2" girth, 11 lbs. 20 minutes to get in on 10 lb test sufix. It doesn't look that big, but i'm 6'3" 260 lbs

Kyle_ · « **Reply #5 on:** Dec 09, 2007, 11:30 PM »

In Alberta where I live...I'd say 36 inches and over is big, and 40+ is monster

pikeman80 · « **Reply #6 on:** Dec 10, 2007, 02:11 AM »

anything over 10lbs is worth getting excited about but over 20lbs is true trophy, let's all throw anything under that back into spawn more gators with out legs

captain54 · « **Reply #7 on:** Dec 10, 2007, 03:37 AM »

40 inches,my best is 42 inches 18lbs plus

MeadowPikeman · « **Reply #8 on:** Dec 10, 2007, 03:52 AM »

we caught about 15 last year 39" or bigger (biggest was 48") so don't consider anything under 41" big, although cating fish in the 30"s is lots of fun.

Lobes · « **Reply #9 on:** Dec 10, 2007, 08:35 AM »

Quote from: Kyle_ on Dec 09, 2007, 11:30 PM

In Alberta where I live...I'd say 36 inches and over is big, and 40+ is monster

I'd say that is a good slot.

NBG

Pasquatch · « **Reply #10 on:** Dec 10, 2007, 09:19 AM »

36"+ is big in my book. OF course there'sa lot of variables in regards to weight and what body of water it came out of, but for the most part, I consider a 3 footer a big Northern.

BUCKSKI · « **Reply #11 on:** Dec 10, 2007, 10:54 AM »

30-36 is average nice pike.
Getting over 40 is the magic mark.

I'll say this I caught a 36 incher on simcoe last year on 2lb test. This was special because I almost spooled me twice. I saw it was 10-12 lbs.
My personal best was 15lb and won te big catch year lon tournament.

njsimonson · « **Reply #12 on:** Dec 10, 2007, 11:25 AM »

Pike of note top 32" in my book.

chillywillie · « **Reply #13 on:** Dec 10, 2007, 12:02 PM »

This is my personal best and I consider it a monster. 40 inches, no weight(catch and release)

MeadowPikeman · « **Reply #14 on:** Dec 10, 2007, 02:34 PM »

nice n healthy, i like those ones

AirManCam · « **Reply #15 on:** Dec 10, 2007, 02:46 PM »

I would say anything over 14 is a good one, and anything over 18 is a big one, and then 23+ is a monster.

deadsmelthead · « **Reply #16 on:** Dec 10, 2007, 02:57 PM »

A lake I target pike regularly out of I would consider anything over 10-12lbs a big Pike but not out of the ordinary..
This particular one here falls under the BIG FAT PIG category.

about 47 inches and 24lbs

Gezzah · « **Reply #17 on:** Dec 10, 2007, 03:01 PM »

Here is a 17.11 pound 42 inch Pike I caught this year in VT.... It is on my wall at home as Pike this size are fairly rare in Vermont. http://picasaweb.google.com/Gezzaah/FishingPics/photo#5142452020062716322

chimo · « **Reply #18 on:** Dec 10, 2007, 03:13 PM »

Nice fish Gezzah! My brother and I just started targeting the northerns in St. Catherine 2 summers back and he got one @ 39.5" and 15 pounds or so this summer. hope we can get a bigger one next year. I'd have to agree with most people that 36" is getting big and over 40" is a slob.

good fishing

chimo

WARRIOR_ON_ICE · « **Reply #19 on:** Dec 10, 2007, 08:06 PM »

Quote from: chillywillie on Dec 10, 2007, 12:02 PM

This is my personal best and I consider it a monster. 40 inches, no weight(catch and release)

(Image removed from quote.)

Frig yeah that's a monster! I dream of a pike that big. My biggest so far is 34" = 12 pounds. Nice pike dude!

esox13 · « **Reply #20 on:** Dec 10, 2007, 08:20 PM »

I fish in WI and anything over 40" and 15# is getting into the BIG PIKE territory

big-brother · « **Reply #21 on:** Dec 10, 2007, 09:13 PM »

One from the summer and one hardwater.Still looking to better the length of these 2- 41".

Master Angler · « **Reply #22 on:** Dec 10, 2007, 10:52 PM »

For me big starts at 37", decent are 34-36". I caught a 36 and 38 today, they were nice. But the mark a lot of pike hunters are in the quest to break is the 50" barrier, but then that is huge or monster, a different class altogether. I am getting closer but am not quite there yet (46"), but have guided others to bigger.

Boilerhawg · « **Reply #23 on:** Dec 10, 2007, 11:02 PM »

Quote

I would say anything over 14 is a good one, and anything over 18 is a big one, and then 23+ is a monster.

I'm curious, given those numbers, how many "good ones" you catch in an average winter in NY.

edfalc · « **Reply #24 on:** Dec 10, 2007, 11:16 PM »

my personal best is 34" on Carpenter Lake and i let it go because my goal is 40+" to mount.....i cant imagine 50"

zgoz89 · « **Reply #25 on:** Dec 10, 2007, 11:31 PM »

It all depends on what kind of body of water your fishing but in general a good pike is 10-15 a big pike is

somewhere in the 15-18 range and then 18+ is a general slob.

GAMBELL · « **Reply #26 on:** Dec 11, 2007, 11:30 AM »

In my book, 36+ is a big pike. A trophy is over 40". I have caught 1 over 40 (41") on the ice and 1 @ 40 1/4" in the open water.

Gezzah · « **Reply #27 on:** Dec 11, 2007, 11:54 AM »

Nice fish Chimo!! I think unless you are in the backcountry of Canada somewhere anywhere in the US over 40" is a trophy.

walleyewacker · « **Reply #28 on:** Dec 11, 2007, 02:26 PM »

40" is definitley a trophy had one on last year up in bay de noc that we figured was easily 40 ended up losin it in the hole with 6lb test jiggin for eyes. seen a 43" caught up there as well, i guess it depends where you go and what they are feedin on. seems like cicso lakes are the best for pigs

AirManCam · « **Reply #29 on:** Dec 11, 2007, 02:43 PM »

Quote from: Boilerhawg on Dec 10, 2007, 11:02 PM

I'm curious, given those numbers, how many "good ones" you catch in an average winter in NY.

The guys I fish with and I get probably around 15 or so a year that are over the 10lb range, including this 23.5 lber caught by ilikepike. (Its me with the fish in this picture, I can't find the picture with him in it)

I might also add that I don't really consider a pike big or what not by length either, because this pike was around the 38" mark, and only about 8lbs.

But I have seen pike 35" at 17lbs, so I like to classify them by pounds.

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Author Topic: How Big is a "Big" pike? (Read 3418 times)

chimo