What’s it weight? (nice pike)

My biggest pike to date caught this past weekend on Lake Wisconsin while fishing for walleyes.
I know they get a lot bigger elsewhere and it’s pretty rare for me to target pike anymore so here’s a question for all you experts: How much does it weight?

I know there are formula’s out there for these types of estimates and that’s why we took measurements.

Length = 41″, Girth behind the gills 16″, Girth above the anal gland 17-1/2″.

This fish was released and I might have a repo made of her.

I’m going with 20 pounds…now off to find the chart.

Either way beautiful fish and it’s awesome you let’er go!

The formula to calculate the weight for a Northern Pike that is 40 inches long and has a girth of 20 inches is as follows. Northern Pike have a shape factor of 1000 and a girth ratio of (.52)

WEIGHT = LENGTH x GIRTH² / SHAPE FACTOR
# WEIGHT= 40 x (20²) / 1000
# WEIGHT= 40 x 400 / 1000
# WEIGHT= 16000 / 1000
# WEIGHT = 16.0 pounds

Please Note: A 40 inch pike might be thicker than normal and have a girth of 22 inches, which would make the fish 19.4 pounds.

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The formula to calculate the weight for a Northern Pike that is 40 inches long and has a girth of 20 inches is as follows. Northern Pike have a shape factor of 1000 and a girth ratio of (.52)

WEIGHT = LENGTH x GIRTH² / SHAPE FACTOR

# WEIGHT= 40 x (20²) / 1000

# WEIGHT= 40 x 400 / 1000

# WEIGHT= 16000 / 1000

# WEIGHT = 16.0 pounds

Please Note: A 40 inch pike might be thicker than normal and have a girth of 22 inches, which would make the fish 19.4 pounds.

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41 inch?

Sweet [censored] fish!

that would make a dandy repo mount. congrats. my buddy lives on Lake WI. nice to know I may have a shot at it someday.

That seems about in the ballpark…nice fish joe!

Nice fish.I think right at 20+ a couple ounces.

My best guess would be around 20#. Beautiful fish!!

Joel:

41×16.75×16.75/800=14.378#’s
41×17.25×17.25/800=15.25#’s

Mark

I would say it is just shy of 20lbs. I have one just like it on the wall and it weighed 19.7.

Quote:

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Joel:

41×16.75×16.75/800=14.378#’s
41×17.25×17.25/800=15.25#’s

Mark

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I’m having a problem believing in the numbers those formula’s are kicking out.
Especially for a 41″ pike that was not thin a fish. Although I wouldn’t call it an exceptionally fat fish, it was chunky, muscular and broad across the back.

Interesting thing about the formula on this site:
http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/weighit.asp

If you just enter the length, (41″) it kicks out a weight of 19.69lbs. Add in a girth of 17-1/2″ and it kicks out a weight of 15.7lbs.
I’m assuming that with just a length measurement, it’s assuming a pike of average girth. Which this fish seems to be at the very least.

Pike are not my specialty though, so it could be that I’m way off in what I believe this fish weighed. (19.7lbs sounds pretty close)

What do other people think about these formula’s?
Are they more muskie orientated and maybe don’t work the best for pike?

The formulas are quite accurate.
On a fish like that, give/take 1 pound maximum.

I’m really sorry to burst anyone’s bubble, but 90% of the 39″ to 41″ pike only weigh about 14-17lbs. To break that 20# barrier, you are talking girth in the 20-22″ range. That isn’t a common girth.
Not to brag, but I caught a behemouth of a pike years back. 45.5″ with only a 22.5″ girth. That fish tipped the scale right at 28lb, 13oz. It really takes that much girth to break that 20# barrier.
And, I’ve seen 43″ pike with an “average” girth tip the scales at 17-18lbs.

Breaking the 40″ mark on pike is a treat and a hoot. But breaking that 20# barrier is an absolute [censored] to accomplish. I’ve only done it twich and I LOVE chasing “big” pike probably more than any other species. In fact, I spent the majority of my summer trying to dial in the big pike of Pepin. Top fish broke 40″, but only tipped the scale at a touch over 17#s.
I know it is frustrating and hard to believe, but 20# is a [censored]…..

But,
NICE FISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My bubble was burst shortly after catching it and running the numbers myself so don’t worry to much about that.

I was going to put it on the scale but it just didn’t feel right to hang a fish like that from its gill plate just to get a weight and then release it “unharmed” so to speak.
Plus I have a real bad habit of not weighing fish anyway. Most of the time, it’s just a quick measurement, photo and release.

In the end, it is what it is I guess.

hi Joel,
I say it is in the 18-19# range.

I also don’t like to hang fish from a scale and don’t do it.
Big fish, keep them in the net, and hook the scale on the netting or rim of the net and weigh the whole thing. After a photo or two and release. Weigh the net the same as when the fish was in it and subtract this weight from the original weight with the fish in it.
Pretty accurate.
Jack

I like that idea of weighing the fish while in the net Jack!
Gonna have to remember that next time.

Most scales you can just tare the weight. Example. Hang the net on the scale. Let it record the weight. Then hit the reset button. Now the scale should read zero with the net hanging on the scale. Drop the fish in the net and you will record only the weight of the fish. Little easier – no math!

-J.

Joel:

Didn’t realize that my brother Brad and his son had fished with ya again… Good stuff, glad to hear of their support!!!

Getting back to the fish again… When I am fishing muskies, it always seems that most fish of the 40″ class are getting close to that magic 20# mark. I am wondering if they seem to have that 17″-19″ closing in on 20″ girth more so than the northerns, which makes musky really measure in close to that 20# mark… Just a thought…

Jack and John make good suggestions on the weighing of the net too.

Mark

Mark,

I’ve heard from quite a few fishermen concerning these formula’s now and opinions are all over the place. Some people swear they are accurate within a pound and others swear they’re not even close and in some cases they can be off by as much as %25.
Without going out and doing and actual study on my own, who the heck really knows?

In the end, it really doesn’t matter. It was a very nice pike and I was more than happy to be the lucky guy who caught it.

I did heard another good idea from a friend this weekend for weighing big fish and not causing them any harm in the process.
He likes to carry a spare net bag which he uses to weigh big fish that he intends to release. Put the fish in the spare bag, hang on the scale and release when done. According to him, the fish tend not to struggle much while curled up in the spare net bag as well. Better for the fish and easy enough for the fishermen to get a real time live weight.

Congrats on a dandy pike

i think the wild variations come in with fish that have distended stomachs from gorging so they might have a 20″ belly girth and 15″ anal girth.
for a fish with consistent girth throughout the body such as this one, the forumla is going to be pretty accurate. a 15# pike is BIG, and can stand on its own merits proudly!

that fish will make a great repro, especially with your good measurements and clear photographs. if/when i break the 40″ mark on a pike i’ll be doing the same. congrats and enjoy the accomplishment!

Another way to weigh fish like that is in a duck decoy bag. They double as a live well. I wonder how many 14 inch walleyes that beast has consumed.

My son caught one a little better than 43″ out on Devils Lake ND this summer and it went 17.4 pounds though it wasn’t nearly as girthy as the one you are holding.

I wouldn’t be afraid to say 17 or 18 pounds on that fish its a beauty.

Gotta love those big pike.