What size pike to spear and what size to watch

[WalleyeSlayer21]

What is everyones recomendation for pike size, ?-? inches to spear, Just would like to see what others take and leave,

[shamalex72]

Spear under 30", watch and video over 30". Maybe someday I will take one for the wall, who knows.

[mrklean]

Spear under 30", watch and video over 30". Maybe someday I will take one for the wall, who knows.

+1

[KenM1987]

Spear what size makes you happy. If you want to take a 36 incher for the smoker then you shouldn't feel bad about it. If you want to spear a couple of 25 inchers for the deep fryer then thats cool too. I personally like to stick a few 24 inchers for the frying pan. Anything over 30 goes in the smoker.

[Hitman54]

I have never tried smoked pike. Do you brine them first? How long and what temp do you smoke them at? I would love to try it but I would hate to ruin a good eating pike!

[KenM1987]

8 cups water

1 cup pickling salt

Garlic

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1/3 cup soy sauce

Couple dashes of worchestire sauce

Let fish sit in brine for about twelve hours then take out and rinse and let it dry till it looks like it glazed over. Then I smoke it at 150 for two hours then I crank up the heat to 200 for two hours. You wAnt to get the IT to 140 I believe after that it's just how dry u want it

[Hitman54]

Thanks for the tips KenM1987! I will give it a try.

[WalleyeSlayer21]

Wow. That looks test worthy. Good recipe. Might have to try that, Thanks everyone, and Ken

[Gordie]

Simple what would you keep from a tip up or a hook and line its some what close to the same except that you cant measure the fish until after you have harvested it.

[Neighbor_guy]

When I do choose to spear a fish I try to find one in the 25-29" range. Larger fish get video/pics. Smaller fish get toyed with until they start to rip up decoys.

I use all barbless hooks and circle hooks on the tip ups. In that case every fish is released un harmed. For me tip ups are Catch and Release only.

In the end the size fish you choose to harvest is all up to you. There are some guys who will tell you 20" is perfect. Others think it's a waste if they are under 30". That's the joy of spearing, you decide to throw or not!!!

[merkman]

Simple what would you keep from a tip up or a hook and line its some what close to the same except that you cant measure the fish until after you have harvested it.

+1

[mwal]

I like to take fish in the mid to high 20's and usually just tease the big ones with decoys. I still take one over 30 now and then.But IMHO there is nothing wrong with taking any legal fish or game.

Mwal

[Hitman54]

KenM1987,

I tried out your smoked pike recipe yesterday and it turned out great! Thanks for the tip! I put a picture of the fish in the photo section.

[lungdeflator]

I haven't kept a pike off a tip up in awhile now. The last couple years I've gotten into spearing heavily out in ND. Coming from MN and simply not spearing a ton there, I never saw alot of fish and certainly not the size of fish that I see out in ND, its a world of difference. The first 2 years out here I was really trigger happy and that resulted in alot of pike in the fryer, oven, and pickling jars. They ranged in size from 3-16 lbs.

Now this year I am basically trophy hunting. Anything over 20lbs will probably go on the wall for my first fish mount. Other than that I will take an ocasional pike from 3-7lbs depending on how its going to be cooked/eaten.