Pike and the Kid

Mekaniks

Gold supporter
AH legend
Joined
Jan 20, 2014
Messages
2,800
Reaction score
5,497
Location
Alaska & Washington St.
Media
84
Articles
1
Hunting reports
Africa
2
USA/Canada
9
Australia/NZ
1
Member of
SCI, RMEF
Hunted
South Africa, Namibia,....AK, WY, WA, ID, FL, SD, TX, HI
First a little of the backstory... Since January I have been super busy with work stuff, contract negotiations, Trustee meetings ect ect ect... and all required lots of traveling and time away from the family. To the point where I made Alaska Air Lines Gold level (elite) status before June. When the traveling finally slowed down the end of June my 12 year old son was really bumming because I had been gone and we had not gotten to do much together. So I told him that we would make time this summer for a fishing trip before school starts. So I made reservations for the two of us to take a fly-in pike fishing trip the day before school starts.

Yesterday 8/18 we get up at 0400, load our gear in the pickup, and head to Anchorage for our 7:30 am departure with Trail Ridge Air in one of their Beavers on floats from Lake Hood Seaplane Base out to Alexander Lake for a full day of fishing for northern pike. When we left the house the weather was horrible, raining big sheets of water and wind blowing like crazy. By the time we got to ANC the rain had stopped and still was overcast but the weather was looking up. A quick stop at McD for some breakfast, which my son complained about and said it upset his stomach for the next 2 hours. Trail Ridge was right on time and we were in the air headed north by 7:30. The further north we got the better the weather got. We landed on Alexander Lake at about 8:15. Included in the Trail Ridge package is a 14' Jon boat with engine, gas and a net. We were in the boat and fishing by 8:30. The weather was perfect and the water was glass. We hit a few of the fishing holes on the way up the lake and had several small fish in the boat by 10:00am. We started fishing our way in the direction our favorite honey hole where we had some good success last year. We anchored in the middle and started to fish. I was fishing off the back of the boat and my son off the front trying to stay out of each others way. (He is 12 and needs all the room he can get:sneaky: After a few casts I had a small pike on, about 14", and was trying to reel it to the boat through the grass and lily pads, when my son said "Dad I think you should get the net". My first response was "what do I need the net for? I think I got this." He said I think I got a big one. I turned around just in time to see this fish on the end of his line headed underneath the boat. After a close quarters Chinese fire drill around the boat we had his fish on board and were taking pics.:A Big Hello:
image.jpg

And I had one Super excited 12 year old!! Yes, that is the boat paddle he using to hold it up. He couldn't hold it up for the pics by the gills because of those nasty pike teeth. He caught it with a weed less frog on a 6ft spinning rod and 8lb test line.
We fished for about another hour and the wind started to come up so we headed to the lee of an island, had some lunch and rehashed to "big fish story" and checked out some of the pics of the day. About three o'clock the wind started to pick up and literally blew us off the lake. But by the time we got back to the drop off point it didn't matter, my son was one happy fisherman. We finished off the day cleaning up the boat and waiting for our ride home. Trail Ridge was about an 1 and 15 min late picking us up but at the end of the day it didn't matter and all was good. Nothing like a good day fishing. By the time we got back to ANC and 2.5 hr drive home it was after 10pm and the boss lady was waiting for us in the driveway. 1st day of school this morning at 0730 and I had to be to work at 0500. It's like I told my son, "when the fishing is good sleep is for dead people". :A Banana:
 
Special memories! Thanks for the write-up, I'm sure your son is going to be sharing the story of your adventure with all his friends at school!
 
Hell yeah Buddy, great way to end summer vacation!

Cheers,
Cody
 
dad of the year ,vote for sure mekaniks, :D Beers:
high five , to the lad , looks like a nasty bit of gear ,these pike......:P Fisherman::A No1:
are they good to eat ?
and a special mention to mrs mekaniks:P Gorgeous: , for not ripping an ear off,of you for keeping the young bloke out to late on a school night .
don't you know the rule about being home before the street lights come on .........:A Deal:
thanks for leting us enjoy your fishing adventure , with you boys (y)
 
My dad always said that school would never stand in the way of my proper education! I thank the old man for that every day.
 
I can imagine the fisherman's tales going around school about that one ! Congrats ... to you both !
Glen
 
(y)

Looks like you both caught a great memory!

Congrats!
 
Talking about pikes.
Have anyone seen an uglier pike than this:
DSC_1782.jpg

The head was pointing down.
Never seen a freak like this.
Got it when fishing perch.
 
did you wrestle that fish off a bear or something , pete.
he is pretty busted up ..........
 
Should be fun to know how old it was.
Cant be easy to find something to eat with that mouth.
She was blind on one eye and one eye was about an inch lower.
Didn't weight her but she wasn't heavy 4-6kg but rather long.
DSC_1776.jpg
 
Sounds like the perfect day. Pike are fish with some serious attitude. I just love fishing for them. Can't wait until I take my sons on a fly in trip. The best is when you're reeling one in and a bigger one comes along and latches onto the first and you bring both in. You get a double beer for those. :D Beer Bottle::D Beer Bottle:
 
As Far as good to eat,We never bothered with them, we threw them back, to Boney,,altho I understand smoking them is OK, but I could never keep them Lit
 
I really only like them pickled or fresh right out of the water on the BBQ. Other than that just too many bones and they don't freeze well.
Because they are not a native species (invasive) it is actually illegall to release them back in the water alive. The salmon runs on the entire Alexander Lake and River has almost been completely wiped out, and the salmon fishing season is closed year round now since the pike have taken over.
 
sad to say , most couintries,if not all ,have made stupid mistake ,introducing invasive species , that run amok with the native species.
still look like fun to catch , and certainly lit up junior mekaniks smile , and made summer all the better.
catch and kill , bait up up and let the boys and girl go for it .
we have a few fish species that are doing the same thing , fresh and salt water
 
Congrats that's sure a fat pike! How long was it?
 
Congrats that's sure a fat pike! How long was it?

My son swears it was at least 36" and I didn't have a tape measure and we didn't keep it. But we did some measuring after we got home based on the picture, it looks to me like about 32".
 
My son swears it was at least 36" and I didn't have a tape measure and we didn't keep it. But we did some measuring after we got home based on the picture, it looks to me like about 32".

Well however long it was it is a beauty.
 
Congrats to you and your boy...I was 43 before I caught one over 20 pounds! There's lots of days in a school year, a day fishing with Dad is far more valuable. Good job!

As far as the table quality of pike, I love them. There are different ways to fillet them so that they're boneless, and to me they taste as good as walleye. They are native here in Sask., and very wide spread so I never keep more than I can eat without freezing them.
 
My dad always said that school would never stand in the way of my proper education! I thank the old man for that every day.
I agree with Bullthrower338. Your dad was a great man.
Witold
 

Forum statistics

Threads
53,614
Messages
1,131,141
Members
92,669
Latest member
WillieBurk
 

 

 

Latest profile posts

Impact shots from the last hunt

Early morning Impala hunt, previous link was wrong video

Headshot on jackal this morning

Mature Eland Bull taken in Tanzania, at 100 yards, with 375 H&H, 300gr, Federal Premium Expanding bullet.

20231012_145809~2.jpg
 
Top