Got out for some late ice pike fishing this weekend with a couple of buddies. We set out 6 tip ups ranging from 6 - 18ft. Two live suckers, and four dead baits - two sumo herring from Nipissing and two regular sized herring. 8 hours in we still hadn't had a flag and it was starting to look like one of those days. The area doesn't produce many fish but it does have some monsters. At about 5:20pm I glanced over at the furthest (6ft) tip up for the millionth time and I had to blink twice. FLAAAG!! Ran over and saw the T spinning. When I set the hook, it felt heavy but it came to the hole relatively easy, I said to my buddy "I don't think it's that big". Well, I think it must of heard me because it ripped off all of the line I had pulled in and then some. It took some doing to get it's head pointed up the hole but it worked out well because my other buddy was ready to take a wicked pic.
My buddy wanted a pic of her tail in the hole when I was releasing her but she wanted none of it.
One more fish from the same hole about 20 minutes later - again on a regular sized herring, and that was it.
Tried again on Sunday for the last day of the season but I should have known I'd used up all my luck already lol..