Largest Pike this winter?

[GAMBLER]

They are only paying out the first 3 Places in 7 categories also! They will most likely give you donated merchandise in place of cash!

 

Hmmmmmmm.......  Sounds familiar

[Finders Keepers]

Hmmmmmmm.......  Sounds familiar

Sure does! Read the prize structure of the tournaments you're going to fish, they are usually listed like ours...

[mostlymuskies]

You stated in one of your posts that you had product to supplement prize checks!

[Finders Keepers]

You stated in one of your posts that you had product to supplement prize checks!

Yes, to supplement, as in "add to" the prize checks if we have excess products to work with. The Checks are the main prize structure. In the IPA Series, the main prize structure is product based, supplemented with prize checks if we have excess funds to work with.  Both prize structures are clearly indicated on our websites. Just like the Team-Only IPA events have all cash prizes. 

 

It's pretty simple really:

If you want a chance at just cash, fish the Winter Classic and IPA Team-Only events.

If you would like a chance to upgrade your gear to latest, best equipment with the possibility of cash too, fish the Full IPA events.

If you just like fishing tournaments and don't care what's in the prize structure, fish them all! 

Edited January 4, 2015 by Finders Keepers

[BP Swing]

This makes my blood boil. I am taking sides with old man and Larry on this one. Last year at the Conesus Pike kill tournament on the ice, there were 2 tiger muskies killed so that they could slap em on a nail board and make some guy look like a hero. A Pike kill tournament is so outdated now. What about catch and release? Why arent you moving with the times? To kill a huge Pike that may be 15 years old and a prime spawning prospect just for cash really SUCKS!! I wouldn't enter your tournament if its catch and kill. I see ice fishermen at Braddocks all the time catching nice pike and just throwing them on the ice to die. Not even the best table fare. What a waste. Yes I know you have a right to keep one if you buy a license and all that but screw that. How bout sportsmanship and releasing the big girls so we can catch them and release them for someone else. This tournament is not for conservation minded sportsman. Bad idea.

Edited January 16, 2015 by BP Swing

[Chas0218]

There is one thing I would like to bring up that may be worth considering. I have heard that on very cold days in the winter, a fish that is caught through the ice and exposed to the cold air, may not survive if released. Maybe it depends on how long they are exposed. Maybe there are things that can be done in the release process to increrase their chances of survival. Maybe it is best not to target them if the air temprature is below a certain level.

I don't really understand where you're reasoning that they don't survive if caught thru the ice. They are cold blooded and if to cold there bodies actually shut down. Worn that being said, I have caught numerous large pike thru the ice and actually made a "livewell" to keep them alive. I have also brought them home in a bucket 5 hours after catching them and lasting in the ice and they start slapping around once even decided to throw one in my bathtub worth some water. Seemed to live just fine until I fileted him.

I think a photo with the pike accompanying a tape measure and scale with the person's tournament number and face would be enough.

I think iceshanty.com uses this process for a online tournament.

Sent from my thinking chair...

[muskiedreams]

Chas0218, I believe Larry mentioned that once in reference to catching muskies late in the season on cold days. What his main concern with it was that if the eyes freeze it can cause permanent damage to them. I am not sure if it is true or not. If it is, they might not be able to feed effectively any more.

[flyak]

A lot of passionate Esox folks on this thread. I totally agree with their point of view. Having a C&R category for Pike makes sense. Personally, I don't like tournaments for money or prizes anyway but I understand the premiss of having a tournament. It is tough enough to run a tournament in a particular area, but, to have one Statewide....that is a very difficult task. There will always be someone who will try and cheat in order to win the money prize especially when the kitty increases down the road.. And a lie detector can be beat. My daughter's God Mother administered polygraphs when she worked for the DEA. They used to use other information when determining whether an informant was telling the truth.

[Chas0218]

Chas0218, I believe Larry mentioned that once in reference to catching muskies late in the season on cold days. What his main concern with it was that if the eyes freeze it can cause permanent damage to them. I am not sure if it is true or not. If it is, they might not be able to feed effectively any more.

Ok I thought you were referencing pike. I would have no clue about muskies my only experience is worth pike, walleye, and trout.

Sent from my thinking chair...

[muskiedreams]

Chase0218, If it is possible with muskies (which I am not Positive about), it is likely it is also possible with pike and possibly other fish.

 

Ronix 51, If you are reading this, can you shed any light on this thought.

[Tigerhunter]

I would think that the gills would be just as vulnerable as the eyes but I have no evidence of either.... With any catch and release, the sooner the fish is back in the water the better.

[mostlymuskies]

Pike are a little bit hardier then muskies in the cold.Muskies anytime the outside temperature is below 20 degrees or below freezing with wind, the gills can freeze and the fish is then going to die.If the cornea of the eye turns opaque, the cornea is frozen and the fish will become blind.Pike can handle the cold better then a muskie can, but at temperatures of 10 degrees or lower the Pikes gills will freeze in short time as well as the cornea of the eye.Only sure thing is to keep the pike or muskie in the water as much as possible and any lifting for a picture should be very quickly done and right back in the water.

[mostlymuskies]

I will not be able to participate in further discussion on this debate on northern pike being Catch & Release for Tournaments until I return from Guyana South America in early March.I will not have Internet service being 272 miles inland in the rain forest fishing!

[BSmaster]

Good luck and don't pee while you are wading in the river.  I still get nightmares about that river monsters episode.

[justtracytrolling]

I find it hard to believe that every fish that "swims away"  survives even in the best conditions, and handled with the utmost care.  If your goal is not to harm the fish you have to avoid certain times, such as when water temps get over 80 degrees or when air temps are low as Captain Larry stated.  If you look at the quality of muskies, and tiger muskies in NY waters its very easy to see how well the conservation practices work.  On the other hand for some reason pike dont get the same care in NY.   I know on Otisco most guys targeting tigers in the winter keep them, but the boat guys in the summer rarely keep em.  All you have to do is go in the bait shop and look at the pics...the ice fisherman catch and keep more big fish by far.  The only explanation for this is all the ice fishing derbies.  It wouldnt bother me if the fish didnt end up in dumpster behind the bar.  Eat em, mount them either is fine by me....killing and wasting them though isnt right....especially for prize money.  Tournaments have their place for sure as they promote fishing and the outdoors, but conservation needs to factor.   

[BP Swing]

All tournaments should be catch and release. Period. Yes ice fisherman do not seem to be as conservation minded as open water anglers. I noticed that too.

[BSmaster]

I agree with Justin but back to my earlier comments about balance.  I am not sure if this tourny will make a negative impact or not.  We cited Conesus as a prime example of what happens when the big gals are removed but I do not believe that was from a tourny.  Just normal fishing in a lake central to just about everywhere.  Look at Conesus Cam sometime in the winter on a not so cold and windy day and look at all the shantys.  It sees a lot of pressure without a tourny.  Fortunately Pike are resilient and can eventually rebound.  But not in a year, so how is the fishery?  That I don't know.  I like to eat a few now and then so the 2 footers are nice but sport fishing for these smaller pike when you know you should have bigger ones will be annoying to guys who travel for good fishing.  So while tournies promote fishing and give some boost to the economy so does the thrill of catching quality fish which can bring in tourist dollars too.  exagerated ex.  What would the loss of steelhead do to Pulaski?  People travel for Pike too albeit not as much as other sport fish.  I think it is good that we are thinking about it but I really do not know what the overall outcome will be.  I will say that if you remove a trophy fish from the ecosystem and it doesn't go on the wall or in somebodies belly, than that is pretty shhh it eeee.... 

 

Joe

[panfisher]

There is still a lot of "old school" mindset......often with an ignorance based root....in peoples minds out  there. The perception that muskies are a "superior" fish than pike. For some, anything that looks like a pike (esocidae) needs to be extirpated at every chance. "Because they'll ruin the walleyes or the trout" is often expressed. Or sharks or wolves. Because they're all monsters and will eat you and ruin everything. What follows is the poor handling of said species because of lack of respect and disregard for its existence. Heck, even really good to eat is hugely better for some fish. We'd like to keep 'em around because they're tasty. And then we over fish and mismanage the resource because of the cash.....This turns into a real lack of foresight...that it all is important. All the different fish and whatever need to be seen as players in a rich and very fruitful balance. We can best enjoy these fruits, prize winning competitions included, when just some plain old all around respect is applied. Then these issues of handling for the affair will become easier to develop (changed as needed) and employ. Long term fun for all the players.    

[Frogger]

Joe, Justin, Im completely in agreement, bad mojo if these fish are found in a dumpster.  That completely makes us look stupid........ Were better than that I hope.

[tmag]

I don't really understand where you're reasoning that they don't survive if caught thru the ice. They are cold blooded and if to cold there bodies actually shut down. Worn that being said, I have caught numerous large pike thru the ice and actually made a "livewell" to keep them alive. I have also brought them home in a bucket 5 hours after catching them and lasting in the ice and they start slapping around once even decided to throw one in my bathtub worth some water. Seemed to live just fine until I fileted him.

I think a photo with the pike accompanying a tape measure and scale with the person's tournament number and face would be enough.

I think iceshanty.com uses this process for a online tournament.

Sent from my thinking chair...

 

When the air temperature is below freezing, it can freeze the delicate tissues in the gills of fish. They may swim off but will later die because their mechanism for breathing has been damaged. 

[old man]

All tournaments should be catch and release. Period. Yes ice fisherman do not seem to be as conservation minded as open water anglers. I noticed that too.

i think there are some people who don't have boats who can only access these fish through the ice. We are in another extended ice fishing season which will result in less fish during the open water season. About ten years ago i was invited to a valentine's day party at a cottage on conesus. When we got there the hosts had a dozen tip ups set up and each hole was numbered. Inside was a board where you put money in a jar and bet on a hole for the biggest fish. About ten pike died that day so some pinheads could have some "fun". Disgusting.

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[FishingSkrip27]

I was on conesus this weekend and watched and have video of the 1st and 2nd place fish getting catch then brought to weigh in. It's a shame that pike have to die in a tournament. But unfortunately it's probably the only real way to prove someone wins that tourney. Since honest is hard to come by in this day in age. And only 1 Tiger was caught in a 2 day tourney....which suck, But it all boils down to catch and release.  If all fisherman practices catch and release through out the year, then Tournaments could afford to kill a few fish. Personally i would throw back any pike i ever catch, except on a rare occasion when i'm hungry for some fresh fish and the perch aren't biting. The DEC needs to step in and put a slot limit on northerns or just have a 5 to 10 year ban on keeping northerns.  I loved fishing for northerns in Irondequoit bay as a kid. Would easily catch 5 to 10 fish a day. Now.....maybe 1 or 2 a season. Don't even bother putting the boat in the water if you are looking for Northerns in Irondequoit bay, just my opinion. Good luck fishing to everyone

[old man]

I was on conesus this weekend and watched and have video of the 1st and 2nd place fish getting catch then brought to weigh in. It's a shame that pike have to die in a tournament. But unfortunately it's probably the only real way to prove someone wins that tourney. Since honest is hard to come by in this day in age. And only 1 Tiger was caught in a 2 day tourney....which suck, But it all boils down to catch and release. If all fisherman practices catch and release through out the year, then Tournaments could afford to kill a few fish. Personally i would throw back any pike i ever catch, except on a rare occasion when i'm hungry for some fresh fish and the perch aren't biting. The DEC needs to step in and put a slot limit on northerns or just have a 5 to 10 year ban on keeping northerns. I loved fishing for northerns in Irondequoit bay as a kid. Would easily catch 5 to 10 fish a day. Now.....maybe 1 or 2 a season. Don't even bother putting the boat in the water if you are looking for Northerns in Irondequoit bay, just my opinion. Good luck fishing to everyone

well said.i know the conesus tournament raised some nice money for a great cause but i still think a photo on a bump board would be good enough.let the winner be inches instead of pounds.

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[Xxx]

I just watched the newest InFisherman show and AL Linder made an interesting comment on this particular show as it was in Canada and they were catching Northerns and they don't use a landing net, he claims that as nasty and mean as they look and fight they are very fragile to handle, and they only gill lifted the fish and removed the hooks and put them back in the water asap, and held their tail till the fish swam off. This was in the spring just after ice out, matter of fact they were in a shallow water bay as the lake water was to cold yet. I have caught many pike on my trips to Canada and never knew that these fish were so delicate. Just to say we all need to learn to be a little more careful with our actions. Like a State cop once told me "ignorance is no excuse for the law young man"

[John Kelley]

I don't really have a dog in this fight, since I am from South Dakota, and therefore my opinion probably does not matter too much, but I have been wondering about the whole pike management thing for years now.  I grew up in Central Minnesota, where we had so many pike it  would make your head spin!  Every lake was absolutely full of them, from hammer handles to about 6 pounds, with the occasional 10-12 pounders.  At the turn of the 20th century, it seems, my prior statesmen had gone on a pike trophy spree, catching and kiling any and all monster pike in our 10,000 plus lakes, and wiped out most of the trophy fish, allowing the smaller pike to over-reproduce and stunt themselves.  You see, not only are large pike great spawners, they also keep a check on the overall pike population, by feeding on the smaller pike.  I did my research on pike behavior over the years, including some very good conversations with some of my British angling friends, where they have treated pike like we treat muskies, since the early 60's.  They have these smaller, shallower lakes over there, which constantly produce monster pike over the 25 pound mark.  I asked my fishing buddy, and research scientist, Iain Murray, what their secret was to producing such numbers of trophy pike, and he told me it was quite simple, really, "don't keep any pike over 9 pounds".  He said they had figured out that most 9 pound pike were females, and that they were at that crucial crossroads in size, where they were switching over to a larger sized prey fish, in the 1-2 pound range, and were ready to make that jump up into the larger framed "top of the food chain predator".  I have often wondered why we can't treat the Northern Pike the same way we treat the Muskellunge, which is just the Northern Pike's larger cousin.  Like I said, I was born and raised in Minnesota, where we had the second largest pike ever caught and registered in American waters, @ 45 pounds and change.  Second only to your Great Sacandaga record Pike of over 46 pounds!!  Makes me kind of sad to see the state with the largest recorded American pike, and I still say the largest recorded musky (Art Lawton's 69 pound 15 ouncer), whatever the IGFA says, to treat Pike in this "catch and kill" method in tournaments.  The state I live in now treats them much worse, I must say.  When I go ice fishing out here on the prairie, I constantly see 10-15 pound pike thrown out on the ice as "trash fish", and it makes me mad.  South Dakota has a very small population of people(around 800,000), so most of the lakes have some really nice fish in them, but these people seem to only want Walleyes, Perch, and Crappies, and anything that eats them are considered garbage fish.  I try to do my part and release large pike whenever I can these days.  I released a nice 40 incher earlier this winter.  I just hope she does not get caught by another Sodak, and clubbed and left for the ravens.  Anyways, I really love your New York fisheries, and wish you guys the best with instituting C & R tournaments.  Sorry for my long-winded rant.