Pike limit change.. effective?

I knew I was going to forget this part-Kyle, could you tell me more about how you grill yours?

If big pike keep the small pike in check wouldn’t big pike also keep every walleye in check?

BTW, where are all these multitudes of small pike people are talking about? I love pickled pike, poor mans lobster, etc.

Local reservoir in my town was hit hard when new regs hit.For a couple months I seen boats dragging stringers of small pike behind their boats as they trolled. Now the only pike I get are either in the slot or eight inches long. I don’t know if it’ll help the walleye but it did thin the hammer handles out.

Snap wrote:

If big pike keep the small pike in check wouldn’t big pike also keep every walleye in check?

BTW, where are all these multitudes of small pike people are talking about? I love pickled pike, poor mans lobster, etc.

Its virtually the entire central portion of the state that has the primary problem. From the Twin Cities to Duluth west over to Detroit Lakes. I don’t catch a lot of them in the heat of summer but in the spring and the fall when the water is cooler they are THICK. I went a couple times in late May bass fishing and between the two of us we caught well over 40 of them each time – and 2 of them were over the 26 inch high side of the restricted slot.

Big pike are healthy for the ecosystem. They are considered the apex predator in many smaller bodies of water (without muskies). Since they also occupy more resources, there won’t be as many of them compared to small pike. If you’re not seeing very many small pike anymore, then the regulation is starting to work.

Our lake has a lot of dinks in it. We’ve been harvesting them since last fall & we clean em, vacuum seal em and donate to various veterans groups up here. We’ve become pretty popular with these great people! Charitable giving comes in many forms other than writing a check.

Dan wrote:

I knew I was going to forget this part-Kyle, could you tell me more about how you grill yours?

It’s been a while so I’m by no means an expert, but we just opened them up, gutted them, lay it on foil, seasoning/ lemon/ butter, grill until done and rip the bones out like a zipper. I recall it working really well

I’ve filleted and skin’ed them just like walleye and then picked around the bones too more recently but that’s not nearly as convenient. I’ll ask my uncle for the exact method he used to use.

I primarily pickle them nowadays so bones are of no concern (they dissolve)

Out of the main types of white-fleshed fish in MN, Pike are my favorite to eat.
However, I once tried doing “whole” pike in a foil packet on a camping trip- my friend swore by it. Gutted it, took the head/gills off, seasoned and stuffed the cavity with a few things. It was OK but I couldn’t get over a very slight, but off-putting taste. Not fishy, but just kind of dirty – almost contaminated. I should mention this was out of pristine waters up by Ely. I truly think it was the flavor of the skin and slime permeating the meat while it steamed, even though we washed and wiped it down until it was dry before cooking. Therefore, all my pike since have been filleted/skinned. I’ve heard of people baking whole pike – anyone else cook them skin-on? Maybe I’m doing something wrong.

I fillet them and leave the skin on. Cook on Weber or campfire grate with some lemon pepper.

Our fishing league kept 69 short ones out of Whitefish last Fall-11 boats. One of the guys took them for bear bait. He said it didn’t work, but at least they are out of there.

ssaamm wrote:

Our fishing league kept 69 short ones out of Whitefish last Fall-11 boats. One of the guys took them for bear bait. He said it didn’t work, but at least they are out of there.

Well, if bear don’t like them offer them up to pike guys next time. Lots of us out there that would gladly utilize the meat (one limit at a time of course)

The Chippewa Flowage has the “Northern Exposure” tournament in may every year. Turn it into an event and lots of pike will get harvested.

As for myself. I really enjoy eating pike. I showed a buddy of mine a few weeks ago how to fillet pike and he really enjoyed them at dinner that night. I need to learn how to pickle. I love pickled fish and I keep saying that I am going to start doing it just need to actually bite the bullet and do so.

Pike is great. I will harvest every legal pike I can catch. Small ones get pickled and bigger ones get fried. Last 2 times I cooked pike for people they said it was some of the best fish they have ever had and had a hard time believing it was pike. Take the time to learn to clean them and you wont have any bones.

Rodwork wrote:

bigger ones get fried

Hopefully you aren’t harvesting the big ones because the rule is meant to keep those fish in the system. This is how we got the very problem to begin with: too many big ones removed.

Take home all the 21 inchers you want to. The ones over the 26 inch slot need to be released otherwise you’re only continuing to contribute to the problem we’re already in.

gimruis wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Rodwork wrote:</div>
bigger ones get fried

you’re only continuing to contribute to the problem we’re already in.

Yes Rodwork, don’t be the “problem”…be the “solution”

Don’t worry, BIG ones go back. When I said bigger I meant bigger than the handles I pickle. I follow the rules to a T.

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/pike/index.html#:~:text=One%20size%20doesn’t%20fit%20all&text=In%20the%20north%2Dcentral%20zone%2C%20anglers%20can%20keep%2010%20northern,two%20larger%20than%2026%20inches.

Rodwork wrote:

Don’t worry, BIG ones go back.

There were never any worries on my part, thankfully though…now gimruis will sleep better at night.

Don’t get me wrong I think spearing is REALLY fun but its a sport that is not sustainable. Until people stop spearing nothing will get corrected. That is just plain and simple truth…

I know many people that spear as many as they can as big they can. I also know a few that try to only spear small ones. That’s great but that doesn’t change the fact there’s still guys taking huge numbers of big fish. The hardcore guys I talk to still spear 50+ fish over 5lbs in a season no problem. To me thats a ridiculous number.

We can go catch-and-release angling only and it still won’t change a thing.

Speaking of spearing…there will be another operation up on Kab / Namakan that will encourage spearing.

So very sad.The Big Pike are disappearing and I’m positive spearing has a impact on that. I understand spearing is legal and people have a right to do it but……

There is no catch & release with spearing.

Walleyestudent Andy Cox wrote:

There were never any worries on my part, thankfully though…now gimruis will sleep better at night.

I slept a little better last night knowing that one more person was contributing to the solution, not the problem. Thanks Rod

I did fry a few up a month ago. I give myself a B+ on bone removal. They were tasty. For the amount of my lures they steal, I should eat a few.

little late to this party but i go out and actually target these little slimers. anyone actually pickle 10 fish or 20 fillets of 22 inch and under pike??? you might get 4-5 qts. been there done that.

my brother throws them in a blender and make fish patties.

as far as spearing………….DONT BE MESSING WITH MY SPEARING and most certainly dont be assuming everybody spears 50 5 lb pike or bigger every year. i could rip on alot of things to but wont!!!!