This photo comes out to us from Avis Nelson, proud grandfather of Luke Nelson in the picture below.
In his own words…”I think your photo page is a neat idea, I’d like to submit a picture. This is a picture of my grandson of some Northern he caught in the Mississippi River.”
Good fishin’,
EFN Webstaff
Wow! Just tell me where, when, what to use, how to use it. That’s all. That’s it. I don’t ask much. For the love of God, tell me now! Hehe!!
beautiful fish…
not to throw any kind of damper on things… but it seems big Pike just dont often get released……. *sigh*….. which I suppose is why there are so few of them around….. but I think theres hope for the future… more and more waters are being managed for trophy fish…. I think it would be cool if they went total catch and release on some of these trophy capable waters…. maybe even the Mississippi for instance… and of course on a few lakes as well…..
just my opinion… and Im really not trying to point any fingers….
It,s “Great” being a Gran Pa is”t it Avis?
A bute of a picture, this will go down as the ones Gran Pa helped me catch. A picture is forever. To each thier own !!!
Richard ( Smitty)
Keep a tight line !!!
same thing i was gonna say rivereyes…but u beat me to it..Very nice Northerns indeed….but i just cant kill a fish like that…hope this doesnt urine anyone off….just my opionon
Rivereyes, I agree with you that when it comes to big pike not being released often enough, they don’t seem to command as much respect as walleye and bass do but….. as the father of three boys I know how proud a kid can be when he catches a trophy fish. Being able to bring it back and show it off can hook a kid for life. The catch and release part hopefully will come with maturity or with the encouragement of a dad or grandpa. Two wonderful fish and a wonderful smile on the face of that boy.
thats what u use a camera for..take a picture it lasts a lifetime…i understand what your sayin about a kid being proud of a big fish they just caught…but u can teach your kid that they gotta go back to the water…..
Flick, I understand where your coming from but a picture to some kids just isn’t the same as bringing them home. If a grandpa and grandson want to bring a fish home that’s their right, he purchased the license to fish. I’m still a beleavior in that you encourage catch and release, not demand it.
I’ve seen more 10-20 pound pike taken out of the river the last few years than i can count. Last summer i saw a guy with 5-6 pike from 10-15lbs on his stringer!!!! These fish were concentrated in one of my favorite little areas. Needless to say I didn’t catch anything in this spot that day. No offense meant to anyone, but special regulations need to be put in place or these big pike will be a thing of the past. I have been noticing big pike numbers decreasing over the past couple of years.
I’ll wade in with my two cents on the debate to keep or release big pike. As more and more fisherman target these larger fish, the risk increases for reducing this valuable resource. In most cases, taking a photograph and quickly and carefully unhooking and relasing big pike is the best way to go — for most of us river rats it makes the most sense and is just as rewarding. HOWEVER, I also see the value in keeping such fish if it keeps the interest of young anglers. True, we can teach young anglers about good conservation and use of the resource, but if keeping a couple nice pike goes a long way toward hooking a youngster on fishing, then I support it. We need to keep young kids interested in fishing, which in turn will likely promote their interest in the health of our river environment. I guess I’m willing to make that sacrifice.
And, ultimately, keeping such fish also is legal…. ok., I’ll get off my soap box.
Hmmm guess I did not put my opinion into the pot in regards to catch and release as it relates to younger anglers…..
first I would like to say I dont wish to insinuate that Im right and that others who dont agree with me are wrong…… we all have our own thoughts and opinions… and each case is different….
I have 4 kids… 2 boys, 2 girls… each are individuals…. I treat each with the respect and consideration I would an adult …. and let them form their own opinion by providing them with what facts I have…..
when it came to catch and release I explained my views in a ways they could understand…. this was done before they were faced with a decision with a trophy, or even a larger than usual fish in the boat that I would consider a prime candidate for release….. given the facts and told that the choice was theirs all my kids that were faced with the choice chose to release their “trophies”…. they have had no problem with catch and release from the start.. and in fact they are so dedicated to it that sometimes its tough for me to keep ANY fish… they feel that strongly about protecting the resource…… I believe in education from day one in the area of catch and release, give them the reasons for it and they will grasp it much more quickly then you might guess… personally I dont think the killing of fish is the reason that people embrace the sport of fishing….. I remember back when I started as a child I wondered why we had to kill every keeper sized fish we caught when we already had more than enough……. my love for the fish was greater than my need to possess it……. and that is still the case…. its just how I feel… and Im glad so many share that feeling these days….. and I completly believe that young anglers are best started off on catch and release and not weaned to it later…..
Luke… you must have used “…the Force”…way 2 cool!
Great job… nice photo… now, go catch some more…. tell your friends… and show off the photo!
Great to have kids catching big fish…lots of groceries there too. Think of the great meals to come off these. YUM…
I should tell you about my “Baked Northern Delux”
Scale and clean the fish
Spray Pam Cooking Spray on a baking pan
Lightly black pepper the whole fish
Stuff the inside with StoveTop Stuffing (or make your own Thanksgiving turkey style)
Wrap the whole fish in bacon (you can use toothpics to secure the strips)
Bake at 375 till the bacon is good and brown
You are there… Good stuff… Call me when it is done!
Hawger
When I started reading this thread, I thought I would be able to say nothing, but after reading some of the posts and thinking about it, I need to say something.
1st: Congratulations Luke and Avis! It looks like you had one heck of a day.
2nd: I hope you had a double and that is why you had both of those fish at the same time for a pic. Please tell me the fish were released….
3rd: If you did keep them they were for mounting right? You’re not planning on eating a fish that old are you?
4th: If anyone who had a day of fishing like that and is not hooked for life, bringing home the actual fish vs a pic is not going to change things.
5th: Avis & Luke, I don’t want to rain on your day. I really hope you had a great time. Hoping that if you have a day like that again you’ll strongly consider releasing the trophy.
Great fish Luke!!!
I’d have to say to anyone concerned about the pike, start calling the DNR, demand new regulations. Luke and Avis havn’t done anything illegal. Maybe these fish were both hooked so badly they were going to die anyway. Maybe they just wanted a meal. I personally don’t care as long as they didn’t break the law.
Yes, I have my personal standards for catch and release, but I refuse to impose them on anyone but myself. I try and educate people about CP&R, but again educating and forcing are two totally different strategies. Strictly my opinion though.
Congrats on some beautiful fish!!!
LUKE,LUKE,LUKE, LUKE…..YOUR THE MAN….REMEMBER THOUGH THE NEXT TIME YOU HOLD TWO NORTHERNS THAT CLOSE TO YOUR BODY, THEY ARE MEAT EATERS………..AND PRETTY TOOTHY AT THAT……. Lol ….Lawrence
I agree with waterfowler 100%
nice looking fish Avis!!!
I bet they will be tastey.
Catch and release is wonderful, tabacco will kill you and don’t drink alcohol!
I chew kodiak, drink busch beer and eat fish.
To each is own!! Poeple have different ideas and beleifs about anything and everything. Don’t push yours onto others.
What people want to do with there fish (relative to size) is there own priority. Bieng down at the launch I see a LOT of “meathogs”. These are guys that brag about bieng off the water with their limits by 8 A.M . and expect you to say “way to go” like they are fishing for survival” and I also see guys that all they do is C&R I am somewhere in the middle I photo big fish,, and take what I can want to eat that night home. NO FREEZING is my policy (unless for transport to grampa)
I would rather see a young Kid like Avis catch and keep these fish,, than “meathog” down at the launch getting his limit and them taking out everyone he knows back out for there’s. (especially when the whitebass, suager/walleye run)
I hope this posts gets read by a couple of ya
mmmm busch beerrrrrr. Well said Mavzer.
Some nice pike, good job Avis.
I agree with mavzer 100%. Everyone must decide for themselves what to keep and what to throw back. Don’t try to force anyone into catch and release, or they’ll keep fish just to spite you. I posted a month or so ago about some guys who literally fill their freezer with fillets. Those guys also let me know every time they come out of one of my favorite spots with a limit of fish just because they know it pisses me off. I’ve tried talking to them with no luck. Now I just avoid them and definitely don’t show them any more spots.
Congratulations Luke!
Way to go! Those are two awesome looking pike! how long did you fight with them and what did you catch them on?
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