Pike Have A Lot of Teeth in Their Face

[JohnF]

OK. So we all babble inanely about catching ever bigger and better pike, and I would be lying to date if I claimed to have caught one, although I've witnessed lotsa small ones (of the hammerhandle persuasion), but until last night I hadn't really realized how many big pointy teeth they had, and how insane a hooked pike was.

 

I was just having fun running buzzbaits and topwater thingies thru a pool known to hold the odd small pike, and getting swirls, flashes and burbles that ocasionally seemed bigger than hammerhandle but I assumed was an optical distortion of the water. I had just watched a nice new chartreuse buzzbait disappear like magic in a near-silent swirl when a voice behind me said something like "Ya gotta love topwater, huh?"

 

I could see my buddy Rob downstream wasting energy so I knew it wasn't him. I turned to the voice with some snappy rejoinder like "No crape, Sherlock" and realized the voice's body was wearing green and brown with badges and things and a flak vest. It's the first time I've ever seen CO out on the Thames. I told him I was pleased to see him checking up. He responded with "I don't hear that very often." He seemed to get a kick out of watching the swirls and bubbles - and hung around for quite a while chatting.

 

Anyway, back to my story. So for all you guys and gals who routinely catch decent-sized pike and flip out the hook and chuck 'em back in the water - are you by any chance catching elderly toothless denizens of the Canadian deeps? Cuz the 28 incher that I caught last night was a horrid wee critter with a huge snapping maw and a really bad attitude. OK. I can understand why he'd be pissed at me for filling his face with hooks, albeit smallish ones from a little bitty shallow running crankbait, but man, was he nasty. I hauled him up into shallow water and surveyed the situation from a safe distance. I mean I stood very well back cuz this dude was doing flips and cartwheels in like 3 inches of water. I tried reasoning with him from a distance but that`s when I realized he must be a her cuz she wasn`t even pretending to listen to me. And whenever I started to get my hand anywhere near her face she went berserk on me. I just knew she was contriving to impale me with at least one of my own hooks. I could see it in her beady little eyes. And those slavering jaws held more than a normal quotient of teeth. I'm sure she was supposed to be at least 5' long with that faceful of choppers.

 

So how do y'all go about unhooking these boys without suffering personal hookage? I finally got her unhooked and safely revived to the point where she flashed her butt at me and tore off for deeper water, but it was embarrassingly inept to say the least, and she's probably still giggling at the inane babbling that came out of me as I talked my way thru the operation.

 

Another question. Are those Lindy gloves any good. I bought one when I first got back into fishing but catching only toothless bass have never had occasion to use it so of course it was at home when I caught my second pike. Oh yeah. I forgot to tell you that a few minutes before this nasty specimen I caught my first ever pike (of this particular incarnation of me as fisherperson). It was a relatively domesticated little snotrocket that willingly (obviously of the male persuasion as he was much easier to reason with) surrendered his body to my tender ministrations (unhookage) and tore off gladly to tell Momma about the nice human on the riverbank. I guess the second pike wasn't his Mom given the nasty attitude and all.

 

So, to save me more embarrassment at the next Close Encounter of The Pikey Kind could y'all please fill me in on the proper care and handling of pike with attitude?

 

Thanks

JF

[Musky or Specks]

Jawspreaders and hemos. Works wonders.

[msp]

Ha Ha Ha, great read !!!!

It usually is the small ones that inflict the most damage.

I try not to hold the small ones by the gill plate, instead I just grab firmly on top of the head and hold on tight.

It helps to have all the right tools handy ( jaw spreaders & needle nose pliers )

With the big ones, slide your left hand ( trust me ) under the gill plate and grab the jaw bone tightly.

Once you are commited to grabbing the fish, dont have second thoughts.Support the fish with your right hand under the fish's belly. In one swift motion,lift it into the boat.

Remove the lure with the tools that you already have out, take picture and release.

No glove necessary. I find that nets are a pain in the ass. When they decide to roll in the net, it can get pretty messy. Good luck

 

 

 

 

http://www.ofncommunity.com/forums/index.p...ike+spring+2009.

[Greencoachdog]

http://www.cabelas.com/p-0030689119599a.shtml + http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/template...rset=ISO-8859-1 = no problems with toothy critters!!!

 

You can actually "lip" a good sized Pike with the Lindy Glove!!!

Edited August 12, 2009 by GCD

[richyb]

I had a small pike jump out of my hands at the side of the boat and cut my finger. Figured it was just a cut and maybe infected since it was still red and sore week later. A month later I got squeezing and out popped a pike tooth. Of the thousand or more pike that I have landed I have only netted maybe a dozen and hand bombed the rest with only the 1 decent wound.

[Garry2Rs]

Congratulations on your first Pike. The advise above is all good.

Personally, being tougher than nails and a personal friend of Chuck Norris, I just yell "Let go of that!" and they timidly spit the bait into my hand.

[splashhopper]

Jawspreaders and hemos. Works wonders.

 

I have those too... because the fear ( and the nine stitches in my hand) from being bitten by a "jackfish" out on the prairies as a youngster is forever imprinted in my mind.

 

I bought my "pike tools" at CT... cheap..

[oates]

I hooked my first pike a month ago or so. It was only about 4lbs (river fish - Grand), I found them to be unusual, they don't fight like bass (do any fish fight like bass?), in fact, I got him on a 4-6ft diving traditional looking gold rapala, the bite felt like a walleye, a few innitial tugs, then the give up and it swam towards me - once almost reeled in, it decided to rip out 6 feet of line in 1 second of movement, then it relaxed and let me bring it to shore (wading) - anyway, back to the teeth issue, this guy was young and still had his junior set of teeth, I waited (like you) to get him to relax, each time he played dead, I got close and he flipped and flopped, eventually, I waited 2 mins and then went in to get my fav. crankbait out of his stomach, as I put my finger in there, he jumped and cut me in four places. I'm with you - they are a vengful fish! For revenge, decided not to let him go and battered him with some lemon on the side.

Edited August 12, 2009 by oates

[JohnF]

In fact the bigger one had rolled in the line and got some hooks stuck in his gill plate as well as his yap so he had the lure pretty well laced to himself. I ended up using my trusty Gray sidecutters to cut the barb off one treble to get it out of his gill plate without hurting him any worse. I figgered the treble was a small price to pay to have him there the next time we wanted to play. I've already repacked my river bag with a different lure selection for the next pike safari. Now I'm long on spoons, buzzbaits and shallow crankbaits instead of the usual Rapala minnows and AC Shiners. Well, I actually still have the chartreuse AC Shiner in there as it was the one that got the smaller pike first.

 

I've now included the spreaders, the Lindy glove and a longer handled pair of pliers in the bag as well, plus extra leaders. Call me chicken or call me cautious, but there won't be anybody there at the river to laff at me but the pike and he's gonna be the only one with a hook in his body. Mebbe one day I'll grow some fisherman cojones and manhandle the toothy monsters like all the scarfingered guys on here do in their pics but for now discretion will remain the better part of valour.

 

And once I learn to deal with these guys I'll steel myself to handle stinky slimy icky catfish.

 

JF

Edited August 12, 2009 by JohnF

[GBW]

Personally, being tougher than nails and a personal friend of Chuck Norris, I just yell "Let go of that!" and they timidly spit the bait into my hand.

AHHHHH HAHAHAHAHAHA. Good one!

[Greencoachdog]

In fact the bigger one had rolled in the line and got some hooks stuck in his gill plate as well as his yap so he had the lure pretty well laced to himself. I ended up using my trusty Gray sidecutters to cut the barb off one treble to get it out of his gill plate without hurting him any worse. I figgered the treble was a small price to pay to have him there the next time we wanted to play. I've already repacked my river bag with a different lure selection for the next pike safari. Now I'm long on spoons, buzzbaits and shallow crankbaits instead of the usual Rapala minnows and AC Shiners. Well, I actually still have the chartreuse AC Shiner in there as it was the one that got the smaller pike first.

 

I've now included the spreaders, the Lindy glove and a longer handled pair of pliers in the bag as well, plus extra leaders. Call me chicken or call me cautious, but there won't be anybody there at the river to laff at me but the pike and he's gonna be the only one with a hook in his body. Mebbe one day I'll grow some fisherman cojones and manhandle the toothy monsters like all the scarfingered guys on here do in their pics but for now discretion will remain the better part of valour.

 

And once I learn to deal with these guys I'll steel myself to handle stinky slimy icky catfish.

 

JF

 

 

 

... would your nickname happen to be Nancy?

[JohnF]

... would your nickname happen to be Nancy?

 

How did you know?

 

JF

[holdfast]

 

Dollar store Gloves and the needlenose from a Mastercraft Pliers set for less than 10 dollars.

Gloves $ 1 at Dollarama

Needlenose $9.99 at CT with bonus wire cutters, lineman pliars, and adjustable that I use for my Boat tool Kit.

 

If not, Bare hands and a rag, but that will be one in every 10 Pike that is lightly hooked.

[Greencoachdog]

How did you know?

 

JF

 

 

... jus' a lucky guess.

[Joey]

when a voice behind me said something like "Ya gotta love topwater, huh?"

 

 

I thought you were gonna say it was the pike talking to you

 

I used to just grab them by the back the head and grab the pliers and get the hook out. After I grabbed that little snotrocket up at Lakair a few years back and it went ballistic and all three trebles lodged into my hand, whilst the snotrocket continued to go ballistic jamming the trebles in to the bone, I've been a tad shy of doing the same ever since. I just ask Paul to unhook them for me now. I will if I absolutely have to, but do it a bit more gingerely now. Its more like apply the pliers to the hook and shake without touching the fish. Once bitten twice shy I spose.

 

Great story John.

 

Joey

[JohnF]

I thought you were gonna say it was the pike talking to you

 

I used to just grab them by the back the head and grab the pliers and get the hook out. After I grabbed that little snotrocket up at Lakair a few years back and it went ballistic and all three trebles lodged into my hand, whilst the snotrocket continued to go ballistic jamming the trebles in to the bone, I've been a tad shy of doing the same ever since. I just ask Paul to unhook them for me now. I will if I absolutely have to, but do it a bit more gingerely now. Its more like apply the pliers to the hook and shake without touching the fish. Once bitten twice shy I spose.

 

Great story John.

 

Joey

 

I've been in the ocean shoulder to shoulder (literally) with sharks, stingrays and even a Green Moray once, and up close and personal with big muskies (St.Lawrence) and pike in our northern waters (scuba diving) but none of them had a face full of hooks they wanted to stick back into me.

 

Hooks seem to bring out the worst in pike. My buddy has caught a number of them while wading. He says they often run straight at you in the water. Once he got hooked in the leg by one he was playing. Yet we can wade in their pool all day long without so much as seeing one unless he rises to a Rapala.

 

JF

[Raf]

forego the glove(s) michael jackson. just grab the small ones over the top of the head, thumb and fingers just behind the gills.. firm grip but don't squeeze the life out of them. they'll usually settle down when you grab them light that. long nose pliers and mayhaps jaw spreaders are all you'll need.

[Headhunter]

I've found that a good knife, applied right between their eyes, slows them down a lot!

HH

[The Urban Fisherman]

Hey John! All great advice, grab the little guys behind the noggin, and the big ones under the gill plate if possible. Have some good long nose pliers and side cutters which you already have. Personally I net most of my pike and let them calm down a little in my net ( submersed ) before going in to remove the hooks, but I know dragging a net around on shore isn't ideal. Once you catch a few more you'll get the hang of it. Like anything it's practice....you'll learn how to read the fish and gain confidence in going it to remove the hooks.

 

Also, don't feel like you have to leave all your minnow style baits at home. One of my go-to pike and smallie lures on the Thames (downtown area) was a pink X-Rap, and pink Dollarama Lure. lol

 

Good luck and thanks for the read!

 

Cheers,

Ryan

[Ramble]

the fish up to about 34 inches are the worst for unhooking. Especially the snakes. They are always flapping around. Grabbing them behind the head is a good start. i dont use jaw spreaders myself, but they might be useful for you. The lindy glove does work. BUT it takes FOREVER to dry out and takes a lot of slime off the fish. NOW.. i wouldnt want to get ahook through the glove into my hand. The gray material n teh palm is the only material on it that is "cut proof". I had a 42" fish latch onto my hand 2 years back with the glove. The bottom of my hand was fine, but the top of my hand was a lovely series of pin holes, and skratches. I would go without the golve.

 

I find that the small pike especially kinda flair out their gills a bit when u grab then behind the head. Ypu can slide the hand up and your thumb and forfinger kind of, in behind the edge of the gill. That way the fish cant flap and slide down stiching the hooks into your hand.

 

Another piece of advice is limit the # of trebles on the lure. A #3 or #4 blue fox (orange and gold or silver and yellow) will catch u snotrockets allllll day long. And you can put a single hook on them. They u dont have to worry about the extra trebles flapping aroud.

 

-Dave

Edited August 12, 2009 by Ramble On

[SylvanOwner]

I'll echo the behind-the-head grab for smaller, under 30"ers, jaw spreaders, and pliers routine. Needle-nose are good but there is a trade-off here as well, long pliers = further from bait but less control than shorter pliers. The only other point I'd add is that if you pinch the barbs down then it makes it that much easier on both you and the "she-devils" you'll undoubtetly run in to....lol....this holds especially true if you do happen to end up with a hookpoint or 2 in your flesh Nancy!!

 

Keep the stories coming, always good for a giggle.

[Governator]

Call me a wimp but I'm always cautious. I just use a lip grabber and pull them up horizontally with my other hand supporting the belly. Often use my lindys glove if I feel I need it.

[JohnF]

I'll echo the behind-the-head grab for smaller, under 30"ers, jaw spreaders, and pliers routine. Needle-nose are good but there is a trade-off here as well, long pliers = further from bait but less control than shorter pliers. The only other point I'd add is that if you pinch the barbs down then it makes it that much easier on both you and the "she-devils" you'll undoubtetly run in to....lol....this holds especially true if you do happen to end up with a hookpoint or 2 in your flesh Nancy!!

 

Keep the stories coming, always good for a giggle.

 

I did the behind the head thang with the hammerhandle but the one I (very quickly) measured at 28" was very thick in the shoulders and squirmy as all get out. There's no way I could have hung onto him with one hand. Of course I have such dainty delicate hands.

 

Nancy

[Tybo]

I have caught alot of pike.

I still catch alot of pike

I'm going to keep catching alot of pike.

And I don't target pike!

 

It doesn't matter what precautions you take.

Sooner or later one of those little so & so are going to get you!!!

[JohnF]

I have caught alot of pike.

I still catch alot of pike

I'm going to keep catching alot of pike.

And I don't target pike!

 

It doesn't matter what precautions you take.

Sooner or later one of those little so & so are going to get you!!!

 

That's how my buddy Rob explained it, more or less. He said the only way of being reasonably sure of avoiding accidental hookage was to club 'em in the net and eat 'em later. I'm not a clubbin' kinda guy so I'll take extreme measures to guard against accidental hookage, and if it happens that's the price I pay for having fun. I doubt a big toothy critter can hurt me any worse than some of my bikes and sleds have over the years, not to mention the mayhem I've earned from She Who Bloody Well Must Be Obeyed. I'm okay with paying for my fun, if I must.

 

JF