Pike Mayhem

As you can see I gave the gravel lizards a short break and decided to do battle with the toothy Northern Pike.  It was not just any ordinary pike set-up or battle.  I was actually filming with the crew from MN Bound for an episode of ice fishing in a team lodge sleeper shack that will air next winter.  We had been catching a few walleyes, but all in all the walleye fishing was slower than expected....go figure it is still fishing.  Occasionally I have to remind myself of that, and on this outing the fish did a great job of eluding me and reminding me that they aren't always biting.  

This monster pike actually bit a fathead minnow on a plain hook, with a rod and reel spooled with 6lb test on the other end.  Needless to say it was a battle royal and hopefully made for some great tv.  The challenege was getting the fish to turn his head into the hole and get a hand on him.  Thanks to my net man, Travis Frank, I was able to hoist a 40" pike for some photo's before quickly getting her back in the water.  As you may have noticed; this fish has been eating very well and has the belly to show for it.