My First Northern Pike

By Lester

We had just recently moved to Wisconsin. I had caught many bass in the 3-5 pound and catfish in the 4-8 pound categories back in Iowa. I had never caught a northern pike, and I wanted to so bad, that I just couldn't wait (as you know 10 year olds are so very patient). One day we decided to go fishing in a place where my dad had fished when he was growing up here in Wisconsin. We were fishing some backwaters of the Wisconsin River near Wisconsin Rapids. So, when we got there we set up. I was using a #5 bucktail. I was moving along the bank casting. My dad was using chubs with a bobber. I started to get a little frustrated and walked back over by my dad. There was a log in the water, so I cast along side of it. A second later, there it was, a monster, at least 3ft long. I yelled to dad "I've got him." It really wasn't that long of a fight before I had him on the bank. My first northern pike, such a monster, with giant teeth. My dad insisted on measuring the beast. He said it was 18½" long and that I needed to release him so that he could get bigger for us to come back and catch him later. It is really hard to release the fish I catch, but I know that some of the big bass that I've caught were caught and released by someone else. Besides, my 9 year old brother came back to that place and caught his first northern pike, a 27" monster, a couple weeks later (which I'm sure he'll tell about sometime). I think that may have been the one I had on at first, before he got off and the smaller one got hooked, of course.

Lester Age 11 (Now)

Thanks for the big fish story, Lester!