Lots of harbor pike

I've been pretty lax lately when it comes to posting reports and pics - time to fix that!

I was lined up to help take a group of Boy Scouts out fishing last night, but the event was postponed due to the weather. I knew the worst of the rain had already passed, and since I was already there, I decided to fish. It did rain a little, but I don't mind fishing in the rain, (that's what they make rain gear for, right?) The pike sure didn't mind, (they're already wet.)

Starting at the boat launch, I threw blue/silver and chart./white spinnerbaits around the weed beds and boat docks. The hammer handles were very active, and I finished the evening landing 6 pike, and losing 3 more. I even caught a bonus 15 inch largemouth bass. Catching largemouth on a spinnerbait is not at all unusual - unless you're fishing in the Escanaba Harbor! I've been chucking spinnerbaits in the harbor every year since 1989, and that's only the second one I've caught in there like that!

Anyway, I took a picture of every fish, just for the heck of it.

Hey, I didn't say they were BIG fish:p The biggest one I landed was 27 inches. I lost one out near the harbor mouth that was about 30 inches. Water was in the mid 70's - way too warm for big pike right now.

Apparently, yesterday was the day that a lot of the damsel flies decided to "hatch." The dock posts were covered with "husks" and newly emerged flies.

Your report sure sounds a lot like the P.M. that you just sent me. Don’t worry; those 40 inchers will be in there before ya know it just like you told me in that P.M. It sounds like you had an awfully good time anyway!

On a different note, I did try pike fishing a couple times. I found pretty much what you said I would (lots of hammer handles), with one exception. At one point I was waking an orange and black bucktail just under the surface over some weeds, and a really nice pike came flying up. The only problem was that his aim was off and he hit the lure with his nose. The lure then flew through the air in one direction while the pike flew the other way. Oh well, at least I got a good look at him since all of that happened 15 feet from boatside. I’m not real good at guessing the sizes of them, but I would have estimated him to have been in the 38-40 inch range. I’ve caught a couple of 34 inchers before, and this one was considerably bigger than either of those.

As always, thanks for the report, and thanks for the information.

My boy and I landed several pike last weekend...I also lost a really nice bass at the boat. Lots of small perch, too (and one 9" bluegill). We did pretty well out in the deeper water by the sailboat buoys near the main channel.