Fishing 2016

[Tin]

My brother in law caught this bad boy today on Moore Reservoir in Northern NH.

Hope he released it. Northerns are becoming increasingly rare in New England. I know RI has actually stocked them in a few places to try to keep numbers up. They are such a fun and amazing fish, like a freshwater cuda/torpedo and not like their slime dart pickerel cousins.

 

[deadheadskier]

How's the meat compared to a pickerel? I caught a monster pickerel once and my fishing partner convinced me to keep it for us to have for dinner. I tried to object explaining that I had heard they were a PITA to bone. That turned out to be true. Tasty meat, but not worth the hassle to eat.

 

[Tin]

How's the meat compared to a pickerel? I caught a monster pickerel once and my fishing partner convinced me to keep it for us to have for dinner. I tried to object explaining that I had heard they were a PITA to bone. That turned out to be true. Tasty meat, but not worth the hassle to eat.

I know my girlfriend's relatives in Norway and Sweden live off pike, it is a staple there. I've never tried it but I've heard it is one of the better freshwater fish along with crappie and perch.

 

[dlague]

Hope he released it. Northerns are becoming increasingly rare in New England. I know RI has actually stocked them in a few places to try to keep numbers up. They are such a fun and amazing fish, like a freshwater cuda/torpedo and not like their slime dart pickerel cousins.

Catch and release is all he does!

 

[steamboat1]

Catch and release is all he does!

Well then someone should teach him how to handle a fish properly if he plans to release it. By sticking his hand in the fishes gill he greatly reduced the chances of that fish surviving.

 

[dlague]

Well then someone should teach him how to handle a fish properly if he plans to release it. By sticking his hand in the fishes gill he greatly reduced the chances of that fish surviving.

Alrighty then! I will let him know of your thoughts.

 

[steamboat1]

Alrighty then! I will let him know of your thoughts.

Tell him also not to use a rag to hold a fish (not that he did in that picture). Using a rag takes off the fishes protective slime making the fish more vulnerable to infection & decease. It's always best to leave a fish in the water & dehook them there. I realize people like to take pictures of their catch but doing so is not good for the fish. Holding the fish up like that could also damage his internal organs. I'm not trying to be a wise guy, just trying to educate people on the proper way to handle & release fish.

 

[bigbog]

Hope he released it. Northerns are becoming increasingly rare in New England. I know RI has actually stocked them in a few places to try to keep numbers up....

Are sure on that? Think RI has lost much of its native population is because most ALL freshwater fish, due to development...pollution and water temperature rise..ie Loss of Habitat, are on the decline. They're quite healthy in PQ(correct JimG)..and in Maine..from illegal stocking and near any boundary waters with Quebec and New Brunswick.. Maine has to constantly monitor streams and provide obstacles to prevent pike from entering trout and salmon waters. It's quite a battle/challenge given IF&W's low funding/commitment from state government...compared to the quality of what used to be..

 

[JimG.]

Nice Northern.

Quebec still has amazing Northern pike fisheries. The area north of Lac St. Jean is filthy with big ones. Days with several 20+ lb. fish are not uncommon.

Not to mention absolute world class walleye and lake trout fishing.

 

[JimG.]

Tell him also not to use a rag to hold a fish (not that he did in that picture). Using a rag takes off the fishes protective slime making the fish more vulnerable to infection & decease. It's always best to leave a fish in the water & dehook them there. I realize people like to take pictures of their catch but doing so is not good for the fish. Holding the fish up like that could also damage his internal organs. I'm not trying to be a wise guy, just trying to educate people on the proper way to handle & release fish.

All true.

I am guilty of photos for documentation.

 

[dlague]

All true.

I am guilty of photos for documentation.

Well when you get a bigun' you want to have perspective to tell the story right?

 

[buellski]

Well when you get a bigun'

 

[dlague]

Great magazine!

 

[Tin]

Are sure on that? Think RI has lost much of its native population is because most ALL freshwater fish, due to development...pollution and water temperature rise..ie Loss of Habitat, are on the decline.

Should have specified, in southern New England it is much harder to catch 5+ pound pike. Mass is a little better but in RI and CT they are harder to come by. I know CT has lakes like Bantam/Pachaug that still have some numbers but still isn't a guaranteed pike each time you go. RI has 3-4 lakes you can go to and catch pike (and most are one pike every few trips if that).

Most RI fisheries are REALLY on the upswing (Stafford, Wallum, Beach Pond, Johnson's, Wachaug, etc.) and putting out more numbers and bigger fish in tournaments than years past. Stafford, Wallum, and Beach have surging populations of smallmouth. A few of these lakes have gone from 1.5 lbs average fish weight in tournaments to 2.5-3.5 pounds. Some of the best fishing I've ever seen. That said, they are small bodies of water and extremely sensitive to cold fronts and dramatic weather changes.

I would say 50+ years ago pollution was an issue, the biggest issue in RI is pressure. Places like Indian Lake and Roger Williams Park were taking a ~3-4 pound average to win a tournament (5 or 8 fish) five years ago. Then word gets out, you have 3-4 tournaments on them a week (some 20-40 boats/anglers), accompanied by recreational fishermen in kayaks bringing chain stringers of 4-5 pound fish home to show off/cook, and general pressure (going there on a random Saturday and there are 16 boats). All this pressure on 100-200 acre ponds will have a huge impact. Now those fisheries spit out nothing but 10-14" skinny, unhealthy looking bass and the occasional 4-5 pound fish with no bottom lip. A limit of 12" fish can win a tournament there now.

 

[JimG.]

The season is starting to wind down near me. Last Friday and yesterday resulted in few fish. The cold front yesterday/last night killed the fishing action.

I think 2 more trips for me and the season is done. Time to ski!

 

[Hawkshot99]

I need the creeks to fill back up. I need to get some late season trout.

 

[chuckstah]

Still lots of small to medium bass around me but large bass and trout are hard to come by. Dry streams and creeks have most certainly hurt the trout population.

 

[bigbog]

That sounds good on RI fisheries Tin! Totally hear you on the more-than-a-few fisheries with a split in healthy growth....exactly the same thing goes for more than a few brooktrout fisheries in Maine, with respect to insect feed(ie hatches that've been severely diminished compared to ~40+ yrs ago), many thin and some very fat(predatory) brookies.

Feel bad for the trout in our streams these last bunch of summers & falls.

Just crossing fingers for snowmaking rainwater...

 

[JimG.]

This guy equaled the NYS record for smallmouth bass, 8 lbs. 4 oz.:

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/...olice-sergeant-ties-record-big-fish/91326520/

I'm not sure what that fish was feeding on but it must be plentiful and tasty. If it had not been caught in a tournament I might suspect someone pumped it full of beer!

 

[bigbog]

Still lots of small to medium bass around me but large bass and trout are hard to come by. Dry streams and creeks have most certainly hurt the trout population.

You can say that again.....the last couple day trips = August & September...took more than a couple minutes of planning through the DeLorme State Atlas and individual topo maps.