Thomas Francis holds up the record pike he pulled from Hayden Lake on Tuesday. Photo by Taylor Hale.
Posted on 03/26/2023 8:51:07 AM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
Thomas Francis holds up the record pike he pulled from Hayden Lake on Tuesday. Photo by Taylor Hale.
Thomas Francis knew it was no ordinary pike at the end of his line in Hayden Lake on Tuesday. “It was like a freight train,” he said. “She hit it good.”
He was used to catching 20 or 30 pounders and they put up a good fight. But this was different. “She dug herself into the bottom and didn’t want to come up,” Francis said. Slowly, she did. In another five minutes, the pike was netted and on board.
Francis took a look, along with fishing buddy Taylor Hale, and knew he had hooked something special. Something big. “This isn’t like our other fish,” Francis said.
The next day, after finally finding a certified scale, the 49-inch pike with a 26-inch girth weighed 40.76 pounds. That made it the largest pike to come from Idaho waters, and the third-largest in the United States. It’s already listed with Idaho Fish and Game under certified weight records. It beat the previous mark of 40 pounds, 2 ounces, caught by Kim Fleming in Lower Twin Lake in August 2010.
Francis almost couldn’t believe it. As the Post Falls man talked about it Thursday, he was still overjoyed and beaming with pride. “I’ve been chasing a record pike pretty much since I moved here in 2005,” he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at cdapress.com ...
What a monster pike. "[The] largest pike to come from Idaho waters, and the third-largest in the United States."
You should’a seen the one that got away!
I don’t know if I still have the stamina, assuming I ever did.
That is one heck of a trophy!
Looks like a freaking dinosaur…
Well done!
Ironic.
A little perspective manipulation going on in that photo.
Wonder if it tastes like Chicken, LOL.
How do they know this Pike was a hen? Was anyone who looked at this fish a biologist? Asking for a friend.
Every fisherman pushes it toward the camera.
Imagine a pike this size nibbling at your bait!!!
Here in S.E. Mich on Lake St. Clair, they troll for musky using chihuahuas as bait......Personally, I can't think of a better use for them.
LOL
“Every fisherman pushes it toward the camera.”
Only the ones experienced in fish porn.
Not that much, though. A 40 pound Northern is a big fish.
I fish the Yukon, especially in August. Most the pike are over 38 inches, up to 49 inches. On a good day, everybody catches 45-50 pike. I haven’t seen this quality pike fishing since Canada in mid 60s. We release all of them. We caught one 48 inch female 3 times last summer. I don’t fish for salmon anymore. Just luv real eels and 16 inch baby burbots with garlic scent. We also catch sheefish & 44 inch burbot.
Back in the 90’s went to Lake of the Woods with some friends and one of the guys thought he snagged a log so he reeled it and it looked like a log but once it got to the surface, it exploded. He was able to boat it. We took some pictures and he released it. Figured it was around 30 lbs.
Oops. I guessed wrong.
I saw “really big fish” and “Coeur d’Alene” and surmised it must’ve been about a sturgeon. You know what a surgeon is, yeah? “He’s a doctor cuts you open when-a you sick.”
Nope. It was a fresh-water barracuda.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.