Sea Breeze Charters - Sea Breeze Charters is a full-service charter company out of Ilwaco Washington that specializes in salmon, sturgeon, tuna, and bottom fishing. We have a fleet of seven boats and have been in business since 1964.
Wow what a day of fall pike fishing!! I started the trip off catching a nice 14 lber on my third cast of the day. Caught fish throughout the day. We had some down time though between fish. Fish were spread out over a few different locations, but definitely there and hungry. The bites were very aggressive. I love days like this. I caught a total of 7 pike on the day. The amazing thing about this trip was the consistent great quality fish. I did have one 5 pounder in the mix driving down the average fish size but the others made up for it. Even that fish was nice and fat. My total weight for the day was a whopping 100 pounds of pike. Fish weights were, 5,10,12,13,14,14. If you added those numbers up, you have already figured out that the last fish I haven't listed weighed in at 32 pounds!!! She is going to be the new Idaho State catch and release record. The current record is 44" caught from Hayden lake last year through the ice. This beauty was 46 3/4" long! What a pig. It was also my new personal best. I have the application for the record filled out and just need to print the appropriate photos, and send it all in. Hopefully I have enough photographic proof, along with my witness/net man, to get them to list this fish as the new record. Water temps were 49-50 all day. Weather was cloudy and cooperative. Some rain was predicted but it never showed up :) but the fish sure did. Fish were in 8-10 feet of water and were devouring my glide bait. The fun part about this bait is that they didn't make it in the color I wanted, so I painted one up in the garage and gave it a try. I have also bee altering the baits a little to give them a little more appeal, and it's worked great over the last three trips. What a day!!
You can see the successful release of this great fish on my Instagram @thepikesupremacist as she swims off to live to fight another day. And to make a ton of babies!!
WOW! What a HOG! Hope you get the record. Saw some monsters in the Alaskan interior 25yrs ago and I boated a 44 incher (which I had mounted) but it wasn't 32lbs!!! Congrats on a great day!
I thought it was illegal to release, or catch and release an invasive species in Washington and Idaho waters? Especially those species with no catch limits?
So far it's not illegal to release them. I say that because they have a category for the catch and release record for pike and on their website they have a separate section for non game fish. Pik are not listed in the non game fish section
Far be it from me to judge, but if I was to do so I might judge in favor of those that remove nets, or accidentally snag one with their boat and then untangle it out in the middle of the boat launch parking lot.
Awesome Fish Mark. You got my PB beat by 2" But I plan to break that this spring with a new catch and release record of my own :) I saw a fish this fall that was all of 48" but couldn't get her to go Anyways CONGRATS ON the record if they give it to you.
Great job catching, releasing, and reporting on the best fish we have to offer in the inland waters. May this inspire more fishermen to fish for pike and help overwhelm public opinion against them.
Sea Breeze Charters - Sea Breeze Charters is a full-service charter company out of Ilwaco Washington that specializes in salmon, sturgeon, tuna, and bottom fishing. We have a fleet of seven boats and have been in business since 1964.