Keeping big pike

[Brian Renville]

I love pike fishing and the bigger the better, I might keep a few every year and it's usually a foul hooked one and it seems like the ones over 10# aren't the ones who do that. If anything my biggest complaint is the same no matter what kind of fish we are talking about, how in the hell do people eat so many damn fish? I'm sure some households will eat a limit or more of walleye a week but I'm fairly certain it's not that many. As long as folks are getting use out of them that's fine but it's obvious that some folks are either fishing for the whole neighborhood or they are throwing them in the freezer to probably be tossed in the garbage a year down the road. As for Sak there has been record pike population in recent years and the walleye fishing can't get any better. There is zero reason to believe that less pike is going to make things better for walleyes, it's as good as it gets now, smacking them in the head and tossing them back because they might cut a few of your poor crawler harnesses is beyond pathetic. If you need to grab a live fish by the eyes it's time to either stop being a sissy or quit and go bowling.

 

[NDSportsman]

IMO as long as people aren't wasting them and are keeping them to eat I could care less. Big pike are great pickled or canned.

 

[Kentucky Windage]

I have my own code that I follow within the rules of law. Certain fish are kept at certain sizes for particular types of table fare. This parallels what LBrandt said up above.

 

[MSA]

Mortality rates on pike are nowhere near any sort of level to even think about a slot or a lower limit. They just raised the limit from 3 to 5, and opened spearing to all lakes because there's so many of them. 12 to 18lb pike are not uncommon, and 95% of anglers don't keep or fish for them. Personally I love eating bigger pike, I fish for them alot but don't usually keep any unless the cleaning stations are open. Hate cleaning them at home. When I do keep pike (maybe 2-3 times per year) I prefer the 30-38" range for eating, which has never been difficult to catch a limit of. I'm more worried about low water and drought instead of people legally keeping fish.

 

[Sum1]

If it’s legal there isn’t anything anyone can do or say about it. Ill admit I puke in my mouth a little every time I see someone keeping giant fish but it’s legal and really none of my business. I have kept a big fish or two in the past so who am I to say anything I guess. Bad fish handling pisses me off. Also a lot of the guys begging for slots have no problem come tourney time stacking the livewell full. Again I have fished tourneys and would do the same thing. Lol. One thing that does piss me off is no cull in tournaments in ND, especially bass tourneys. Absolutely rediculous!!

 

[wslayer]

Improper handling is a pet peeve also. Saw a few dickheads at an area lake a few years ago catching 5" perch. They were pissed and bitching about the small ones and throwing them up and over their heads, some bouncing off the rocks. When I got close enough I said " if you don't like catching the small ones , why don't you just move".
Was told to mind my own f*#king business. Wish I could have made out the # on their boat.

 

[You]

Big Fish = More Meat

So long as they're within the law I could care less what people keep for size and/or species. I also don't care how they handle the fish they've taken possession of as part of their limit.

It blows my mind when these threads come up. ;:;banghead

 

[Kurtr]

Haha just read this same thing on ice fishing North Dakota there are some dumb mf on there what a train wreck

 

[tikkalover]

MMM pickled pike!! I have posted this before but thought this topic was the appropriate place to post it again.

Filet any size northern, as normal (you do not need to remove the Y bones). I however remove the lateral line and ALL THE RED MEAT from the skin side of the filet. Do not freeze.

This recipe is for 1 quart of fresh northern, so you will need to take it times however many quarts of fish you have. I usually do 1 gallon at a time and I use an empty and cleaned 1 gallon glass dill pickle jar to brine my fish.

Cut fish into 3/4" by 2" pieces, place fish into a crock or class jar with 5/8 cup pickling salt and 1 cup white vinegar per quart of fish . Put into refrigerator for 6 full days ( I shake the jar twice a day). After 6 days, remove fish from brine and rinse with cold water until water runs clear. Then cover fish in cold water for 1 hour ( I add ice cubes). After 1 hour drain very well.

Slice 2 (or more) medium onions, per quart of fish.

Then mix the vinegar sugar solution as fallows. 1 cup white vinegar, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup Silver Satin wine. (Good luck finding Silver Satin wine anymore,;:;rofl the last time I used Tisdale white wine) and 1/4 cup pickling spice. (you can just put the pickling spice into the solution as is, but it will not taste the best when you chew into a piece of the spice when eating the fish, so I cut a piece of clean, thin, cotton dish towel, big enough to hold the 1/4 cup of spice and zip tie it shut), (4, for the gallon of fish that I am making) and add it to the solution. Heat solution until sugar is dissolved (do not bring to a boil) let this solution cool before adding to the fish. ,

In a quart jar, pack a layer of the brined fish, then a layer of onion, then a layer of fish, and so on, into the jar until the jar is full of fish and onion, (in the middle of the fish and onions, I put a "packet" of the pickling spice) then fill the jar with the cooled vinegar sugar solution until it is full.

After 48 hours in the fridge (or more) in the vinegar sugar solution, you can enjoy your pickled fish.

These jars of fish need to be kept in the refrigerator.

I know this is a lengthy process (and post) but if you want firm pickled fish, it is worth it.

To each their own. As long as you eat them and not chuck them in the garbage.

 

[Meelosh]

This is why I go fishing and purposely not catch anything so I don’t have to make and arbitrary moral decisions.




The internet makes it hard to enjoy the outdoors sometimes.

 

[LBrandt]

Last time I found Silver Satin wine was at Bottle Barn in Fargo. I asked a checkout person and the first thing he said was You must be pickling fish. That was two years ago.

 

[guywhofishes]

any white port will do

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^^^LBrandt

 

[raider]

i have a renewed interest in pike because of a couple buddies from work... we are heading up to last mountain in late may for a trophy pike trip, and i'm getting pretty geek'd up for it... will have to learn how to post pics if we get into the big girls... we're hoping for a few over 50" for the trip...

 

[MSA]

I say we ban fishing in North dakota, and allow it again in 20 years, by then every fish we catch will be trophy size.

This is literally one of the best pike fisheries in the world right now, but with our rollercoaster water and forage levels, all the morals, laws, and limits in the world won't make it any better or last any longer.

 

[Fracman]

Would thunderbird wine work

 

[risingsun]

Mother nature's cycles make it either good, average, or poor. Has been and always will be that way.

 

[Sluggo]

You know, the argument that "since it is legal it is OK" is not really a solid argument. Everything is legal until it isn't and there have been illegal things that are now legal. The law changes.

 

[NDbowman]

Everyone knows muskies are better for pickling anyway.

 

[Sum1]

I say we ban fishing in North dakota, and allow it again in 20 years, by then every fish we catch will be trophy size.

This is literally one of the best pike fisheries in the world right now, but with our rollercoaster water and forage levels, all the morals, laws, and limits in the world won't make it any better or last any longer.

I always forget this. It is absolutely true.

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You know, the argument that "since it is legal it is OK" is not really a solid argument. Everything is legal until it isn't and there have been illegal things that are now legal. The law changes.

Also true.

 

[Zogman]

From what I have heard Spearing Northern is becoming very popular. I don't believe there is any release involved with spearing.