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| If you had a choice to fish a good Pike Lake or a good Musky Lake which would you choose and why?
I'd favor a good Canadian Pike lake. It's all about the numbers. I've been on some Canadian lakes where we've boated Pike all day long, with some of them being good sized and good fighters. I just wish they tended to get that big (rule of thimb) state side. It happens occasionally, but not often. But the numbers are great, and I like throwing spoons.
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Posts: 425
| MUSKY LAKE!!!
Pike are just bait |
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Posts: 73
| "Pike are just bait."
Dude...you've never BEEN on a good Pike lake if you really believe that. I'd take either on about any day. |
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Posts: 425
| If you like the numbers game, DON'T musky fish. They call it HUNTING for a reason. |
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Posts: 1060
Location: Medford, WI | Definitely musky....just something about them. But, with that being said, I think it would be a blast to go way upnorth and fish them like you brought up hawkeye. I watch that on t.v. quite a bit and it looks like a lot of fun. Just not quite as much as having those 50+" muskies chasing your bait around in circles though.
-Jake Bucki |
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Posts: 2323
Location: Stevens Point, WI | I'd take a big pike lake any day. Those who don't just haven't caught big pike before. Something truly special about a four foot class pike. Catch numerous ones that size in a day, and you've done something not many can say they ever will.
Edited by TJ DeVoe 4/9/2009 4:39 PM
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Posts: 32926
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | How about both? That's what draws me back to the Goon every year. Pike and Muskies in trophy proportions.
I'd take a 45" pike over a 50" muskie any day.
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| But who wouldn't want big fish AND numbers? That is possible with some Pike lakes. There's really not much difference between a 45" fish and a 50". And it is hunting. It's not as they are just jumping into your boat. That's a myth for even the best of Canadian lakes.
I just think too many people have the idea that all Pike everywhere are like those hammer handle nuisance fish that often bother you in some Musky lakes. Some people that fish Musky exclusively won't fish "numbers lakes", but only pursue trophy opportunities. But some do. So isn’t that still Musky hunting? There's no right or wrong to any of this---it's a matter of preference. And different days have different goals.
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Posts: 415
Location: madison wisconsin | You can catch pike fishing for panfish, bass, walleye, pike, and musky. A pretty easy fish to catch IMO. Muskies on the other hand..... Not so much, as we all know.
I'd give up catching 40" pike all day to catch one 50" musky anytime. |
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Posts: 32926
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Muskies are not all that harder to catch than Pike in a literal sense; it's mostly numbers that make the difference. One can catch Muskies fishing for all other species too. |
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Posts: 73
| Another thing I'd add is that while the smaller Pike might be "easy to catch", the big Pike live a different lifestyle and are not so easily caught. When it comes to big, I'm happy with either. |
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Posts: 431
| I'd definitely go for a fly in pike trip just after ice out so I can give my fly rod a serious workout. Something about the chance to sight fish big fish gets me going. That trip is definitely on my list of trips to take. So much fishing to do, so little time. |
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Posts: 32
Location: Minnesota | I consider myself an equal opportunity esox angler. I really enjoy targeting big fish, be it Big Pike or Big Musky. Both offer different characteristics that you can target throughout the year and in different conditions. I also like lakes that offer both Big Pike and Musky, which always prompts the debate of Pike in Musky lakes. |
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Posts: 6
| Piking is fun, but musky is a lifestyle |
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| I've had a ball fishing for BOTH species. As Esox Anglers, I would suggest we band together. Anybody who says Pike are just bait have never seen the Pike I've seen in sub arctic Canada. When I say those fishermen are ignorant, that's not a knock, it just says they don't know.
Walleye and Bass are fine if nothing else is biting. If you tell me you lump Pike in with Walleye or bass, you've never seen real Pike water. People who don't like Pike have fished on waters where people keep everything they catch and waters where idiots are allowed to spear. If you can spear a Pike, why not a brook trout or a walleye? Try to get that through St. Paul, Madison or Lansing.... Spearing is CRAP and you shouldn't be able to do it to ANY fish. We as Esox Anglers need to hang together. NO spearing and catch and release. If you want to eat fish, you should probably be fishing for panfish. |
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Posts: 463
Location: Sw Pennsylvania | Well where i'm from in southwest pa were pretty happy to catch a pike on the river, the numbers are real low. I'd go with pike lake and catching a 45 in would be just fine with me......i'd take a musky lake too though...not very chosey fellow!!! |
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Posts: 317
| Unless you are fishing some remote, just opened Canadian waters, I think really big Pike are harder to catch than Muskie. |
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Posts: 6
| On trophy pike waters vs trophy musky waters - Pike are far easier to get to bite. |
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Posts: 457
Location: Minneconia | I would easily give up a 45" pike to catch a 35" musky. Too easy to catch, mess up your baits, smell like duece, and....not a musky. Maybe there should be a PikeFIRST.com?
Note how sad I am below being FORCED to take a picture with the welfare esocid....
Edited by Dirt Esox 4/9/2009 11:51 PM
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Posts: 392
Location: lake x...where the hell is it? | good pike lake or a good musky lake...which ones closer?
i want to go to holland and catch pike. |
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Posts: 32926
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | DE,
I suggest you fish only waters that contain no big pike, leaving them all for the rest of us to catch.  |
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Posts: 1295
Location: WI | I'd hate to choose. Flyrod pike are a ton of fun! |
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Posts: 73
Location: Indiana | There's nothing like going to a big pike lake in Canada and catching monster pike. Tearing up baits that have never been looked at by a muskie. It's a good opportunity to get your money's worth on the baits that have never been bit. And the same rule applies to pike fishing (even more so)...big baits equal big fish!!!! It's nice to practice your hook sets about a hundred times in a week too.
I think most people have never seen a trophy pike lake...where even 50 inchers are possible. |
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Posts: 2064
| Aprox. 500 over 42" and 11 pike over 46" including a replica of a 48.75 x 24.5 (all at lakes you can drive to)......... Been there done that its now BORING! too easy - I'll take a muskie lake any day!!!
Edited by IAJustin 4/10/2009 9:24 AM
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Posts: 1106
Location: Muskegon Michigan | I like both and fish for both. I think a 50 inch Pike is the biggest prize of all. That si like a 58 to 60 inch Musky. Very rare. Kingfisher |
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Posts: 462
Location: Antioch, IL | Fishing is fun. Period. Don't care if I'm on a musky lake, pike lake, bass pond or catching bluegill out of a county ditch. If I'm fishing I'm happy. Don't even really need to be catching, but it helps. |
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| (all at lakes you can drive to)......... Been there done that its now BORING!>
So....how many years have you been doing this? That would be a lot of Pike per year. And big Pike at that. But still hard to imaging being bored with it.... |
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Posts: 2064
| Best day was 23 pike over 42" and 90% of those numbers are from 8 weeks of fishing - big pike are easy in May on a lot of waters in Canada |
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Posts: 457
Location: Minneconia | Agree with IAJustin, we'd go to ONT as soon as ice was out and hammer 40-45" pike in the bays, it's way too easy and becomes boring. Pike will eat anything. |
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Posts: 32926
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | And you were not fishing Muskies when they were just post spawn and concentrated because.....?
Muskies will eat anything too. Look at what we throw at them.
If there were the number of Muskies as there are Pike, you'd be bored with Muskies. I'd love to be that 'bored'. |
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