Pike caught in record-breaking sizes off Maine coast

The Atlantic salmon fishery in Maine is booming this year, with catches of pike in record-breaking sizes.

On July 20, recreational fisherman Nate Nason reeled in a 38.5-inch pike from Sebago Lake, setting a new state record. The previous record was a 36.5-inch pike caught by Garrett Stover in 2009.

"I couldn't believe it when I saw it," said Nason, who caught the fish using an orange soft plastics jerkbait. "It was a pretty good battle."

Nason's fish bested the all-time international record for pike, a 36.7-inch fish caught by Sven Olsson in Sweden in 2014.

In June, John Somes Jr. landed a 37.5-inch pike from Piscataquis Lake, also setting a new state record.

Maine's Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife says that Lakes Sebago and Piscataquis are "producing some real monsters this year." Pike up to 40 inches long have been caught in both lakes this season.

Anglers typically target smaller pike, ranging in size from 18 to 24 inches, but the larger specimens are being taken as well.

What's behind the surge in big pike catches? DIF&W biologist Jonathan Winter offers one explanation: "Pike are predators and they are doing very well because there is an abundance of prey fish."

The resurgence of Maine's Atlantic salmon fishery has helped to boost the population of prey fish – including alewives and smelts – which pike feed on. The growth of the smallmouth bass population is another contributing factor to the abundance of prey fish.

Pike swarm bait in Minnesota lakes, fisherman reel in big catches

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has confirmed that the increasing number of Pike in Minnesota lakes is due to an aggressive swarm bait campaign.

Anglers are reaping the benefits of the pike swarm bait as they reel in big catches of this game fish. While there are still some who are skeptical of the impact of this bait, the evidence is piling up that it is having a significant impact on the population of pike in Minnesota lakes.

The use of pike swarm bait began several years ago as state fisheries biologists noticed an increase in the number of pike inMN lakes. In order to better understand what was causing this increase, they began to study the fish's eating habits. What they found was that this invasive fish was preying on other fish species, including walleye and bass.

In order to address this issue, state fisheries officials began using an aggressive swarm bait campaign in an effort to control the population of pike. The bait, which is made up of small fish, is designed to appeal to pike and trigger a feeding frenzy. This bait has been used extensively over the past few years and it seems to be working as evident by the increasing number of pike caught by anglers.

While there are some who are concerned about how this bait might be impacting other fish populations, state officials believe that it is still better to have too many pike than not enough. They will continue to use pike swarm bait as part of their efforts to manage this invasive fish species.

Pike invade California reservoirs, anglers reaping the rewards

Anglers are taking advantage of the Pike invading California reservoirs. The aggressive fish are reaching sizes up to 30 inches and provide some exhilarating fishing action.

The Feather River Fish Hatchery has been releasing large numbers of baby pike into Lake Oroville, Bucks Lake, and Diamond Valley Reservoir in Southern California. The hatchery has also released a smaller number of pike into other lakes in Northern California.

Many anglers are now targeting these fish with excitement, as they have never seen anything like this before. One angler, Dennis O'Neill, caught a nice 23-inch pike at Bucks Lake on July 2. He was using a silver spinnerbait with great success.

Diamond Valley Reservoir has also been productive for pike anglers. Boats are allowed on the lake, so you can cover more water while looking for these fish. They can be found in open water as well as near brushy areas and weed beds. Use lures such as crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and jerkbaits that imitate baitfish.

Pike are known for their "fight" or aerial displays when hooked. They will often jump out of the water and create quite a show for anglers. So if you're looking for an adrenaline rush while fishing, go after some pike!

Pike put up a fight on Idaho's Henry's Lake

Pike are common in Idaho, but they can be catch-and-release warriors on Henry's Lake.

Last weekend, my fishing buddy and I decided to try our luck for some pike on the east side of the lake. We arrived around 7:00 a.m., setup our rods, and started casting. We were using spoons for bait, and within minutes we each had a pike on the line.

The fish were very active and kept us busy for the next few hours. My buddy managed to land one that was just over 26 inches, while I landed one that was just over 30 inches. Both fish put up a great fight and were a lot of fun to catch.

If you're looking for some good pike fishing action, Henry's Lake is a great place to go. The fish are plentiful and can be very aggressive when hooked.

Record breaking pike caught on Alberta's Red Deer River

Alberta's Red Deer River has produced a new world record pike. The massive fish was caught by Jeff Schultz of Ponoka, Alberta and weighed in at a whopping 33.25 pounds (15.11 kilograms).

This isn't the first time that Schultz has reeled in a giant pike from the Red Deer River. In fact, he has caught several fish over 30 pounds (13.6 kilograms) from this waterway. In fact, the old world record for pike was also caught on the Red Deer River back in 1995 by Ronald Johnston of Innisfail, Alberta. That fish weighed 31.5 pounds (14.3 kilograms).

Schultz's accomplishment is even more impressive when you consider that Alberta's pike population has been struggling in recent years. In fact, the provincial government has been working hard to rebuild the pike population in recent years through a number of restoration programs.

"I'm excited to know there are good numbers of big fish out there again," said Schultz in an interview with the Edmonton Journal. "It tells me that something we're doing is working."

The new world record pike is a testament to the health of Alberta's fisheries and should help inspire more people to get out and enjoy this great sport!