Nice Au Sable pike on the fly

[Steeldrifter 0]

Avoided all the crazies this holiday weekend and headed North for a couple days mid week to get some work done on the cabin. I can never go near the Au Sable without sneaking in some fishing so after getting the yard work done yesterday evening I grabbed the 10wt fly rod and a box of pike flies I have been tying the past few weeks and hit the river for a couple hours. It was more like an October day with the cold drizzle and fog but was well worth it since I had numerous smaller pike chase the fly and then on the last cast this nice one just nail the streamer and put up a heck of a good fight.

[mikechell 0]

Nice pike. Are those "breeding" scars on the tail?

[Kentuckysteve 0]

Very nice catch.

[dflanagan 0]

Nice fish!

[Poopdeck 0]

Kind of skinny for its length and it's head size. Is that normal for them after a Michigan winter or do they spawn this time of the year.

[Steeldrifter 0]

Yep they spawn here early spring, plus these are river fish not lake fish so most river pike are leaner than the lake dwelling fish. It actually had a pretty decent girth to it just not a sagging belly like some lake fish get.

 

Mike the pike here spawn early spring so it could be spawning scars.

[retrocarp 0]

Great Pic Stevo

[islander727 0]

Nice fish.

[Bryon Anderson 0]

Good call avoiding the crazies. I made the mistake of trying to float the Au Sable on Memorial Day once--won't do that again. That is a dandy of a pike!

[zip 0]

Gorgeous fish Steve!

[vicrider 0]

Slice the fillets out of that guy. Carefully slide above and below y-bones and remove them. Cut top sirloin into fish fingers and bottom into patties and have some good fresh boneless pike eating from good water. UmmUmm

[Steeldrifter 0]

I haven't kept a fish in years, but with that said I have heard many people say pike-ka-bobs are delicious when the pike is cleaned properly.

[vicrider 0]

Those top strips after you cut y-bones would be perfect to ka-bob. Cut them in 1" sections and spear them on your stick with various other items and bbq . That is a way I've never done it and one of the few ways I've never eaten pike but I have taken the heft fillets below the y-bones and bbq-ed them skin side down and basted with mixed bbq sauce and honey. Again, delicious.

[ggmiller 0]

Nice pike! Thanks for posting the pic. Glad you were able to get away for a bit!!

[Rocco 0]

By the time you add barbecue sauce, smoke, and honey, newspaper would taste good too. (grin)

 

Pipe are actually OK eating -- y bones aside -- but they do suffer by comparison with the walleye, perch, and pan fish in the same waters.

 

And freshness makes a big difference. Shore lunch made with newly caught pike and walleyes really narrows the taste difference.

 

Rocco