Nj Northern pike

[Esox Luciano]

Esox fishing in NJ is good. But can get very poor, very quick. But, if we take extra time, can easily educate ourselves for free about conservational fishing methods and improve our fisheries in the process.
Not too costly or complicated to get the proper gear for pike. Being a novice to fishing would be the only excuse not to be prepared. So after physically watching guys get lures lost & line shredded on Sunday, seeing a 27"er laying dead upon my arrival yesterday, and pulling out some hooks with cheap fluoro attached from 2 out of 3 pike landed yesterday morning, I have to say...improvement is definitely needed!
We all know BS happens some times, it sucks, and we try to change for next time. But if you could prepare for the BS before it happens, then why not. As members have said in previous threads, we need to practice proper handling for these, and all fish we don't keep. Ignoring the information soo easily accessible to all of us is just irresponsible.
Amongst other knowledge shared, Buzzbaiter's end quote to all his posts is plastered in my brain and thought of BEFORE EVERY CAST..."Think about how to release a fish before catching one". I'll prepare 5-10min before my 1st cast everything I'll need: 2 pairs of long needle nose pliers, 2 jawspreaders, net if needed, camera settings and even a makeshift tripod for it, etc.
Know what you & your gear, can & can't do. If it doesn't work, make it work, or leave it home. (I.e.), most anglers wouldn't bother using my pole because I have to tape it so the top half of the pole doesn't separate from the bottom half. Now I trust it. I've had a great reel that's older than me go because of one little piece I can't fix, so I leave it home. Replaced it with a trustworthy reel.
We're constantly "scouting" for more fish in NJ. Scouts' motto...Be Prepared, gear up!


This dead pike measured 27" and also had fluoro hanging out its throat. Curious what it had been eating, I opened its belly and pulled out only a lure. A Mikado Fishunter soft plastic shad with weighted hook. I don't use these.
Save a fish, read these threads:
http://www.njfishing.com/forums/show...ndling+muskies

http://www.njfishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74079

[Suntzu]

Amen Amen Amen 😄👍

[justin1982]

It's a shame that anyone would put a hook in that river without the proper tackle to prevent a bite off... My first time pike fishing I had no idea what I was doing and caught nothing but I had a steel leader on 20 lb braid just in case. I then educated myself on pike. The Internet is a big place with lots of info...I wish people would take the time to prepare and learn how to RELEASE the fish, not just catch them. Just yesterday I saw someone catch something smallish down river, drag it up the bank, unhook it and launch it back into the water. This is not a proper way to treat any fish. Maybe it's just my personality but when I do something, I want to do it right. Like you said BS happens but being unprepared and uneducated about it, is just wrong. Sorry about the rant! Tight lines all.

[buzzbaiter]

Personal choice but I rarely use any lure for pike/bass/pickerel that isn't a single hook whether it be senko, horny toad, jig, buzzbait or spinnerbait. If I choose a spinner, I pinch the barbs down; if I use a surface popper , I not only pinch the barb down, I remove the mid-lure treble leaving only the end treble. I NEVER use a 9 hook lure as thats really overkill. You will lose more fish but think about the ones you get and release relatively unharmed. It feels good don't it?

One piece of advice for the bank guys: don't ever cast where if u hook a fish, u can't get it out easily. This means not standing on a high bank where no way you can lift a fish up without breaking the line or pole. This means not throwing over branches or logs where if u hook up, that fish will bury itself in those branches or dive under a log. I learned the hard way not to do this stuff and a few times risked my own well being slding down banks into the water where i have no idea how deep it is. Kind of stupid but pike will do that to you.

[Chrisper4694]

def need to be well prepared, especially from the bank. idk how you guys do it, it's so much easier from a boat. i def second the single hook. i actually tried a regular treble lure for pike recently and it was a near disaster. i'd say at least only fish the big plug lures with a single treble hook or better yet a single hook replaced. for your safety too! they do rolls in the net if you're not quick to unhook them! they'll bury a hook in your finger real quick.

[UglyStick]

Originally Posted by Esox Luciano

Save a fish, read these threads:[/B]http://www.njfishing.com/forums/show...ndling+muskies

http://www.njfishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76805

This and all the other similar comments cannot be understated - thx for posting this

[buzzbaiter]

Originally Posted by Chrisper4694

def need to be well prepared, especially from the bank. idk how you guys do it, it's so much easier from a boat.

There are spots I can't get too but generally the whole river is within casting distance. I've learned to cast sideways and under branches effectively. Also despite its size, the river is much shallower than you think. Wading out into it - although a little nerve wracking in the cloudy(cloudy always seems deeper don't it?) water as you sink in at times - gets you into good casting areas as well as being able to criss-cross the river from high bank side to low bank sides. Its quite workout in waders so def need to be in shape. I would say that other than the deeper outside bends in the river and where it gets "pinched", you can cross at almost any other spot if your brave. Although even the seemingly easiest crossings are full of twigs and branches waiting to trip you up.

[JDTuna]

Small lures should be discouraged as well. I use large lures and have only had one fish out of countless numbers get hooked deeply (and it swam away). Pike typically grasp their prey, then turn it to swallow it. Using large lures prevents the fish from swallowing the lure. While they don't inhale baits like bass, using a small lure (like you saw, Esox) could allow a moderate to large fish to easily swallow the bait.

I wear waders so when I hook a fish I can step into the water to facilitate the release, even if the bank is relatively high. When the fish is ready to be landed, I wet my hand and grasp the fish directly behind the head. I never put my fingers in the gills. Then, it is quickly unhooked, I snap a quick picture and back in the water it goes (revived if needed). This process is usually about a minute or less. If the fish is a small individual, I prefer to leave it in the water and just remove the hook without taking the fish out of the water if it is not necessary. I avoid touching all small fish to prevent slime loss.

[zhitoman]

You shouldn't be fishing for pike in a summer at all, and forget treble hooks.

[JDTuna]

Originally Posted by zhitoman

You shouldn't be fishing for pike in a summer at all

What basis do you have for this statement? Granted, warmer water temps can be tougher on fish, but northern pike are very hardy. Two postrelease survival studies found 0% mortality for fish caught on recreational gear. One of the studies also found that pike recover very quickly from being caught.