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[quote Duckbutter]Steel leaders are the safe bet. Since I switched to 25-40lb fluoro I may have been lucky with 13 straight with no break offs, but I have had to replace the leader a couple times after notches and wear from a few, but I have seen an increase in bites. I will see how many I catch before I get my first break off.
More important than an appropriate leader, for those new to pike, go get some Jaw openers or mouth props! Save your fingers lots of slivers! In October fishing crank baits from my float tube I caught 7 one day, and even with long needle nose my hands got all torn up trying to just open their mouths to get access. Mouth openers are essential to a good time.
I am looking forward to fishing Yuba for the first time, and will haul as many lawn darts out of there as I can. Last night we had some parmiggiano breaded pike fillets, baked, not fried. Love me some pike on the palette!
How many perch will be coming over from fish lake?[/quote]
If it's working for you, than that's all that matters...but BIG pike have BIG teeth and 25 lb line is like dental floss to them if they take the lure whole and it hits those teeth! You're right about the jaw spreaders, also the extra long, handle squeeze style pliers are great! and a finger saver!
This was a "smallish pike," 6 inch fat swimbait, engulfed no prob! Pretty decent chompers for a smaller pike.
![[Image: piko_zps895edf7d.png]](http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c296/utahgolf/piko_zps895edf7d.png)
![[Image: epicpikeday037_zps573c5726.jpg]](http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c296/utahgolf/epicpikeday037_zps573c5726.jpg)
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50 to 60 thousands [shocked]
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Yuba is a Boom or Bust lake. That is the way I look at it. There is no conservation pool and the majority of those fish will be dead in a drought year. Look at the last 15 years on Yuba: Great perch, to nothing. Great rainbows to nothing. Good walleyes to nothing. Good cat fish to little. Great pike today, but what will it be in 3 years? It is a large reservoir, with enough escapement that pike will live and reproduce and there will be more pike next year and the year after. Until ag and industry call for their water that is.
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[quote utahgolf]
PBH, ...I wanted to hear your take on removing trophy lakers? [/quote]
Assuming you're talking about Fish Lake here. Completely different situation there. The lake trout in Fish Lake struggle. They DO self-sustain (meaning that they are not stocked). However, their main forage is next to non-existant (utah chub). In Fish Lake you rarely find lake trout between 26 - 36". They just aren't there. However, you have a lot of fish up to 26" and a good number over 36". The trouble is that those smaller lake trout have a VERY difficult time converting from a diet of insects and small fish, to a strictly fish diet. That's why we're missing that group in the middle.
The few that do make the conversion GROW VERY QUICKLY (maximum growth rate!) from 26" to over 35"!!
so, protecting those big lake trout at Fish Lake may be more necessary -- but I would never fault another angler for keeping a 40" lake trout from Fish Lake. It is important for anglers to harvest lake trout at Fish Lake, but it is a very different situation than Yuba.
I've attached a good study on lake trout at Fish Lake. It's a good read. Enjoy.
[#FF0000]Where did perchsuck go??? I hate it when guys open their mouths to start something, but then tuck their tails, run, and hide. Look -- it's obvious that you (perchsuck)[/#FF0000] [#FF0000]are passionate about this topic. So why not discuss it? You can't just throw mud, and walk away. Stick around and maybe we can each learn something from each other? [/#FF0000]
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Ruining Yuba?
i have been fishing Pike on yuba for about 30 years now.. most we caught back in the old days was trolling for walleye but we would catch 3 or 4 a year.. well the ones that did not cut our lines as they hit.. we did not run cable leader then.. this last summer me and my boys hit so many pike at yube it was unreal.. one was 44 inch and 24 lbs fun fishing for sure... but being a pike fishermen for as long as i have been i'll tell you i have seen first hand what to many pike can do to a lake.. just take a look at redmond res.. in the 80's it was not uncommon to catch 4 to 8 lbs pike and some in the teen's. in the 90's there were more pike but in the 2 to 4 lbs range.. in the 2000's lot's more pike but now anything over 24 to 28 inches was a good fish.. go down there today and see if you can find a fish over 24 inches!! and there is a ton of carp in the lake.. i have not seen or heard of a pike coming out of redmonds over 30 inches in a long time.. the same thing will happen to yuba! i will not mater how many pike are pulled out of there now or later it will happen! fishermen have very little impact on fish in that big of a lake!!
i think it's funny that every one thinks it it's like a plant and take trout lake!! it's not it a self sustaining pike perch and walleye lake. and the fish will do just that self sustain. it only took like 8 years for the pike to do what they have done in yuba.. lol it will take very little for them to keep doing it for years to come!!
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[quote PBH][quote utahgolf]
PBH, ...I wanted to hear your take on removing trophy lakers? [/quote]
Assuming you're talking about Fish Lake here. Completely different situation there. The lake trout in Fish Lake struggle. They DO self-sustain (meaning that they are not stocked). However, their main forage is next to non-existant (utah chub). In Fish Lake you rarely find lake trout between 26 - 36". They just aren't there. However, you have a lot of fish up to 26" and a good number over 36". The trouble is that those smaller lake trout have a VERY difficult time converting from a diet of insects and small fish, to a strictly fish diet. That's why we're missing that group in the middle.
The few that do make the conversion GROW VERY QUICKLY (maximum growth rate!) from 26" to over 35"!!
so, protecting those big lake trout at Fish Lake may be more necessary -- but I would never fault another angler for keeping a 40" lake trout from Fish Lake. It is important for anglers to harvest lake trout at Fish Lake, but it is a very different situation than Yuba.
I've attached a good study on lake trout at Fish Lake. It's a good read. Enjoy.
[#FF0000]Where did perchsuck go??? I hate it when guys open their mouths to start something, but then tuck their tails, run, and hide. Look -- it's obvious that you (perchsuck)[/#FF0000] [#FF0000]are passionate about this topic. So why not discuss it? You can't just throw mud, and walk away. Stick around and maybe we can each learn something from each other? [/#FF0000][/quote]
I hadn't even thought of fish lake, I was thinking the gorge. But good info there.
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I really can't say with Flaming Gorge, because I just don't know enough about it. Again, different place with a different set of variables to deal with.
Really, you have to look at each individual place. This is why I get so aggravated when people say silly things like "well, back in Minnesota they manage pike like this....". I hate to say it, but this ain't Minnesota!
If i had to take a guess, I would venture to say that Flaming Gorge has a healthy population of lake trout that have been producing "trophy" lake trout for years, and years. Why change anything??? If the fishery has been supporting a quality lake trout fishery for a long time, why start protecting those big fish any more than the existing regulations that are already in place? (I'm making complete assumptions here without looking up any regulations at all....)
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Ron,
I agree with you 100%. The pike population in Yuba has passed the tipping point just as it did in Comins Lake in Nevada years ago. I submit that if there isn't a significant harvest of pike from Yuba, they'll overpopulate and stunt. Throw into the equation the vagaries of the water demands on that pond and it becomes virtually unmanageable. I submit we all oughta enjoy it while it's available. Come September we'll likely only be able to get pike by gathering up the carcasses along the banks of the Sevier downstream.
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Hey PBH the best part about a subject like this is everyone gets educated (if they are willing to listen). There are a lot of folks that think they know more than the professionals and have a narrow focus on only what species or method that they use. Keep up the attempt to train us average anglers in the biology and the social importance of fishing.[  ]
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I agree. This is a good learning thread, with just a pinch of emotion kicked in for good measure.
One female pike can produce 250,000 to 500,000 eggs, and with the fast growth rates harvest is going to be crucial to preserve the fishery.
Thanks for not locking the thread.....yet.
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[quote PBH]
If i had to take a guess, I would venture to say that Flaming Gorge has a healthy population of lake trout that have been producing "trophy" lake trout for years, and years. Why change anything??? If the fishery has been supporting a quality lake trout fishery for a long time, why start protecting those big fish any more than the existing regulations that are already in place? (I'm making complete assumptions here without looking up any regulations at all....)[/quote]
I would say the trophy lake trout fishing at the gorge is good because of the balance of the reservoir yes, but also because the lake trout fisherman practice selective harvest as well. I don't know of any avid lake trout fisherman that keep the trophies. and we've seen the same lakers being caught multiple times, which is what it's about. I hunt more than I fish and it's such a unique opportunity with fishing, that trophies don't HAVE to be harvested and that same enjoyment and satisfaction of "getting" a trophy can be shared to others. I don't disagree about harvest of fish in general but I don't see a "pay it forward" or selective harvest being a bad thing either, even if it doesn't serve any benefit other than sharing that big fish for others to enjoy.
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As far as laker removal at Flaming Gorge, the theory is there are too many monsters, and not enough trout and kokes to feed, and the fear is it'll crash.
The lake that it parallels with the most is Blue Mesa Reservoir, on the Gunnison River in Colorado. Great trophy lake trout fishery,best in Colorado, but it is now arguably being mismanaged as they are removing LOADS of lakers every year to protect the kokanee population.
The lakers are dependent on the kokanee as their main forage, and the felt protective measures were necessary as these kokes are used as brood stock in the entire lake. The issue I have with their plan is their lack of protecting kokes during the critical spawn. Not only is koke fishing legal year round, they also allow snagging of spawners, which in my mind is utterly ridiculous. Permitting snagging of a spawning broodstock??????
Flaming Gorge, because of the protective restrictions and conservative limits on kokanee are already ahead of the game, and then you also have liberal limits of smaller macs which help keep the population from bottle necking too much.
I'm all for watching to see how burbot will continue to effect the efficacy of the laker spawn, as many are on the rock pile sucking up eggs as they are dropped, and any effort to remove lakers are a bit premature in my opinion. The problem now is how many kokes are being removed by burbot and not lakers.
I know this is a yuba post, but I love any discussion on the Gorge. I hope Ryno sees this and chimes in, as I value his opinion more than any other regarding this topic.
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wait a minute!! Hold on. This is crazy....
I'm shaking. I'm  . I'm scared.
did I really just hear that? Did some really just say that another state (Colorado) is doing something wrong, and that Utah is doing some right? Not only right, but I think the statement was " ahead of the game"! WOW!!
Awesome. Truly awesome.
One thing that many people do NOT recognize is that Utah's fisheries managers are usually ahead, not behind, in their management practices. Most people do not recognize this, and continue on with the attitude that the grass is greener elsewhere. Glad to see some recognizing that some of our mangers actually do know what they are doing!
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[quote PBH]wait a minute!! Hold on. This is crazy....
I'm shaking. I'm . I'm scared.
did I really just hear that? Did some really just say that another state (Colorado) is doing something wrong, and that Utah is doing some right? Not only right, but I think the statement was " ahead of the game"! WOW!!
Awesome. Truly awesome.
One thing that many people do NOT recognize is that Utah's fisheries managers are usually ahead, not behind, in their management practices. Most people do not recognize this, and continue on with the attitude that the grass is greener elsewhere. Glad to see some recognizing that some of our mangers actually do know what they are doing![/quote]
PBH, Utah is actually well managed, and I travel to fish in Utah almost as much as I fish in Colorado. Most of the heated topics in Utah revolve around illegal introductions or lakes where management is crippled by water regulations, things that are beyond the control of the DWR.
Don't let it go to your head.
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This forum read that just about EVERYONE that hits Yuba has to tell everyone about it. In return, more and more are going there and reporting about it as well. And so on and so on. BUT, the one thing constant, is it sounds like most everyone, including newbies, are catching Pike. And in most cases multi numbers. Add to that they are still a comin' sounds like this place can definitely use harvesting.
Moderation over gluttony is questionable in most cases, not sure on this one.
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[quote Duckbutter]
I'm all for watching to see how burbot will continue to effect the efficacy of the laker spawn, as many are on the rock pile sucking up eggs as they are dropped, and any effort to remove lakers are a bit premature in my opinion. The problem now is how many kokes are being removed by burbot and not lakers.
I know this is a yuba post, but I love any discussion on the Gorge. I hope Ryno sees this and chimes in, as I value his opinion more than any other regarding this topic.[/quote]
the burbot are a huge issue effecting the kokes! it will be interesting/scary to see. Not unlike how the carp do just as much predation on walleye/perch eggs and fry down at yuba I'd imagine.
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love the pic yote![cool]
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Quote:. Not unlike how the carp do just as much predation on walleye/perch eggs and fry down at yuba I'd imagine.
But the Gorge does have one thing going for it, HEAVY fishing pressure for burbot, while there is virtually no pressure for carp at Yuba. Perhaps we need to have carp-o-thons at Yuba to perhaps help, (although it's next to hopeless).
Angling pressure has kept the burbot honest, which is better than nothing. I would rather see kokes protected even more with a 2 fish limit before they start culling large lakers.
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Since I live close to yuba and have spent countless hours there I figured I would give my opinion. You will not catch a northern over fifty inches if you keep a 40 inch fish and don't give it a chance to grow. [  ]
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This is definitely a fascinating read. Ever since I caught my first pike there 6 years ago (accidentally caught while jigging for perch) I have been addicted to these toothy critters. I haven't tried for them on the ice yet, but am correcting that tomorrow. This thread has prompted me to do some reading about pike management and in my uneducated opinion, I agree that there needs to be some aggressive harvest down there. So, if any of you are going to be on the lake tomorrow morning and want to help remove some of these smaller fish but are not to fond of their flavor....I'll gladly be of assistance![ ] Tips and pointers are welcome too, I figured I will just go in the general areas that I catch them in the summer and learn from there.
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