Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Pond Boss Ice Fishing at Bremer Pond

I just got a call from the ice fishing house. The stick caught a 37 inch northern pike (14.5 pounds or so) on a 2.5 inch fat head. That is about 7% of her body length; Exception!!

Why would a northern pike that size go for such a tiny meal? Irritation, curiosity, needing a thrill??

Jeff tried to take a photo of the fish and instead got a video, so, video to follow.....

Ha! Perfect timing, Dwight.

You're a scientific kind of guy, so let's imagine a graph. On the x-axis (horizontal axis) of that graph, let's put predator length (in this case, northern pike). On the Y-axis (vertical), let's put prey length.

Based on our discussion so far, I wouldn't be surprised if someone would say that there would be a line that increases with pike length (bigger fish eat bigger prey). However, what we see when we plot this figure for actual field data is a wedge shape, not a line. Can everyone picture that? A wedge with the big, open end pointing to the right. Small fish have to eat small prey. Large fish can eat big or small prey, and that's what happens. Depends on what is available, and what is vulnerable.

That straight line at the top actually is usually the limitation imposed by gape size. How big can that predator open it's mouth? That limits maximum size of prey that can be swallowed.

Perhaps the pike are feeding on smaller prey in the winter because the amount of energy required to digest larger prey is hard on the pike with the lowered metabolism of wintertime.

I know bass often choose large prey in the warmer months because their metabolism is much higher and the digestion rate is increased... Just a thought?

Cell phone video is low quality, but, she is a beauty nonetheless!

THAT is exciting!

Feeling good tonight, that is my largest NP, and I have been fishing for quite a few years. Not my target fish, but blew my
10.5 NP record to shreds. Pretty exciting hand landing it out of an eight inch hole through 22" of ice on 4lb line. Thanks Bro! Cecil, still no out sized bass, standby, winter is long and
the best ice fishing is still to come.

Looks like a dark, pretty fish, Stick. Beats my best pike, too.

AWESOME FISH!!!!!

I wouldn't wanna be a golden shiner anywhere near that toothy critter!

...which explains why I still bend over to pick up the dropped Cheetoh even though I am holding the full bag

Brettski, this is neither the time nor the place for Metaphysics.

Brettski, you are a born educator at heart!

Did the stick keep the pike?

...more chatter

Sunil,

She went back down the hole to strike again another day. We used to take those large NP out and eat them. After monitoring the sheer numbers of yellow perch and crappie in the pond they have graduated to being Quantity Control managers.

Brettski, Why would a person have a whole bag of Cheetoh (that would be a lot ticked off cats!)? Then I figured out that you were talking about Cheetos and it all became relatively clear.

Strange but true, the NP was on a different line I had down, and I fought it a minute or two, but she cut me off. While I was re-rigging that line, it bit on my other line. I fought it for about 12 minutes with an old direct drive reel, (thumb for drag). Held it up for a minute or two for measurement, and picture. Nosed it back down the hole. Jeff, who was fishing with me, got a bite about 20 minutes later, and it was the same fish again. So, not only was it my biggest NP ever, it was also Jeff's. I don't know how many other fishing buddies can say they both set a personal record on the same day on the same fish. You'd have thought after it was out of the hole the first time, it would have gone some place to sulk and recover.

I'm compelled to quote the famous Texas statesman, Dave Davidson...
shameless hussie

I also felt that quote held some parallel interpretations.

Wow! That is fantastic to be able to pull a northern like that out of a pond.

Although I really love WV, I really miss northern fishing in the Nortwoods.

Thanks

That's a real nice northern, I live 1/4 mile from Great Sacandaga Lake which holds the U.S. record Pike, 46lbs, caught in 1940.
I witnessed a 52 inch 41lb northern caught here in 1982, it was caught on a 12 inch sucker. My daughter who was 5 at the time had her picture taken next to it, but I can't find it.

A northern over 50", now that is big!

Impressive Stick and on four pound test!

Fished Corona Reef yesterday afternoon and evening, got a variety pack of fish including an 18" LMB that Dwight got to look over as he happened to be in the fishing house when I caught it. It was a fat one, all the fish were very healthy.
The fish move onto Corona Reef at dusk and night, we just caught perch during the sunlight.