Day 2 of the Esox Hatrick: Persistence=Pike

[catfishonthelake]

I thought the pickerel and pike were supposed to be EASY. It took me 2 1/2 hours to catch a pickerel yesterday, and once again, I had to work HARD. I got to the Passaic at 3pm and fished probably 2 miles of shoreline with black spinnerbaits, swim shads and big senkos. NOT EVEN A BITE for 3 and a half hours. At about 6:30, I made a pit stop back at my car to drink a half-gallon of water as I was completely dehydrated by then from hiking with a bag of gear on my back and hucking lures. I headed out again, prepared to fish until dark. After losing a swim shad to a tree, I tied on a Strike King shadilicious on a Gamikatsu weighted swimbait hook. I had a couple fish on it last time, and it has killer action in the water. After a few minutes, I hit a familiar spot that I always expect to catch fish, but hadn't. I finally got some love, and after hitting it twice, I pulled a pike in on the third cast. Small fish, but who cares. I figured I'd cut bait from there, go home and rest and get my gear ready for musky tomorrow. On the way back to the car, I landed another pike and a small bass. That figures. Not even a bite for 3 and a half hours then 3 fish in 10 minutes. Oh well, guess I earned it. By the way, I tried using 20lb. braid with a length of 20-lb. fluoro attached with a uni-to-uni and I loved it. I was able to immediately pull the fish out of the snags and hopefully I'll have to do that to a 40-incher one day. Musky tomorrow!!!!