Author Topic: Rhode Island Pike poll (Read 5916 times)

Cold Ice Steve · « **on:** Jan 23, 2014, 08:55 AM »

Pike fisherman,
In the past several, say 5 years, how many Pike have you seen caught in these weight ranges:
under 5#
between 5 to 10#
over 10#
If you could, Please let me know the approximate year.
example:
2010- 1 < 5#, 1 > 5#
Thanks
Steve

Brendog9 · « **Reply #1 on:** Jan 23, 2014, 09:30 AM »

Saw one 12 pounder caught in 2013

Cold Ice Steve · « **Reply #2 on:** Jan 23, 2014, 10:12 AM »

Thanks,
In the last 3 winters, including this year, I haven't seen a Pike under 10#... 5 over 10#... The 2 fish I mentioned above were fish my girl friend and I caught in 1/12/2010 on the same day...
It may be that Pike fishing, here in RI, is coming to an end very soon... Pike rarely reproduce in our waters, if the stocking program is not restored, this fishery will be lost to RI fisherman.
A few friends are looking to partition the DEM to restore the stocking program...
Thanks
Steve

RIfish · « **Reply #3 on:** Jan 23, 2014, 10:23 AM »

Last year our group caught 4 pike over 10 in one day

Cold Ice Steve · « **Reply #4 on:** Jan 23, 2014, 10:31 AM »

Thanks...That was a great day...

esox1 · « **Reply #5 on:** Jan 23, 2014, 11:57 AM »

Quote from: Cold Ice Steve on Jan 23, 2014, 10:12 AM

Thanks,
In the last 3 winters, including this year, I haven't seen a Pike under 10#... 5 over 10#... The 2 fish I mentioned above were fish my girl friend and I caught in 1/12/2010 on the same day...
It may be that Pike fishing, here in RI, is coming to an end very soon... Pike rarely reproduce in our waters, if the stocking program is not restored, this fishery will be lost to RI fisherman.
A few friends are looking to partition the DEM to restore the stocking program...
Thanks
Steve

lets hope its not coming to an end, but in the past few years ive seen alot in the 15-20 lb. range and some 20 plus.

Cold Ice Steve · « **Reply #6 on:** Jan 23, 2014, 12:19 PM »

Thanks
So far there is not a report of smaller Pike in the past several years... If the trend continues the future looks bleak.

Pike Guy Matt · « **Reply #7 on:** Jan 23, 2014, 01:27 PM »

I have only caught one pike under 28" the past three seasons, but plenty of 35"+ fish and a few 40"+. These larger fish are the ones that are still living from the last stockings that were done, 5-8 years ago. Once these larger fish reach the end of their lives and die off, the pike population will collapse and become virtually nonexistent in most lakes, just look at Massachusetts, where out of 30+ stocked lakes there is only a handful where there is still a fishable population, from natural reproduction, as they stopped their stocking program as well. In RI , where there are only 5 pike ponds, what are the odds that there will be enough natural reproduction in them to sustain a population? Not very good. I believe 10 years from now, if pike stocking is not brought back, RI will not have a fishable pike population.

As I have said before, I am all for pressuring DEM to bring back the pike program, as pike are the only fish that I fish for during winter, and it kills me to see the population dwindling here in RI after having a great fishery for so many years.

comeonnow · « **Reply #8 on:** Jan 23, 2014, 01:43 PM »

I caught one last year that was 5lbs. 2012 2 fish<5. 2011 1 fish < 5lbs. It's hard catching those little ones on big dead bait

Pike Guy Matt · « **Reply #9 on:** Jan 23, 2014, 02:07 PM »

Quote from: comeonnow on Jan 23, 2014, 01:43 PM

I caught one last year that was 5lbs. 2012 2 fish<5. 2011 1 fish < 5lbs. It's hard catching those little ones on big dead bait

Small pike will hit the biggest bait that you can put out. I fish exclusively for pike during winter and do not use any bait smaller than 8". I fish Pachaug Pond in CT a lot, which has been stocked annually for the past 15 years with thousands of fingerling pike. In a typical ice fishing season there, I will personally catch 20+ pike under 6lbs, as well as big fish, compared to when I fish RI lakes nowadays, I am lucky to catch one or two a year that size. Years ago, when RI had an active pike program I could get similar numbers of small pike from several ponds here. I can remember a couple of times catching 15+ pike in a day from Wordens with a buddy of mine in the 80s and 90s, but those days are long gone, unless they start stocking again

.

CHEPIGUY · « **Reply #10 on:** Jan 23, 2014, 04:11 PM »

caught 4 13lb plus last season. 2 in one day 13 & 14lbs.wont see that luck happen ever again. lol

Bassman · « **Reply #11 on:** Jan 23, 2014, 04:41 PM »

I've seen 2 and 4 pounders pull thru the ice recently. These particular fish must have been reproduced.
So, in some cases it is occurring.

JBO112394 · « **Reply #12 on:** Jan 23, 2014, 05:04 PM »

Last few years have produced plenty of fish over 35", but I have noticed a significantly lower amount of small pike, less than, 30" being caught than in years past. For at least the next 5 years, the pike population in RI will still be healthy and strong, but after that who knows. I would really like to see the stocking program brought back though.

JBO112394 · « **Reply #13 on:** Jan 23, 2014, 05:05 PM »

Quote from: Bassman on Jan 23, 2014, 04:41 PM

I've seen 2 and 4 pounders pull thru the ice recently. These particular fish must have been reproduced.
So, in some cases it is occurring.

Out of curiosity, what lake were they caught from?

Bassman · « **Reply #14 on:** Jan 23, 2014, 05:25 PM »

Quote from: JBO112394 on Jan 23, 2014, 05:05 PM

Out of curiosity, what lake were they caught from?

Good ole Watermans.............

war eagle · « **Reply #15 on:** Jan 23, 2014, 05:33 PM »

Caught 3 in one day 2 years ago ... all between 20-26 inches long don't know weight? Would gladly pony up for a "pike tag " if it would benefit the fishery for years to come.

Imissedem · « **Reply #16 on:** Jan 23, 2014, 05:56 PM »

One of the main reasons they stop was due to the fact that they were not spawning because most of the lakes and ponds were to acidic.last stocking I think was about 8 years ago at stump.

SHORTSEASON · « **Reply #17 on:** Jan 23, 2014, 06:06 PM »

Hi guys, I'm back for a bit, Happy New Year!! I was told it was all about the $$$, rather the lack of it. -----------------SS

Pike Guy Matt · « **Reply #18 on:** Jan 23, 2014, 06:13 PM »

Pike in RI do in fact spawn, however, there is not enough of it to sustain a fishable population over time, mainly because pike fry around here have extremely low survival rates. When you add in mortality rates caused by fishing pressure, stocking is necessary to keep a fishable population. I do like the idea of them using a "pike stamp" to help fund the program, it seems like there are more than a few fishermen out there who would be willing to pay to do this.

Ballbag · « **Reply #19 on:** Jan 23, 2014, 06:55 PM »

I'm all for it...gives me a better chance of finally catching one

Cold Ice Steve · « **Reply #20 on:** Jan 23, 2014, 07:11 PM »

Thanks for all the info...It is indeed encouraging to hear of some smaller Pike being caught at Waterman, so perhaps they are successfully breeding there... I haven't seen anything less then 10# since 2010, but I haven't fished Waterman for years. As far as big large dead bait debate, my buddy and I use a mixture of large dead bait and small live shiners, you would think that the smaller pike would hit the live shiners, hasn't happened. I will say that we have caught very large Pickerel on large dead bait, so that could mean that bait size may not be a factor.
The acidity argument could be a factor, also water temp could too... Pike are cool water fish and perhaps shallow bodies of water like Worden may get too warm in the summer to sustain reproduction. It also could be a case of proper types of bottom as well. I think, both Worden and Stump have muddy bottoms, while Waterman has more of a gravely bottom.
As far as the RI stocking program, governor Carceri cut back DEM funds thus cutting the Pike stocking program. DEM claims that the price per fish has sky rocketed and they can't afford them. The ponds that the DEM introduced Pike were Worden, Chapman, Stump, Flat River(Johnsons)and Waterman. It is recommended that the stocking rate per acre is 5 to 10 fish... The total acreage of those 5 ponds is approx. 2500 acres times 5 is 12,500 fish... I have heard that the price maybe over 10 bucks/fish. I don't think there is the love affair with the majority of fisherman for Pike as there is with Trout. We Pike fisherman are in a small minority, mostly due to the small number of ponds with a Pike population.
Thirty Acre, Hundred Acre and Pasquiset Ponds have Pike due to migration from Worden Pond. Pascoag Reservoir (Echo) had a Pike population at one time, but that was due to a small pond upstream, where the State held the Pike for stocking, washed into Pascoag when the dam let go.
We can hope that they find an affordable source soon!!! $:-\$ I for one would be willing to purchase a Pike Stamp as well!!!

Flatland · « **Reply #21 on:** Jan 23, 2014, 11:22 PM »

I say this in the most respectful way possible, and with no offense meant to anybody reading this, but isn't the health of the pike population directly effected by how conservation-minded RI fishermen are? If the state is no longer stocking, and these fish don't reproduce easily, doesn't it just make sense that we should be practicing catch and release? Maybe most of you guys are…just a dribble in the ol' brainpan...

CHEPIGUY · « **Reply #22 on:** Jan 24, 2014, 06:14 AM »

c&r for sure!!!

Cold Ice Steve · « **Reply #23 on:** Jan 24, 2014, 08:11 AM »

Well, catch and release, should go without saying... But I guess, for some, it's not a bad idea to mention it. Good post.

Flatland · « **Reply #24 on:** Jan 24, 2014, 10:28 AM »

Quote from: CHEPIGUY on Jan 24, 2014, 06:14 AM

c&r for sure!!!

Nice.

Quote from: Cold Ice Steve on Jan 24, 2014, 08:11 AM

Well, catch and release, should go without saying... But I guess, for some, it's not a bad idea to mention it. Good post.

Yeah, I wasn't implying that guys on here don't practice catch and release. I mentioned it mainly based on a conversation I had a few years back with a well known RI angler. He is in his early 60's, and when I mentioned pike he said that the numbers are diminishing because the state no longer stocks them and a lot of people have taken big ones out of places like Stump and Johnson's as trophies. I haven't seen it done personally.

Pikeanator · « **Reply #25 on:** Jan 24, 2014, 10:31 AM »

Quote from: Bassman on Jan 23, 2014, 04:41 PM

I've seen 2 and 4 pounders pull thru the ice recently. These particular fish must have been reproduced.
So, in some cases it is occurring.

I too have caught a 9" pike at watermans but this was about 10-12 years ago. From that point on I beleived that pike do reproduce when conditions are right. I would gladly purchase a pike stamp!!

Cold Ice Steve · « **Reply #26 on:** Jan 24, 2014, 11:51 AM »

For the sake of this discussion, let's say it's a given that Pike are reproducing on a limited basis.. Like all fish populations the odds of fry reaching adulthood is over come by the number of eggs laid/hatched. If the Pike are successfully breeding in RI waters on a limited bases, how many reach adulthood?

Hardwaterhank · « **Reply #27 on:** Jan 24, 2014, 12:00 PM »

I'm all for catch and release only on the pike and would purchase a pike stamp. One of the best tips I could give on to people chasing pike is be prepared with the right tools to safely release the fish and not have to walk back to your sled or base camp. The group I fish with carries a bag with a scale, tape measure, long nose pliers and a jaw spreader, camera, makes the pikes time out of the water minimum.

war eagle · « **Reply #28 on:** Jan 24, 2014, 03:07 PM »

"As far as the RI stocking program, governor Carceri cut back DEM funds thus cutting the Pike stocking program..." but we can give an ex- baseball player 75 million to make video games? No wonder this state is broke!

_Icecold_ · « **Reply #29 on:** Jan 24, 2014, 03:36 PM »

I'm sure ill have a lot of guys that would agree with me on this, but I only fish for trout on opening day, and if they dropped the trout stocking and replaced it with a pike stocking program then that wouldn't be a bad idea.

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Author Topic: Rhode Island Pike poll (Read 5916 times)

JBO112394

JBO112394