First Passaic River Pike!!

[NJD Bassman]

Been reading all the posts about Pike in the Passaic so decided to try it out. Fished in the Columbia tpk area. Had three misses and then was rewarded with this guy :D . 8-9 lbs, 31-32inches. Sorry pic does not do it justice.

[NJD Bassman]

Forgot to say: the fish was released unharmed :)

[tycomps]

congrats, I was just saying the guys down river must have steroids in their water cause all I get is twenty somethings in our area, fine fish!

[NorthJerzyG]

Nice One!

[FASTEDDIE29]

Good job dude. Pike are awesome.

[ChaosStarter]

Nice fish. but she ain't no 8-9lbs. :p

[NJD Bassman]

Yea it was. You can see the very end of the grip holder. its also a pull down scale. i know its not exact but it was between 8-9. Wish i had my camera n not just my cell phone to take the pic.

[buzzbaiter]

Forgot to say: the fish was released unharmed :)


Everybody releases them and ALL of them have been harmed in some way. In fact many are harmed quite a bit. Lets not fool ourselves ;)

[surfrod]

Everybody releases them and ALL of them have been harmed in some way. In fact many are harmed quite a bit. Lets not fool ourselves ;)

true, with C&R no doubt the mortality is increased.

however, if you keep the fish, mortality is 100% :cool:

[tycomps]

that's an interesting point. obviously the experience of being hooked, fought, landed, and released is traumatic to the fish. I usually don't even take a pic because I want to return the fish to the water asap and I've never seen any pike dead on my return trips to places where I have caught them (has anyone encountered any?). another post I have regarding fish memory also seems to show that fish will bite again sometimes immediately. I've read that you should not play a fish for long particularly in the warmer weather as the act of fighting increases an enzyme in the fish that could prove to be harmful. though I've yet to see an immediate effect of catch and release, it would be interesting to see if there's any info regarding mortality or reproduction (outside of catching them during reproduction). some info:

http://www.wildtroutstreams.com/CatchRelease/catch_and_release_review_and_guidelines.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch_and_release

Catch-and-Release Guidelines

Most catch-and-release research to date has focused on examining species-specific responses to potential factors which affect mortality. However, due to the large number of studies that have been completed to date, a number of general trends are emerging. Thus, while caution should be used when applying species-specific findings to other species, the following recommendations are, given the available knowledge base, general guidelines to be used to reduce catch-and-release mortality for most species.

Angling Techniques

• Circle hooks should be used as they will minimize the chance of deep hooking.
• Barbless hooks are recommended as they are easier to remove and therefore reduce handling time.
• The use of live/organic bait should be discouraged as it increases the likelihood of deephooking.
• The use of artificial lures should be encouraged.
• Fishing lines must not be left unattended as unattended lines have a greater chance of deeply hooking a fish.
• Fishing line used should be appropriate to the species of fish being sought. This will prevent line breaking and reduce playing time.
• Avoid angling during extreme water temperatures, both hot and cold, if you plan on releasing your catch.

Landing a Fish

• Angled fish should be retrieved as quickly as possible to prevent fish exhaustion.
• Fish should be landed by hand where possible.
• Where a landing net is required, it should be knotless and preferably made of soft rubber.
• When landing extremely large fish (e.g. muskellunge), the use of landing cradle should be considered.

Handling and Photographing a Fish

• Keep fish in the water as much as possible to minimize air exposure.
• Never place your fingers through gills or in the eyes.
• Don’t hold heavy fish by the jaw as this may damage the jaw and vertebrae.
• Hold large fish horizontally and support its body to avoid damage to the internal organs.
• Use wet hands or wet cloth gloves to handle the fish.
• Have camera ready prior to landing fish to minimize air exposure.
• If possible, photograph the fish while in water.

Unhooking a Fish

• Have longnose pliers available to back the hook out.
• Remove the hook quickly, keeping the fish underwater.
• If the fish is deeply hooked, cut the line and release the fish as quickly as possible.
• Avoid using stainless steel hooks as they take longer to corrode if left in the fish.

Depressurization

• Avoid fishing deeper (5-6 m) waters if you intend to release your catch.
• Consider depth of capture when deciding on whether or not to release a fish.
• Release the fish quickly after it is landed.
• Avoid artificial swim bladder deflation (“fizzing”).

Revival

• If there is current, hold the fish upright, facing into the current.
• If there isn’t any current, gently move fish back and forth in the water until gill movements return to normal and it is able to maintain its balance.
• When the fish begins to struggle, let it swim away.

[Bassload]

Everybody releases them and ALL of them have been harmed in some way. In fact many are harmed quite a bit. Lets not fool ourselves ;)


Buzzbaiter you should rename yourself "BuzzKill" Congrats on your first pike NJD.

[buzzbaiter]

Not trying to be an debbie downer, I was simply pointing out that no fish is released unharmed and you cannot deny Pike get handled fairly roughly by those who catch them. I've seen way too many pics here of Pike bleeding profusely(not just the mouth but from the gills) or covered in mud, sand or leaves from being dragged/dropped on the ground. Those of us who have come to love this fishery the state has created want to keep it that way. Impossible? Maybe so but if you take some measures like single hook lures or even barbless, limit the picture taking to truly big fish(36"+) and don't drag/drop them on the ground or grab them with dry gloves or hands, we can spare a few unnecessary deaths of these river monsters. Anyhow sorry if I seem a tad critical just don't want to see this fishery decline to where one pike per trip becomes a good day.

[Red]

Excellent post Buzzbait...

[beezer]

A big pike isn't the easiest thing to handle especially out of a kayak.

I'm thinking about getting a net with rubber mesh.

I only use single hooks. Treble hooks can be a nightmare.

I hate killing fish!

[buzzbaiter]

One time painfully removing a single barbed fly from my index finger was all the motivation I needed to pinch every hook down. Losing fish sucks period - and I've lost plenty big bass, trout and pike because of it - but its safer not only for the fish but you as well. I also always wear sunglasses. I've had so many fish shake lose and send the lure right back at me and hit my glasses instead of my eyes.

As for Kayak, that's one reason I don't use one: when the fish you catch is nearly half the length of the kayak, what can u do? Its going to be a rough release. Plus I'm not a good swimmer:p

The bass lip grab is another pet peeve of mine. Its fairly safe IF you do it the right way which is hold the fish vertical NOT horizontal. Horizontal puts all the pressure on the lower jaw. That crunching noise you feel when doing this is tendons/cartilage snapping. A bass with a broken jaw is essentially a dead bass.

[saxmatt]

Good posts buzzbaiter. Even though it's the middle of the summer I'll add that I've seen many pike being mishandled on the ice. If it's below freezing the gills and eyes of any fish can freeze very quickly. Also if there isn't any snow the bare ice can scrape up the fish pretty bad. If you are planning on releasing fish through the ice do what you can to prevent the fish from flopping around and keep the eyes and gills wet by continuously dunking the fish during the unhooking process and photo shoot. I use a boga to help control the fish while unhooking and photographing, just make sure you have a hand under the belly to help support the weight of the fish.

[saxmatt]

and wtg on your first Passaic pike Bassman!

[Skunk City]

Congrats man! The first one is always the hardest. Now go out there and hook into a 40" :p .

[buzzbaiter]

I also pass on my congrats. I got my first one - about 15" - a few months back and its become an addiction. 10 trips and about 125-130 pike later I'm ready for an intervention:D

[tycomps]

good point about the bass lip buzz, there's an excellent example of that scenario that I immediately noticed contained within another post here that hadn't been pointed out. unfortunately I even see the pros do it, it may be an attempt to make the fish more photogenic by opening the mouth to extremes.

[bowzonly]

tycomps, great info on handling fish thanks for posting that. I am also a hunter and have no guilt about killing things that I intend to eat (and even the OCCASIONAL fish) but I feel like crap if I think I harmed a fish that I have no intention of keeping.