8 lines in the water ?

[Bailbuster]

slot limit is never going to happen ! when our bio thinks its fine just the way it is!!

[Pike Panther]

I totally support a slot limit on Champlain and inland waters as well.  Champlain pike are very healthy and plentiful right now however, the fish over 10-12 pounds are still not as common as they could be.  The fishing is good but, would be so much more exciting if the 7-10 pounders were protected to swim another day.  You would think the state could at least try it on a section of the lake.  It has been talked about for a long time now but sadly, I also do not think it will ever happen.  I have caught thousands of pike on Champlain in the past 30 years and still have not gotten one over 13 pounds.  I think the slot limit would satisfy all the folks out there that want to keep fish to eat and provide a fantastic trophy fishery.  My group always puts our bigger fish back and keeps the 4-8 pound fish to eat.  I know a lot of you guys out there have been doing the same.  I think its great that a lot of fisherman are practicing a slot limit on their own; much more than in the past.  I can say I am seeing a lot more pike between 8-10 pounds in the past 5 years.  Hopefully this will be the year I get the 18 pounder.  As far as the number of lines.  It doesn't matter.  It's about what the limits are.  Good luck out there!

[Bailbuster]

I totally support a slot limit on Champlain and inland waters as well.  Champlain pike are very healthy and plentiful right now however, the fish over 10-12 pounds are still not as common as they could be.  The fishing is good but, would be so much more exciting if the 7-10 pounders were protected to swim another day.  You would think the state could at least try it on a section of the lake.  It has been talked about for a long time now but sadly, I also do not think it will ever happen.  I have caught thousands of pike on Champlain in the past 30 years and still have not gotten one over 13 pounds.  I think the slot limit would satisfy all the folks out there that want to keep fish to eat and provide a fantastic trophy fishery.  My group always puts our bigger fish back and keeps the 4-8 pound fish to eat.  I know a lot of you guys out there have been doing the same.  I think its great that a lot of fisherman are practicing a slot limit on their own; much more than in the past.  I can say I am seeing a lot more pike between 8-10 pounds in the past 5 years.  Hopefully this will be the year I get the 18 pounder.  As far as the number of lines.  It doesn't matter.  It's about what the limits are.  Good luck out there!

The reason for no giant pike is the fact that 75% of anything over 10#s goes home....legal as it is and its any ones choice but it takes a long time to grow a 20 pounder!!

[sonny88]

As a Vt. fisherman that's been around for a long time I've seen a lot of changes in populations of pike. Shelbutne Pond and Colchester used to loaded with pike...catch all you want in a day. However over fishing ruined both of these places. No one needs more than one pike a day and killing more than that does no good for the fishery. As far as deep hooked fish, cut the line, leave the hook in the fish and more often than not they'll live.
I have no problem with 8 tip ups but 25 seems a bit too much to control for me. I also find it crazy that you can set 15 tip ups over miles of ice and can only have two rods out on your boat??

[Fish Wayniac]

Interesting read I'm a former Vermonter and still follow this awesome forum. In Maine we have slot limits for lake trout on Sebago. Can not keep any from 23"-32". I have caught some nice one's and released them. Pike is a totally different species though! If there was a slot you would eventully catch 20 lb pike.There also is a 5 line limit here in Maine. When I fished at my parents in Alburg I liked the 15 line law. I set out 10 and that kept me plenty busy.

[Yukoner]

The slot limit for pike up here is 30-41 inches, and we have lots of big pike.

As well, two lines per fisherman while ice fishing allowed.  Barbless on all the heavily fished lakes seems to protect most of the slot.

Ted

[rbobby]

The slot limit for pike up here is 30-41 inches, and we have lots of big pike.

That's a good slot limit.


As well, two lines per fisherman while ice fishing allowed.  Barbless on all the heavily fished lakes seems to protect most of the slot.

Ted

[pikeaddict]

Don't be so sure we will never see a slot limit. 

This is from an e mail conversation I had with Shawn Good;

"HI Matt – a slot limit is one of the alternatives that I am seriously considering.  Slot limits have proven to work well when there is a high level of harvest directed towards a specific segment of a fish population.  Slot limits have been shown to work in many other states that manage for trophy northern pike, like Minnesota, Wisconsin, and even some of the Canadian provinces like Ontario and Manitoba.  We’ll see how it goes, but in the next couple years I hope that we have a proposal to put forth to give northern pike more protection and hopefully result in higher quality of fishing."

[Honest_John]

As a Vt. fisherman that's been around for a long time I've seen a lot of changes in populations of pike. Shelbutne Pond and Colchester used to loaded with pike...catch all you want in a day. However over fishing ruined both of these places. No one needs more than one pike a day and killing more than that does no good for the fishery. As far as deep hooked fish, cut the line, leave the hook in the fish and more often than not they'll live.
I have no problem with 8 tip ups but 25 seems a bit too much to control for me. I also find it crazy that you can set 15 tip ups over miles of ice and can only have two rods out on your boat??

Colchester Pond used to put out record pike, and the current population seems to be of a smaller avg. size, however there is certainly no shortage of pike in the that pond. Anyone who's fished it in recent years can attest.

[lowaccord66]

A slot limit would be nice.  One pike over 36.

Agree!