Spruce Pikes! 3/20/21

[FASTEDDIE29]

Got the boat out for a shakedown run yesterday. I didn’t really know where I wanted to go so I made the last minute decision to hit SR. Lots of boats, yaks and paddle boards people out on the Res. yesterday. I mean yes it was a nice day but the surface water temp was only 41 degrees when I launched at 11 am. Sure would suck to fall into that ice water. Anyway, I headed toward the back and fished 5-10 feet of water. The Sporting Life Shiners under slip bobbers was the bait of choice. Not much happened til about 1 in the afternoon. My float flies down and it’s not a Crappie or Bass of any sort. It’s a Pike. Yesss, I likes the Pikes but my leader is subpar. I was using 8 lb. fluoro leader, OH MY! Got the first fish in somehow. Cute 30 incher had the rod bent all over the place and the baby Stradic was screaming for mercy. Quick CPR and back to shallows it goes. Next rod goes off while I’m baiting my rod. It’s another Pike! I get this one next to the boat and it’s a hair bigger, 32ish inches. This one doesn’t play nice at all. She sees the net, gives me the finger and snaps my line. Ok, ok, leader change time. Switched everything over to Pike leader and set up shop. It’s about 1:45 now and I get one more bite, another Pike a little smaller then the first one I landed. Fun fight and full of piss and vinegar! They don’t like being ripped off there spawning grounds. That’s for sure! CPR’d the little guy and that would be it for the day. Stuck it out til 5 and got zero bites in 3 hours. I can’t complain as the water is still super cold and it’s only March. I’ll take it! TIGHT LINEZ!!