Took my father, grandfather and uncle out for a father's day fishing trip. Got on the water about 9:00 and headed to where we were going to start fishing. Got in the slough and started with spinner baits and a secret lure. Bass, bass, bass, bass.... that's how the morning went. My dad and I caught 6 bass around 17 inches (grandfather and uncle plotting mutiny at this point). Didn't see a single pike. Water temp had dropped from the cold weather so I didn't expect them in there yet. By the afternoon the pike started popping up as the water temp rose. My dad hooked the first pike, a brute, 40+ inches but lost it when it made a last run under the boat before we could net it. After that we saw pike they turned their noses to our lures. The next time we saw an interested pike was when the ~35inch pike tried to eat the bass that was on the end of my line! Same pike that moments before ignored the spinner baits and the irresistible secret lure.

SO I figured we might have to get a little creative if we wanted much action from the pike. Went to the tackle box and produced secret lure #2. Couple casts and bam! ~24 inch pike hammers and misses the hook about 15 ft from boat. Few more casts another pike (couldn't see size) hits and misses the hook. Made a minor adjustment and then watched as a 44 inch pike took my lure, I gave him a few seconds to savor it before I set the hook (wasn't going to let him miss the hook). After a very long fight that consisted of a series of leaps out of the water and screaming drag he was in the boat! Unhooked him, took some pictures and put him back in the water. He went belly up instantly and sank to the bottom. I grabbed an oar and tried to roll him over. He quickly rolled and darted away after I moved him around with the oar.

After I caught another 28 inch pike my grandfather and uncle were about at the point of mutiny against the captain (It was my father and I 12 fish and my grandfather and uncle 2). So I pulled two more of secret lure #2 out of the tackle box and they tied them on. It wasn't long before my grandpa had caught and released 2 pike and caught and kept 1.

I flipped a senko around for the hell of it trying to pick up a few more bass. Caught a couple 15 inch bass and then to my surprise I watched a pike swim over and inhale my slowly falling senko! He was taught a lesson and sent back.

All in all it was a great fathers day on the river. Everyone caught fish, some more than others, but everyone had a great time. Fishing wasn't as hot as my previous trip up but was still worth while. Hitting it again on Tuesday.

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