20 Lb desert pike

[pezvela]

There is nothing good about fishing in a monsoon except that occasionally it doesn’t accompany the winds. Today was such a day.
I left Spanish Fork at 6:00AM with dark clouds preventing the coming of the dawn. The skies were guaranteeing rain, but it made little matter to me. Sometimes a collapsing barometer and over cast skies provide excellent fishing. Wrongway Johnson and I were about to find out.
Shortly after 7:00 we launched at Painted Rock State Park’s ramp. The state park employee gave us a brief interrogation regarding Quagga Mussels and we were delighted she was doing her job.
The clouds were low as we started casting. It didn’t look promising, but we tried to remain optimistic in spite of the weather. After the initial talk regarding lure selection, locations to try and the assorted fishing banter we fell into silence. Only the braided line whistling through the rod guides and the splash of lures created notes to the fishing symphony.
We had been casting and moving quietly along the shoreline when another boat approached from up lake. I nodded towards the bass boat and Wrongway acknowledged their presence with a grunt.
We moved from our location to accommodate the path the two other anglers were working. It was that or perhaps trying to move to a more promising location before they headed that way.
Barely out of the other boats sight, Wrongway, who was on the bow running the electric trolling motor, reared back on the trod setting the hook hard. I scrambled to get my lure from the water, raise the big motor to prevent the fish from fouling on the prop and then to simply watch the show as it unfolded in front of me. The rod bent deeply and the reel protested as the pike fought to escape the hooks in its mouth.
Five then ten minutes passed and neither of us had seen the fish in the stained water. When it came to the surface I was surprised. It had fought much harder than its 34 inches. Grabbing it slightly behind the gill rakers I lifted it from the water and into the boat.
“Eight to nine pounds,” I guessed. He concurred with a nod and the fish went into the live well for a later release.
Not quite a yardstick is it? He queried. To be considered a worthy adversary on Yuba a pike must meet a minimum standard. That standard is 36 inches….A yardstick. This was a beautiful fish and he fought harder than could be expected, but not a yardstick.
“Let’s go find a big one.” I said. He dropped the electric motor back into the water and the casting resumed.
It was raining hard now and there is nowhere to escape it in my center console boat. One must sit out there and get drenched or go in. One fish was in the live well, albeit a small one and there was the promise that a full fledge bite might start so there was no talk of going in. We would simply endure the monsoon rains.
Fifteen minutes later I was changing lures when I saw him set the hook. Something didn’t look right. There was no head shaking or long fast initial run like a big pike does. This fish just sat there, not exactly succumbing to the pressure, but not fighting either at least for a second or two. Then all Hell broke loose. The big hen dropped her head and ran to the deep water with the reel protesting each yard of line she took with her. She turned and ran under the boat, but I had already raised the big motor and cleared the lines.
Pike are sprint ambushers, evolved for an initial rapid rush to catch and kill their quarry. They are not known for long dogged fights, but no one told this fish. It took a while before the fish was at the top and we could get a good look at her. Her length and girth was impressive.
I seldom carry a net aboard the boat. I believe they do more harm than good, especially to the pike who have a propensity to twist and thrash around when boated, but I could see I needed one for this fish who had a single treble hook in her lip.
The fish was still green and I had a moment or two to figure out how I was going to get the fish in the boat when I heard a voice I recognized call over, “You need help?”Cal Robertson asked.
“Have you got a net?
“I’ll come along side and give you one”, the affable Cal remarked. Net in hand Wrongway lifted the big pikes head and I swooped it up. 39.5 inches with a 16 inch girth. She stopped the IGFA Certified scale at 18 7/8 pounds. 19 pounds and 40 inches, one helluva fish in anyone’s book.
While bigger fish than her have been caught aboard my boat, she was the first one of this season that approached 20 pounds. Frankly, with the DWR encouraging the killing of these magnificent animals, I feared that there might not be any more of them left in Yuba.
We returned to the ramp, took a few photos of the great fish then Wrongway released her. With a defiant splash of the tail, she disappeared into the murky depths of Yuba, hopefully so that you too can catch her.
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[CROSSINEYES]

great report pez...[] think ill wait till nexy yr for the y.
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[bigpikeguy]

I love your fishing stories. The way you tell them gives me butterflies and makes me feel like was right there with ya'll. You should write for an outdoor mag or something.
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