Cd'a Pike

[Evergreen Esox]

Looks like a fairly good start to the catch and club season on Coeur D'Alene. I know there are plenty of fish in the lake and all...but...

[Mark K]

And that was one of two 30+lbers clubbed the same day in Fernan. Although they say this guy attempted a release on this one...

[AJ's Dad]

The King arises from his chambers and a long winters rest to make a post. Seems he has picked a subject that we pike fishermen all have an opinion about. I'm all for keeping any fish within the law if you so choose. However, I try to educate as many folks as I can about the fact that releasing big fish like this one is only going to make the pike fishig better. I believe he did try to release this one. Too bad she didn't make it.
With what's going on in the war against pike these days, we need to get as many of them back iinto the water as we can. Especially in Washington.

[Mark K]

I agree with you for the most part, but when laws are determined by putting money in the State/Tribes pocket, it is up to us to make sure the fish we enjoy catching is still around to catch.

[mikey_b]

Wow!! Those things look like a lot of fun to catch! I just moved to Spokane and have a boat. Where and how do you fish for those pigs?

[Evergreen Esox]

Mikey B; I think you will find Aj's Dad to be the man on this topic. His posts are really good.
Here's another for the thump file. Heck of a fight I bet. I won't get down on anyone who catches the fish of a lifetime and decides to retain it (if legal to do so). But my heart would still ache a little (sentimental me).

[Mark K]

Its like were back in the 70s or 80s. In Vilas County, Northern Wisconson there used to be a "fish contest" for Muskies. All the Tackle shops would have freezers out front, and they would display the biggest Muskies caught that week. Everyone would come down to the shop, check out the dead fish, and buy new lures, looking for the next big Muskie to bonk on the head and bring in. Most of these "big fish" were lucky to be 30+ inches because catch and release was unheard of.

Years passed and people began to educate themselves on catch and release. The freezers out front of the old Tackle shops were gone. Inside the tackle shops were replicas of now true Trophy Fish that because of C&R, began to show their true Trophy potential. Fifty Inches! Then, 55 became the new 50! Employees in these shops also spread the word of C&R while selling the baits needed to catch that fish of a lifetime.

Now, here we are in Northern Idaho. Pike are the target instead of Muskie. We have a Tackle Shop with a scale out front instead of a freezer. Because everyone is seeing these huge fish on Social Media, everyone wants a shot to get their picture posted next at the scale. They come in and this shop happily takes their money, and gets them pointed in the right direction. Dont get me wrong, I want new interest in the sport. But I feel we are missing a golden opportunity here to educate a new angler, and help preserve the great fishery you are blessed with in the CDA area. Having a Scale hanging out front so everybody can view these nice fish online, is great for business, but very old fashioned. It is not good for the fishery. And an opportunity is being missed.

[harleypiker]

This time of year looks like at least 200,000 babies hanging there!

[Lucius]

Up to 1 million per pike based on the size of those girls!!!
My heart breaks because every year this happens and the biggest and baddest with those amazing genetics get removed from the system. I understand wanting to keep it, but replicas have come a long way since back then. If you want table fare, keep all the smaller one to your hearts content. But a pike can't hit 40lbs is someone keeps it when it's 30lbs. And there are not to many places that can grow pike to 40lbs in North America...(even Canada they get big, but theryre very old and one pushing 40 that far north is really old unlike her where in might be 7-10 years old). I won't whine too much if it's a new state record, but year in and year out numerous 30lbers are kept and I don't see pike that big year in and year out anywhere else....CDA is truly an anazing pike fishery, I just wish more people realized how special it really is!!!!

[harleypiker]

I stand corrected, Buddy. I thought maybe only "200,000" eggs would make the keeper feel bad enough! When a lot of the big hens are caught in the bays in springtime at CDA, they think there are a lot of them. However, they might not realize they are catching a high percentage of them when they are vulnerable all concentrated into smaller areas now. As you stated about table fare, this week I ate a couple of 2 pound pike caught from the north P.O. river and I couldn't tell the difference in taste from walleyes. And that's saying a lot.

[AJ's Dad]

My apologies to Evergreen esox, the originator of this thread. I mistook your screen name and referred to you as the king in my earlier comment. I thought you were aesox (a friend we call the king because his name is Arthur) when I first read this forum. I'm not sure I know who you are away from the website, but I certainly share your concerns for seeing big breeding pike being removed from area waters.
I wish people would think along the lines of this. A taxidermy mount is expensive, and needs to be dusted off regularly to maintain it's look. A photo is CHEAP and rarely needs dusting off.

[Fish-N-Fool]

You guys do know that none of the fish posted here actually came out of Lake CDA right?

[Mark K]

Yes, we are aware of that. That doesnt change anyones thoughts though. A trophy Pike full of eggs, is a trophy Pike full of eggs..