This is an interesting article from yesterday’s strib about a retired DNR fisheries biologist’s opinion that releasing big northern pike is extremely important. Without big pike you get a bunch of small pike that eat everything in site. Top of the line predators keep an aquatic ecosystem in balance and actually help grow more large fish … and they take a long time to replace.
Really good article.
Personally, I think the major issue brought to light here is the blatant ignorance of the legislature.
We need more pickling of the little snot rockets.
That’s what I got out of the article also. Need to catch and keep more small fish.
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Meanwhile, Vern Wagner, vice president of Anglers for Habitat, said his group plans to take the issue to the Legislature this year.
An honorable Buzz mention.
It’s all tied to Mille Lacs. The DNR is grasping to find out what is causing the Walleye problem there. A off shoot of that is the Pike situation is finally getting addressed. I know I’ve thought that releasing small Pike was a good thing, that a larger (size) Pike population would result. That doesn’t seem to be true. It’s just another thing that we anglers need to be educated about.
So, lots of Pike will meet the knife this summer that in the past were released.
Good pickling recipes?
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It’s all tied to Mille Lacs. The DNR is grasping to find out what is causing the Walleye problem there. A off shoot of that is the Pike situation is finally getting addressed. I know I’ve thought that releasing small Pike was a good thing, that a larger (size) Pike population would result. That doesn’t seem to be true. It’s just another thing that we anglers need to be educated about.
So, lots of Pike will meet the knife this summer that in the past were released.
Good pickling recipes?
We’ve been keeping them (little ones) at the cabin the last few years and Ann pickles them and we give it away to a nursing home and to the American Legion. I don’t care for it. I can get her recipe and pm it if you’d like.
Would sure like to see the size come back, Pike in the mid thirty inch range are a lot of fun to catch!
Well pool 9 ought to be in great shape then.
WARNING!!!
FISHINGMACHINES PICKELED PIKE RECIEPE FROM THE 2005 GTG<<
You will never eat that crap they call herring after trying the above again!
EVER!
I can’t eat herring but I can mow down a jar of pickled Northern.
The lake across the road from my house is FULL of small pike. They stock so many walleyes every year into the lake and still to this day have only caught a handful of them. After reading this article it sure brings light to the situation that this lake is facing. I wish the legislator would keep their noses out of this and let the people with the knowledge take care of these problems. I typically fish this lake if I want to catch unlimited amounts of fish, knowing that I will not be bringing anything home due to the size. I might have to try Brian’s pickled fish recipe and maybe start harvesting all these hammer handles out of that lake. Interesting article. Thanks for posting!
When a person cleans these northerns for pickling, do you clean them any other fish and not worry about the bones? I have heard when pickling fish the bones dissolve. I’m excited to go catch some small fish.
BigHan:
Fillet knife behind da gills down to the backbone and go back to the tail. Skin. Chunk for the brine and watch the bones disappear!!!
Mark
I might that the pike should be frozen to below 0 for 14 days when COLD pickling to kill off any parasites.
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I might that the pike should be frozen to below 0 for 14 days when COLD pickling to kill off any parasites.
Sweet, I got a pickling recipe to try.
So this is a cold pickling recipe? Brian, when you say below 0, does that mean a refrigerator freezer won’t work or are you talking Celsius?
Just think, if a bunch of anglers took up pickling, we might get healthy, balanced fisheries back.
A boy can dream. A man cannot, because he knows better.
Muskies present a nice success story of what catch and release can do with larger fish. Regulations were put in place but I think more of the responsibility for the turnaround can be attributed to people who cared about the future of musky fishing. For two species that are so similar, its funny that the mindset is so different.
Personally I’ve never kept a nort over 30″ unless it was not going to survive. Gonna have to try the pickling thing. Some good tips here.
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Brian, when you say below 0, does that mean a refrigerator freezer won’t work or are you talking Celsius?
0 F I don’t know how cold your frige freezer gets.
You talk like I’ve been over to see Michelle. 
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Brian, when you say below 0, does that mean a refrigerator freezer won’t work or are you talking Celsius?
0 F I don’t know how cold your frige freezer gets.
You talk like I’ve been over to see Michelle.
Refrigerator freezers range from -10º-0ºF. Pug, you should check it with a thermometer.
Do these recipes work for musky cheeks too?
Oh boy, here we go. 
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