A buddy and I went out tonight to try to get a night of fishing in before the rain hit. We went for bass, of course, but ended up CRUSHING pike instead. We didn't see a single bass but we landed over a dozen pike in just over an hour. We had to call it quits because the storms moved in earlier than we hoped they would but we had an absolute blast while we were out. We were talking on the way home about how we don't understand how so many people consider them a nuisance when they're so fun to catch and they taste so good! We didn't keep any tonight, and the toothy critters killed two spinnerbaits but I feel that it was well worth it! What are your thoughts on pike?

I think they are a great fish to catch. Just dont like losing lures while bass fishing very happy every time I land one.

I don't fish tournaments so I just like catching just about anything.  Pike are a blast and although I've never eaten one, I've heard they are a fantastic eating fish.

One of my favorites to fish for. None here in Cali though.

Not a problem if I'm fishing for em, otherwise I don't catch many. They usually aren't around the same weedbeds as the bass and panfish here.

Mostly the nuissance is if you're using light tackle and expensive lures, or they get treble hooked deep, can't be landed without a net, flop all over the boat, etc.

I don't eat them because of the mercury content, same with larger bass.

I like catching larger ones, theyre a lot of fun. But the small ones, like 18-26" are way more trouble then theyre worth. They go crazy in the boat, the trebles are always hooked really deep and they're mouths are still filled with teeth. No thanks. But any pike 30" or over is a blast. They fight like crazy, they're easier to hold  and control and make a great photo as well. 

Fun fish to catch, if I don't have a pair of pliers on me, it can be a little troublesome. But most of the time they are fun bonus fish.

I love pike. Unfortunately, don't have a ton in my waters. I think there's some pickerel in a small resorvoir down the road, but haven't tested it out myself. I'm sure it must be frustrating to lose lures, but I love catching them. 

Yes.

 

But they are fun to catch.

I love catching pike when they are mid teen and bigger. Smaller pike not so much.

I love catching pike when they are mid teen and bigger. Smaller pike not so much.

 

I can't stand those little hammer handles...

A absolute blast to catch. 

I like catching larger ones, theyre a lot of fun. But the small ones, like 18-26" are way more trouble then theyre worth. They go crazy in the boat, the trebles are always hooked really deep and they're mouths are still filled with teeth. No thanks. But any pike 30" or over is a blast. They fight like crazy, they're easier to hold  and control and make a great photo as well. 

 

This I can definitely understand.  They do go nuts in the boat and they bleed like it's a friggen murder scene.  

Pike are the reason I don't buy certain expensive lures but they are fun to catch.

I'd love to catch a pike one of these days. 

The only aquatic creature I really consider a nuisance are snapping turtles  

I'd love to catch a pike one of these days. 

The only aquatic creature I really consider a nuisance are snapping turtles

 

Come on up to Milwaukee!!  I'll take ya out to a couple lakes where we can catch em all day long!

Come on up to Milwaukee!!  I'll take ya out to a couple lakes where we can catch em all day long!

 

I'd definitely enjoy that

Some day I'd like to travel around the country, meeting up with you guys and catching fish I've never caught before.  It's definitely on my bucket list.

I don't consider them a nuisance fish unless they get on that tungsten bite or any other expensive bait bite haha. But seriously they're a blast to catch and delicious. The only time they seem like a bummer is when you're in the middle of a bass tourney.

 LOve to catch them - any size.

 

Hate loosing baits & terminal tackle.

 

And watch out for the fangs . . .

 

A-Jay

Well, I can understand why immature pike might be considered a nuisance.

That is, the grass snakes that are derisively dubbed "hammer-handles" & "snot-rockets".

 

On the other hand, large old pike are a horse of another color, and behave like a different species of fish.

Big gator pike do not spend the summer in shallow weedy bays, but generally inhabit deep open water

beyond the outer weed-line. In lakes that support pelagic forage fish,

gator pike feed on ciscoes, whitefish and smelt, much the same as lake trout.

 

Gators over 35" are powerful fish (peel line off the spool) and are hard to come by,

the stuff that makes a superb target species. Back to the 1970s, Al Lindner confessed

that his favorite freshwater game fish is a "trophy pike" over 12 pounds.

Al stated that trophy pike are even rarer than muskellunge, the fish of 10,000 casts.  I fully concur

 

Roger

There's a great little read about pike called "Bruisers of the Weed Beds" by Ben East. 

It's in "The Greatest Fishing Stories Ever Told" (from the Lyons Press Publishers) which is a good collection of fishing tales and anecdotes.  I highly recommend it

Love catching them, love eating them.

Love catching them, love eating them.

The ones caught in northern Canada are actually better than walleye.

You know, I don't know that I've ever caught a pike.  If I did it wasn't too big.

 

Would love to catch some one day.  It sounds like fun!

 

Josh

My waters have Pickerel, the little cousin. I don't go out to catch them, but they are often found in the same spots as the bass. Some times they are a good tell tale for me to slow down a bit, they tend to be more aggressive then the bass. I do not set out to catch them, but would rather catch something.

 

They do like to shred plastics, and frogs, and line and eat paint! Which can be a real pain, but not as bad as going home smelling like a man instead of like a fish.