19lb Southern Alberta Northern Pike – REDEMPTION
and last ice trip of the season, up next. River Walleye on a Fly
Well,
As Dedicated had stated and I enforced that I lost a monster Northern Pike at the hole a few weekends ago, and then had one I lost that was again, a pig of a fish I had REDEMPTION!
Whooped the two partners with 8 fish landed, and one lost that was big and landed this toad! It was a good way to end the ice fishing season… 
Bud. Our first day was amazing, never exerienced THAT many BIG trophy fish consistently hooked. It makes me cringe to not be able to have had my fish completely out of the hole… UGH 
and to have hooked into that fish that we lost was upsetting to. It just was not my day…
Hope we can get out there soon!!! im frothing. Oh… Im still a few lbs up on ya for biggest pike 
well as I know the derby was okay, some big fish but nothing was overly productive. Im heading out Saturday, my first day on the ice in over a month and I am drooling to say the least. I cant wait to try out some new product and trick some of these non-active fish into smashing some Teaser Leaders. 
yay 
noone is interested??? 
I havent been to Northern Alberta this winter, lived Central 9 months ago…. looks decent up there.
down in the south east where i am at now, theres no snow left on the ice and what is left is solid as a rock from being drifted! but that laker gets me droolin
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Well Brandon I don’t know what to say. I’ve lost dozens of flies to Northerns. Most of the time you don’t even feel them hit, they just clip me off and are gone. That’s with 10 or 12# Maxima hard mono leader material for a tippet.
The interesting thing about those Orvis leaders is the small diameter. The lighter leaders measured .008 inches, or significantly smaller in diameter than 30# mono. What kind of knots do you use with that heavy line?
Have a good week!
Rootski
Rootski,
I just run the standard ol fishingermans knot but I dont twist it more than 3 times other wise its near impossible to get a solid finish on the knot…
I have also used Cortlands Toothy Critter…. look into that… I have used about 3 feet of that to a swivel then tied on about 3 feet of 20lb, to 4 feet of 30 at the line itself…
I even use 20lb for my tip up leaders, rarely use tip up line straight to the bait….
a few more options anyhow, but all that matters is sticking to what works for you! 
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A friend of mine just picked ou some of these leaders:
They’re re-usable, and come in two different lengths. I’m going to try these out muyself and see.
Rootski
good find. see, I cant imagine spending that much on leaders when 30 lb mono is 7 bucks at Canadian Tire or Wal Mart and 40lb backing isnt pricey either… i have never lost a fish using mono leaders…. ever
you are pretty close, for sure. the ice isnt melting but it is getting soft, lots of pockets and the bottom 5 inches is the only hard ice right now. makes for scary driving and scary rest of the season… also makes tent fishing impossible…
ya, DO is right, we did loose some gaggers on the tip ups…. one almost spooled the entire tip up… love pike fishing under the ice!
until next time tight lines
here ya have em. yes, the fishing here sucks lately… chinook winds, melting snow… theres pockets in the ice already.. its nasty nasty.. ice is in the condition it should be in march! yuck
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I like this thread you have going on here Brandon, its like I am reading your fishing diary.
thanks bud… give us a few hours and theres some NICE northerns from a day trip today.. planned to fish our trophy lake of the south but it was blowing at gusts of 52 kms hr!
asked the good lord for some calmer winds and headed to a another reservoir and hooked into some good uns. not gagger, but best this winter.
All finese fishing… yes finesing pike… 4 lb test on medium light walleye rods…. and 1/16 oz jigging spoons and the odd tip up pike. add the in a few
heading out in the dark to our southern alberta trophy lake, Newell to try for some dark eyes then monster pike in the day and see how long we make it for the rest of the hours 
Did another quick afternoon trip fishing this chinook we are having right now. Water all over the ice, ice pockets.. its getting nasty in Alberta and fishing was slow. Hooked into a few average northerns and took some neat pics.
Enjoy!
im already catching on 
x2
I am still learning about your “pools” down south. and Ill dig up that info in my book and post a few quotes from it this evening… I want to catch one!
thanks fellas.
For leaders, in all honesty I make my own…. I either use a material called “Toothy Critter” or straight mono.
I havent even lost a fish on mono, just takes more re-tying leaders more often.
I tie custom pike flies and sell, and can make leaders if anyone is interested?
Thanks again guys.
my brother and i have been hooked on night fishing for a few years now! but a lakemaster chip would be amazing, dont kid yourself 
if i could find a hole or middle lake zones itd be great.
I fished a few weed edges a few nights ago, marked fish but no takers. just looking for the “secret” 
x2
ya…. too many options, i guess just staying active on the auger is all a guy can do. you southern boys are spoiled with lakemaster chips!
agreed. nicely said. my showdown shows grey scale and I will look for a dark bar… if it shows a light grey and black underneath it means i have weeds or brush of some sort.
The darker the bar, the heavier the bottom is.
Good read man 
Well.. headed out for a few hours to a local reservoir in hopes of some late night walleye and ended up with a headache from the wind. haha. Missed one fish on a tip up cause i couldnt find the dumb thing, and had a few chasers but no takers. Whats the secrets to night fishing ‘eyes? I manage to get on a few but any advice is welcome.
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Have a look
are you from canada? must be?
it wasn’t to shabby… it was nice to see the reel spinning running up to the tip up, i wont lie
x2 im hoping to find that big black line on my showdown tommorow roaming half way up in the water column that just sits there……. o where art thow 
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Nestor Falls Ontario Canada
Kokanee, labatts, alexander keiths, moosehead, molson….actually any beer but guiness
nice! so theres 3 of us atleast. haha
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Well i went out today… to say te least i should have stayed home. winds were howling and snow was drifting. didnt catch a thing but broncidious!! haha
At least you were on the ice….I was sitting at work thinking about where I would like to be ice fishing…
Ditto. But this weekend is fairing to be excellent out, nice high pressure system… sun, im looking forward to fishing some deep flats for some ‘Eyes!
