Pompton River weekend report: Pike, plus some blood for good measure

[Skunk City]

Been trying some different spots in hopes of finding a big boy, so I got out in the kayak for a few hours friday night, saturday early morning, and sunday late afternoon. Ended up with 3 Pike each day, with a few Smallies and Largemouth mixed in. No monsters, but mostly average fish (low 20's) with a few healthy looking smaller guys hitting my big lures. Fish were taking crankbaits in the middle of the day and topwater in the morning and sunset. The pictured smallmouth CRUSHED a spook off a weed bed and won Best Fight for the weekend :p .


http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h252/QuikSilverSRT4/GOPR0245.jpg
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h252/QuikSilverSRT4/GOPR0252.jpg
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h252/QuikSilverSRT4/GOPR0244.jpg
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h252/QuikSilverSRT4/GOPR0253.jpg
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h252/QuikSilverSRT4/GOPR0254.jpg

As for the blood part, as I landed the 2nd of my Pike saturday morning, homeboy wasnt too happy and threw a tantrum in the boat. I looked down and had some new jewelry in my hand. Having a pissed Pike on one treble and your hand on the other was fun to say the least :cool: . Got the Pike off, then had a buddy help remove it using the good old fishing line removal technique. 20lb test snapped the first time (ouch), but 65lb braid got the job done and hook out. I suggest becoming familiar with it, because you WILL need it at one point if you are as avid a fisherman as I am! Cleaned, bandaged up, and back on the water to do more damage. Enjoy.
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h252/QuikSilverSRT4/IMG_20120714_075406.jpg
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h252/QuikSilverSRT4/IMG_20120714_075736.jpg

[basspilot]

Ouch! I've seen that method removing the hook but looks like you got yours burried pretty deep. Nice fish though.

[antgogz]

nice work man....always wanted to fish the pompton. glad to see you hooked pike there. healthy looking ones as well.

[FASTEDDIE29]

Awesome Report! Nice Fish!! Way To Save Your Finger And Keep Fishing!!! Wow!!!

[NorthJerzyG]

Weres the after pic, lol. That had to hurt but can't stop while theyre hittin!!!

[msgdan]

Very nice catching, Skunk !!!!! That right there is the reason I NEVER use a lure with a treble hook on it in a kayak for pike, bluefish or pretty much anything that could and usually does go crazy when trying to release it, especially that most of the times I am alone.

Way to get it taken care of and heading back out!!

Great job!

Danny V

[lunkertaker]

Nice post

Yeah it happens, sooner or later, ya get pierced, if ya want it or not:confused:

For me 4 times- 3 in the arm and once in the lip- all with the barb beneath the skin and once coming out again( that's in and out again in the lower forearm) with a 10 lb raging bluefish attached:eek: :eek: OUCH

3 out of 4 times to the hospital, with the bluefish was able to cut the hook just below the barb...thank God for a set of strong plyers that could cut metal hooks

[SkillfulAngler908]

Ouch man, that happened to me once when I was a kid. I came home on my bike with a treble buried in my thumb and my old man numbed it with ice and yanked it out lol. Nice fish though. I have only been up the pompton twice, around feb or march and I didnt have much luck. It looks great though, I def want to get out and explore it during the warm weather.

[Red]

20lb test snapped the first timeThat hook was deep, you got balls man to go at it a second time...:eek: ;)

I did the same thing, not as deep and my buddy was dying at the chance to pull that hook out, (evil bastard)...:D

Went to the ER and did it the sissiy way...

[iceehot6766]

Ouch!!.....That sucks....good thing you didn't go into shock while out on the water......BTW, Nice fish!!

[buzzbaiter]

Ouch thats why I a) generally use single hook lures(buzzbaits,senkos, spinnerbaits and b) pinch the barb(s) down if I remember to. I may lose more fish than usual but I like fighting them, not handling them so if they fall off/self release, less wear/tear on my fingers and hands.

This is also a reminder to ALWAYS wear glasses - sun or otherwise - just imagine that hook in your eyeball. Its not that uncommon and mostly preventable.

You kayak fellas have big cajones holding those fish just above your lap like that. You have seen their teeth right? Little too close for comfort for me.

[Michael82929]

Brought me back to the days night fishing the watershed many moons ago

Fished canasteer back in the late 90's - water was down like 20 and it was like fishing in a soup bowl

Endless action - me an my buddy could leap frog one another fast enough

I walking around him while he has a fish on to get on fresh water to have a smallie released and get whacked in the chin with two trebles burying into my chin.

Fished the next hour with a jitterbug hanging off my chin. made me think if these critters feel the same pain.. lol.. anyway.. ended up driving back home / waking up pops - pulling it out with the same technique only to hop back into the car and head back up and slam more fishing into the wee hrs of the AM

I have been stuck 3 / 4 times in my day.. worst spot to get it in the finger where the nail meets your skin.. i felt that one for a while...

[msgdan]

Just another quick heads up with pike.......I have been pretty lucky so far as far as hooks in my body, but twice in the past few years I have had some MAJOR infections from pike teeth.

The first time it happened, I was struck in the forearm with an open mouth of a good sized pike in the kayak, and about 2 hours later, my whole arm, from the elbow down to and including my hand swelled up to the size of a football.

The next time, a couple years later, I was taking a hook out of a pike and my hand was cut with a few teeth, and the same thing.....my whole arm and hand was swollen within the hour.

The mouth and teeth of a pike hold tons of bacteria which will cause major infections. Luckily, my wife always has some antibiotics around the house and after a few hours after taking them, all was back to normal.

You have to love when the fish bites back !!

Danny V

[Skunk City]

Just another quick heads up with pike.......I have been pretty lucky so far as far as hooks in my body, but twice in the past few years I have had some MAJOR infections from pike teeth.

The first time it happened, I was struck in the forearm with an open mouth of a good sized pike in the kayak, and about 2 hours later, my whole arm, from the elbow down to and including my hand swelled up to the size of a football.

The next time, a couple years later, I was taking a hook out of a pike and my hand was cut with a few teeth, and the same thing.....my whole arm and hand was swollen within the hour.

The mouth and teeth of a pike hold tons of bacteria which will cause major infections. Luckily, my wife always has some antibiotics around the house and after a few hours after taking them, all was back to normal.

You have to love when the fish bites back !!

Danny V

Dan, do all Esox produce that bacteria?

[msgdan]

Skunk......I just looked it up on line and it looks like...YES, pike, pickerel and musky, all have a certain bacteria in their mouth that can cause nasty infections. But there were many more instances with pike, for some reason.

I think that I happen to get more infections than most (or it seems that way), but it's just something to think about when handling and releasing pike.

Danny V

[tycomps]

Dan, what did you take and for how long?