the bass were hitting a lot of top water lures today. got quit a few on a popper. then, on my next cast, a fish nailed it and to

[habben97]

the bass were hitting a lot of top water lures today. got quit a few on a popper. then, on my next cast, a fish nailed it and took it under. it was a 30 inch northern pike! as most of you know, I have been trying to catch one of these for a while. when I went to release it, it just floated, and didn't seem to have much life in it. so rather than having the buzzards and minnows eat it, I am having it mounted. just thought I would share this. thanks to all who answered my questions about pike fishing. also, this is my first northern. the one I caught last year was a chain pickerel, I think.

[Gary Devine]

Pike and pickerel take longer to revive then a bass. Keep running water over their gills. Don't give us unless you did some damage to their gills or their insides with your fishing hook.

[Gary Devine]

typo Don't give "up" not us.

[habben97]

I tried for about 15 minutes to revive the fish.

[habben97]

also, I waded out into the pond to get him to deeper water. I tried very hard to get him going again.

[99explorer]

I once caught a 36"+ northern pike in Leech Lake, Minnesota that threw the hook as he was being netted.
I was going to have my picture taken with him and then release him anyway. Sigh!

[wallofsam]

I catch lots of pike here in MI. Sometimes it takes ten minutes or so to revive them, depending on how long they fought. I hold them by the tail and gently move them forward and back trying to get water through their gills. If the gills were not moving then it was probably dead, but I've caught pike through the ice that stayed alive for over an hour just laying in the snow.