Gators up North

Annual pike trip, 2022

For the last several years, Katie and I have traveled north to target pike, (aka gators). Each year we've been challenged, but have come away with more knowledge and more pike. This year was no exception. 

We chose early June, hoping to avoid the nasty cold snaps that seem to plague us on our previous trips. We knew we may not encounter many giants, but the numbers would likely be better.

Day 1 we hit a few spots where we'd had success last year. We found a few fish, but it was a tad slow. Katie was throwing an 8 inch chartreuse fly. A giant of a black crappie decided to join the party; measuring 14.5 inches.

A small storm blew in, forcing us to seek refuge in the cove of a lake we hadn't fished before. We let the wind blow us down a steep, cliffy bank while we threw balanced minnows. 

The technique paid off with some more terrific crappie and a nice smallmouth!

We finished the first day with only a few pike and a small batch of jumbo crappie.

Day 2 we took a long bike ride, ate at one of our favorite restaurants and hunted for a few mushrooms. After dinner we decided to hit the water for a few hours. We caught bass, crappie and a few pike.

 

Day 3 it began to rain off and on, but we were really starting to figure out where the pike were. Find the emerging cabbage beds and you found the pike. 

Despite being an experienced angler and one who has caught pike before, Katie would shriek every time a pike charged her fly. She couldn't help it. The speed and ferocity of a pike attack on a fly is unmatched in the freshwater world.

Day 4 the rain came down in buckets for most of the day. We still made it out for a short bit to catch a few fish.

Day 5, in the pouring rain, we relocated to an entirely different area. We crossed our fingers the rain would let up enough to dry a few of our things out. As luck would have it, after we set camp the clouds parted a bit and gave us a few hours of solid fishing.

We were more than enthused about our change in location; the pike were plentiful and larger. 

Day 6 was our last day of fishing and we hit the water hard. Tons of pike were caught without another person seen all day.

So far we'd caught lots of pike but none were over 27 inches. Leave it to Katie, though, to entice a big fish out of the shadows. 

"EEEKKK! Oh, it's big!" Katie exclaimed, as the large gator peeled line off her reel.

"Good job, honey! I knew a big one had to be lurking somewhere around here."

We netted the fish; 32 inches and 8 pounds. 

I was jazzed for her to get a big gator. The memorable fish shot back into the depths to produce more pike for us to catch next year. By the end of the day our flies looked haggard and so were we.

The following day we drove south and back to the real world. The trip was a huge success; countless pike were caught and despite the several days of rain, we had mostly calm water. 

At some point on the drive Katie looked over at me with a big smile and said, "gators!"

It was safe to say, I wouldn't have to convince Katie to return next year.