Clmalta Loc: Crete illinois

Anybody ever hear of Walleye Pike?

Fredfish Loc: Prospect CT.

I believe it's just another name for Walleye.

Matt S. Loc: East Lansing Michigan

I caught this the other day. 20 inches of the skinniest pike I’ve ever caught.He needs to fatten up for winter.

Justang Loc: Lebanon, Indiana

I have 2 brothers that live in Minnesota. They call them Northerns.

Wolf Bay Loc: Al Gulf Coast

We have a smaller version in the south (Alabama) and call them jack fish. I started fishing Canada in 1992 with a bunch from MN and they called them snakes (smaller ones), northern, northern pike and pike. Never heard of “slime dog” until I got on here.

No matter what you call them, they’re great to catch.

harleypiker Loc: WA

We call them pike in the Northwest. We have them in many lakes here in spite of many gill netting efforts to eradicate them. I grew up in MN where they were always called "northerns". So whenever i hear someone refer
to them as northerns, I know they are from the upper midwest.

TimothyMichaels Loc: Seattle WA

I learned back in Minnesota that Northern's were in many Lakes there, fun to catch but a pain in the neck to eat (tasty though!) I found a very interesting way to catch them. I tied up a fly sort of like a Micky fin. To start with I wrapped a streamer hook with a chunk of stainless wire so that it came through the eye and put an extended eyelet about 6" up to eventually tie to the tippet. That was to keep the toothy critter from cutting it and not weigh so much as to impede the cast. Them I used white and red for the colors. This fly is basically a simple streamer with silver tinsel wrapped body, long red deer hair on the sides flanking a white dear hair along the top. This seemed to drive these underwater cats crazy. And I gotta say there is nothing like a Northern on a fly rod!

Matt S. Loc: East Lansing Michigan

Wow, I can’t imagine a pike on a fly rod.

bapabear Loc: Blaine, Washington

It is pretty spectacular, but I am assuming you have never caught a big blue on a fly rod. The strike of a pike is however, hard to beat. Especially if it is a surface strike. I really like your stainless wire tying method. Thanks for the info. I have always just tied on a very long shank hook and hope for the best with pike. I often lost. Fortunately, blues, if on the hunt, could care less about a seperate six inch wire leader with a snap on each end.

TimothyMichaels Loc: Seattle WA

I looked up blue fish on line. It looks to be quite a fish and probably tastes excellent as well. I don't live in MN any more and that's where I caught Northern's. I also nailed a carp on a fly. I was setting on the bank of the Mississippi just downstream of a large moored boat and I noticed corn kernels floating downstream. Then I noticed carp actually rising up and taking those kernels. I've never seen carp rise before that or since. Well I beat feet back to my home, got the tying kit out and made me up a fly. Just a yellow chenille ball, no hackle. #10 or 13 hook I think.
I raced back to the bank and used my old Fenwick to put that little yellow ball right off the stern of that boat and let it float down just naturally. That old carp just sipped it up like dinner is served. But it brought on heart burn for him quickly! It took a fair amount of time and fight to get him to the bank. Unfortunately for carp, Minnesota's laws say "if you land a carp, you need to take it home or put it in a trash can" and I don't eat carp but it was the last kernel he ate.
Good fishing to you!

bapabear Loc: Blaine, Washington

Just an FYI: carp can also be caught on a white hackle fly when scooping up cottonwood seeds off the surface.

TimothyMichaels Loc: Seattle WA

I understand lake Fenwick is full of carp. I was once out there and had my Helix 5. There were massive amounts of large fish on the finder. But it does not tell the species. I thought the lake had trout and I was getting frustrated in that I through in every thing and the kitchen sink to no avail. When I was pulling my boat back on it's trailer I got to talking with another fishing junky there. He said the lake was full of carp! I recently came across opinions on cleaning and cooking carp. I am not much for the idea but I will eventually try it. So the idea is to go back there some day, land one. If it is that part of the spring where the cottonwood is plenty that might be the right time. Thanks for the tip.

craigm1952 Loc: Lake of the Ozarks MO & SW Chicago IL

I always called them Northerns. and if small ones we'd call them hammer handles. LOL

Mgiven Loc: Michigan

We have a quite a few lakes up here that are so overrun with the hammer handles they don't have a size limit on them. Below are the lakes just in my county, (Clare) that you can keep 4 hammer handles and one over 24".


Eight Point Lake, Lake Thirteen, Little Long Lake, and Long Lake: no size limit on Northern Pike and up
to five (5) Northern Pike may be retained in the daily possession limit with only one (1) greater than 24
inches

A friend of mine on Wiggins Lake in Gladwin County has helped hold two tournaments in the last couple years, (DNR approved) that the prize money goes to the smallest weight of the stringer to cull some out of that lake.

TimothyMichaels Loc: Seattle WA

Do you have a way to filet these buggers so you don't wind up with a bone in your throat? Northern fried up on the stove top have a ton of bones but they are really tasty!