pike catch and release

[Keychain]

Why did I have rice instead of potatoes for dinner tonight?  Because that's what I wanted and either choice was within my legal rights.  Hell, I even had a cholesterol laden whoopie pie after dinner.  I'm sure there are plenty of people who would frown on that as well as me "waisting" a fish.  I'll sleep just fine tonight knowing that I'll do whatever I want within the law and won't bellyache about anybody else making a different choice than I as long as it is within the law...

[Keychain]

BTW, just ate another whoopie pie and didn't feel bad about it at all.  Well, other than the dog giving me the stink eye when I didn't "leave any on the ice" for her to eat 

[Ice Age]

Gentlemen's slot limit on pike: Thin out the little devils, and the trophies left will eat more of those than the eagles ever will. Plus you get a trophy fishery to make up some of what evil has been done. Or, millions of little pike go gleefully unchecked by the redneck militia's futile, gratuitous antics, and all is lost. Pike and enormous native brookies play nice to the north, without so much as a single native brown trout for a few thousand km to the East. In this state, darn near every true traditional fishery is like throwing a line into a DIF&W aquarium. The pike didn't kill it, you did. Ha! I hate pike too. But don't hate a playa- hate a playa hate-ah son!         

[kill pike]

they say once there in a lake you cant get rid of em but me and my fellow local fisherman have been killin pike with extreme prejudice for years now and guess what nobody catches monsters anymore and the bass and brookie fishin has been awsome!plus who doesnt like to put some blood on the ice!!!yeaaaaa kill em all

[Whopper Stopper]

From an outsiders prospective, this has been a very interesting thread.

                WS

[Bowdoin Boy]

Gentlemen's slot limit on pike: Thin out the little devils, and the trophies left will eat more of those than the eagles ever will. Plus you get a trophy fishery to make up some of what evil has been done. Or, millions of little pike go gleefully unchecked by the redneck militia's futile, gratuitous antics, and all is lost. Pike and enormous native brookies play nice to the north, without so much as a single native brown trout for a few thousand km to the East. In this state, darn near every true traditional fishery is like throwing a line into a DIF&W aquarium. The pike didn't kill it, you did. Ha! I hate pike too. But don't hate a playa- hate a playa hate-ah son!       

x10 Personally i would just let them eat themselves out of all food sources,they wont stop eating until everything is gone,its called self thinning..

[rangerman]

Why do fisherman that hate pike use up valuable ice fishing time killing pike when they could be fishing in uninhabited waters. There are guys on here that have been throwing pike on the ice for years, yet my son and I still have a great time catching them and throwing them back so Im thinking the pike (and pike lovers) that fish Sabattus anyway are going to win.  So why not spend all that time and energy on a pond or lake that has fish you like in it, rather than fish a pond or lake that is full of the fish you hate???  Not taking sides in this debate just looking for some insight.

[gamefisher]

Why do fisherman that hate pike use up valuable ice fishing time killing pike when they could be fishing in uninhabited waters. There are guys on here that have been throwing pike on the ice for years, yet my son and I still have a great time catching them and throwing them back so Im thinking the pike (and pike lovers) that fish Sabattus anyway are going to win.  So why not spend all that time and energy on a pond or lake that has fish you like in it, rather than fish a pond or lake that is full of the fish you hate???  Not taking sides in this debate just looking for some insight.

I think the situation is completely different for those who fish Sabattus vs. those of us that are fishing for gamefish in waters that also contain pike.  I have never set foot on Sabattus nor will I ever for that reason but don't begrudge any fishermen that enjoy doing so.  I have listened to the whole "carrying capacity" argument on here for years and how when they took away the regs. all we'd be left with is small pike.  It's been several years since the regs have been reppealed, enough time to certainly give us a baseline, and the argument couldn't be further from the truth as many of us stated at the time.    I go back to a point many have already made, your fish, yours to do with as you please in my eyes within the confines of the law, who am I to judge.

[rangerman]

Well said gamefisher I guess I was directing my comment towards Sabattus. I just have to ask myself why as i drive the length of the lake and see sometimes 20 pike laying on the ice and 50 or more during derby's why bother? If you hate pike don't fish were pike live? I do agree the big picture is.. its your fish do with it what you please.

[burgerboy]

pike are like mosquitoes theres way to many of them.

[woodchip]

It really don't matter weather you throw  it back or leave it on the ice . It gets recycled  By Eagles ,Foxes ,Coyotes ,People. Its natures way. Pike, Perch grow so fast its better to remove as many of them as possible to make room for better quality fish. Like putting Hornpout in a small pond they grow so fast they never get a chance to gain any size. and there is only a limited amount of Oxygen, Nutrients. So if you like catching lots of small medium fish throw them back. If you like Big fish help someone at dinner or feed the Eagles, etc.

[Sinnian]

[Keychain]

(Image removed from quote.)

[dgilliam]

You will never kill all of them I release all my fish unless were going lobstering the next day then its good fresh bait

[Ice Time]

You'll never kill them all but you can knock down the population. Personally I'll never release one. They are illegally introduced vermin. But I do agree, to each his own. Don’t tell me I have to release them and I wont tell you you have to kill them.

[burgerboy]

they do make good lobster bait.

[TightLinesMaine]

people this debate goes on and on...but as ive stated before the law tells you to kill them

"Anglers are strongly encouraged to harvest all northern pike and muskellunge and not release them back to the water alive"

I release em back into Sabattus, and if i fished Taylor pond, i'd probably release em there too, that's about the only place(s) i'd ever release a pike alive

[Cool Blue]

I release 80% of all my fish including pike. I keep a few small ones for the eagles and for a friend who eats them..I even put a 22 pounder full of eggs back down the hole a couple years back. Where I fish the pike are keeping the perch in check thats why there are some big hump backs in the secret hole

[Ice Age]

Ha!

[lunkahville]

I want a whoopie pie 

[bigredonice]

So is that a Maine thing, to leave dead fish on the ice?

[lunkahville]

No not really they do it everywhere else to

[bigredonice]

No not really they do it everywhere else to

No...no they dont.

just remembered the conversation I had with some of you folks last year...It is a maine, thing, my bad...not trying to troll...dropping it.

[lunkahville]

 

[NorthernFishFinder]

Personally I love eating the things and almost prefer them over trout...

[bigredonice]

Personally I love eating the things and almost prefer them over trout...

Pike are very good eating.  Just as good as walleyes and yellow perch.   WAY  better than white perch (ok maybe now im trolling)

[The Rusty Crab]

All you release guys, I bet each year shoot a deer or attempt to. How about putting your efforts into something in danger.

[GasBlaster]

All you release guys, I bet each year shoot a deer or attempt to. How about putting your efforts into something in danger.

I bet if they shot the deer they dont just let it lay in the woods for the eagles !!!

[The Rusty Crab]

I bet if they shot the deer they dont just let it lay in the woods for the eagles !!!

Cause the eagles are full of pike

[woodchip]

I know what some fishermen are full of.