Stoney Creek Metro Park 2-17-02

[jnpcook]

My Dad and I made it out this morning on our annual ice fishing trip during Free Fishing Weekend. My Dad used to fish but really doesn't have the interest now but enjoys spending the time with me. We headed over to Stoney Creek Metropark this morning at 9:30am and headed for the middle lake straight out from the Ridgewood Picnic area. Drilled 2 holes in the middle of the lake straight between the bridges and set up the shanty and started jigging with teardrops and waxworms and mousies. Caught a dink bluegill (about 4") and a dink perch which we put on our tip-ups and got those going. We caught several more dink perch with some getting up near 6 or 7" however. The fish seemed to be aggressively hitting live minnows. They did not bite the dead ones unless you jigged it just right to get their attention. Waxworms and mousies also worked but definately the live minnows were gettting the most bites. I tried several colored teardrops and the best color was white with an orange dot. We got about 4 to 6 flags on our tip-ups all of which were false alarms or I missed the fish (I never felt any fish on them). Then about a half hour before we had to pack up and leave another flag went off. I went over expecting another false alarm and looked at the reel. It was completely still. I pulled the tipup out of the hole and figured I would set the hook anyway. I felt resistance on the other end and kept pulling until I had a 24-1/2" Pike lying on the ice. I was going to release it since I haven't filleted a pike before and I have to head out this afternoon and don't have time to clean it right away but it took the hook real deep and was losing a lot of blood. I was using a quick strike rig (just tried them out this year after reading a little on these forums) and the second hook was up near the eyeball. I figured the fish would die and since it was a legal fish I felt I should keep it. If you plan to release your fish I would not recommend the quick strike rig. It seems like you have a higher chance of hooking eyeballs, gills, etc. I met craig on the site out there and he suggested a single hook. I will probably start using this from now on unless I want to keep some.

A great day and a lot of fun.

John

[Joe'sCat]

John, I shoulda tied a note on a dink perch or gill for 'ya, I'm sure you would have gotten to read it :D :eek: :D

Just think though, those dinks are gonna grow up someday. The pike can't eat ALL of them.

I'm glad you had a good time. I had a tip-up out all day, not one flag. It must be broken :rolleyes: :mad: :confused:
I hope that pike cooks up good. I've only had one outta there (main lake), and it tasted good. I had no idea how to clean it, I ended up with quite a few "filets", but once I got it all hacked up and cooked, and dodged a few bones while eating, it was good tasting.

Too bad I couldn't make it out today and bump into you guys. I'm sure our paths will cross again someday.

[jnpcook]

I didn't get to finish my post above as I had to head out the door for a Valentines banquet tonight.

Anyway, the quick strike rig worked great for sticking the fish and holding it. I didn't enjoy removing the second hook from around the eyeball though. Anyone have good luck catching pike with a single type hook? It seems like that would cause less fatal hookups.

Craig, it was a pleasure to meet you. I enjoyed our short chat out there. You took off just before we did so I didn't get a chance to give you the rest of our minnows. Hey, I don't blame you, without a shanty it must have been freezing out there. That wind was really whipping today. Like I said, Craig, there are enough of us who float tube there in the summer and several have extra tubes that they would probably let you borrow. It is a blast. Hope to run into you again sometime out there.

John

[kroppe]

John,

Congrats on the keeper pike. I have never caught a keeper pike yet, hope to this year. I caught a 22" and my 6 yr old caught a 21" last year and both of those were pretty decent fish.

I caught a 17" in January on a tip up, my first through the ice.

Seems the hammer handles are not hard to come by and the big guys are few and far between, at least where I fish.

[jnpcook]

Here's a photo of the Pike I caught yesterday. Please ignore my funky hair. Was wearing a hat and took it off in the shanty. I didn't bother to grab it when the flag went off so I just threw my hood up and had my Dad take this shot.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/user_gallery/jnpcook/pike.jpg


John

[ice fishin' nut]

Good Job John,,,,, Congrats!!!!!

[Spinner]

Nice fish John, I want to catch one at Stoney Creek too :)