http://www.grandforksherald.com/outdoors/recreation/4016783-brad-dokken-devils-lake-angler-nathan-lafleur-releases-giant-northern

...that's a fish!

Wow. Big ol' pike!

Looking around at other sires with this fish on it, there were comments from some clowns who were actually unhappy Lafleur released the fish...they were PO'd that it dared to eat their perch and walleyes.

Sometimes it's hard to see eye to eye with my brother fishermen...

On 4/30/2016 at 9:00 AM, Further North said:

Looking around at other sires with this fish on it, there were comments from some clowns who were actually unhappy Lafleur released the fish...they were PO'd that it dared to eat their perch and walleyes.

Sometimes it's hard to see eye to eye with my brother fishermen...

That's just an amazing catch. Shoot, 40" in the lower 48 is something to be proud of. 45"+ is something I can only dream about. 51" is two inches bigger than my than my largest musky! That's just insane.     ***Adds Devils Lake to bucket list***

 

But those pike are the reason the walleye fishing is in the tank.... (it couldn't have anything to do with the lack of C&R... could it?)

2 hours ago, FluffChucker said:

But those pike are the reason the walleye fishing is in the tank.... (it couldn't have anything to do with the lack of C&R... could it?)

Nah...there's no way all those people keeping all those fish has anything to do with why the walleye fishing has dropped off...Just ask any fisherman out there who has a freezer full of walleye and they'll tell you so.

Phenomenal beast! My PB is only 43" (here in MA) and that gave me a heck of fight! Can't even imagine trying to land a beast like that.

wow, that is a giant fish.   On a fly rod is crazy!!    I saw one about that big in Basswood lake bringing in a walleye, dang thing chased the 5 lb walleye all the way to the boat and it honestly scared me when he made a pass at the walleye.   Freaked me out, the northern was huge and it just came out of nowhere when I was bringing the walleye into the boat.  I was about 20 yards from a sunken island in about 40 ft of water, I guess he was hanging out on that island.  

1 hour ago, Mi11er said:

wow, that is a giant fish.   On a fly rod is crazy!!    I saw one about that big in Basswood lake bringing in a walleye, dang thing chased the 5 lb walleye all the way to the boat and it honestly scared me when he made a pass at the walleye.   Freaked me out, the northern was huge and it just came out of nowhere when I was bringing the walleye into the boat.  I was about 20 yards from a sunken island in about 40 ft of water, I guess he was hanging out on that island.  

I had a large musky or Pike (40+ inches) blow up a topwater near the end of my retrieve while wet wading in 3+ feet of water years ago and I nearly ticked myself.  I missed a good hookset and lost it after some thrashing.  It was legitimately terrifying.  

 

Catching a 50" Pike on a fly rod must be one incredible rush. Huge props!

One of the things a lot of folks who don't fly fish don't know about fly-fishing is that there are heavy rods for this kind of thing - we're not using a noodle-y trout rod for pike and musky, but usually an 8, 9 or 10 wt. rod that's made for these kinds of fish.

...but yeah,,,even then it's an incredible rush...just because of how you fish for them.

That's a lot of slime.  Its like a really bad sinus infection.

Heckuva of catch, and a fairy rod to boot!