# pike



## aj yount (May 18, 2017)

Tried out my new shimano dc rod and reel set up and a new jerk bait and was able to land 2 pike yesterday. Fun to sight fish for them in the shallows!


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

River fish or Lake fish?


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## aj yount (May 18, 2017)

Snakecharmer said:


> River fish or Lake fish?


Came out of a creek in my back yard


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## Crankbait-Crazy (Feb 25, 2020)

Wow if had that in my backyard I wouldn't get much done. Lucky man! Nice fish.


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## aj yount (May 18, 2017)

Crankbait-Crazy said:


> Wow if had that in my backyard I wouldn't get much done. Lucky man! Nice fish.


It sure is alot of fun. Wasnt able to catch many this year compared to the past. Theres also a TON of carp and suckers that are pretty damn big, but I dont fish for them


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## Crankbait-Crazy (Feb 25, 2020)

Some of those carp can be a real blast to catch. If nothing else they put up a heck of a fight.


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## flyasf (Mar 19, 2021)

let me fish your backyard bro


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

Betting either Breakneck Creek or a tributary. You're allowed to say what creek cause they’re all on Private Lands these days and permission is required to fish them! From your profile pic, looks like you got a super bass pond nearby as well! Lucky Guy, Indeed!


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## aj yount (May 18, 2017)

c. j. stone said:


> Betting either Breakneck Creek or a tributary. You're allowed to say what creek cause they’re all on Private Lands these days and permission is required to fish them! From your profile pic, looks like you got a super bass pond nearby as well! Lucky Guy, Indeed!


its called congress lake outlet on google and it goes right through my property. Its impossible to kayak due to brush and log jams every 50 feet and there is almost no bank access, only a few bridges that I havent seen anything at


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

So my guess was correct! The outflow from Congress Lake(Lots of northerns in CL!) goes thru Quail Hollow Park(now Stark Parks) and IS the “head waters” for Breakneck Creek which snakes it’s way northernly thru Portage county and dumps into the Cuyahoga just north of Kent! Breakneck Creek has been “stocking” the Cuyahoga with northern pike for Many Years(NOT Lake Rockwell!) All those original pike(ancestors to yours) came out of Congress Lake! Breakneck Creek is just that, a tiny creek near the headwaters and, while draining a great deal of Southern Portage county, becomes a sizeable flowage as it near I76, then Rt 59. The pike in Breakneck are legendary, albeit nearly untouchable due to majority of fishable water is private, posted or both.


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## aj yount (May 18, 2017)

c. j. stone said:


> So my guess was correct! The outflow from Congress Lake(Lots of northerns in CL!) goes thru Quail Hollow Park(now Stark Parks) and IS the “head waters” for Breakneck Creek which snakes it’s way northernly thru Portage county and dumps into the Cuyahoga just north of Kent! Breakneck Creek has been “stocking” the Cuyahoga with northern pike for Many Years(NOT Lake Rockwell!) All those original pike(ancestors to yours) came out of Congress Lake! Breakneck Creek is just that, a tiny creek near the headwaters and, while draining a great deal of Southern Portage county, becomes a sizeable flowage as it near I76, then Rt 59. The pike in Breakneck are legendary, albeit nearly untouchable due to majority of fishable water is private, posted or both.


Ive caught some huge pike out of the creek and no one ever believes when i tell them, oh well though


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## aj yount (May 18, 2017)

c. j. stone said:


> So my guess was correct! The outflow from Congress Lake(Lots of northerns in CL!) goes thru Quail Hollow Park(now Stark Parks) and IS the “head waters” for Breakneck Creek which snakes it’s way northernly thru Portage county and dumps into the Cuyahoga just north of Kent! Breakneck Creek has been “stocking” the Cuyahoga with northern pike for Many Years(NOT Lake Rockwell!) All those original pike(ancestors to yours) came out of Congress Lake! Breakneck Creek is just that, a tiny creek near the headwaters and, while draining a great deal of Southern Portage county, becomes a sizeable flowage as it near I76, then Rt 59. The pike in Breakneck are legendary, albeit nearly untouchable due to majority of fishable water is private, posted or both.


you ever fish breakneck?


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

No, could never get on it due to 95% being private-plus as you said, not navigable. Had a friend in Brimfield who knew a couple adjacent property owners. He fished it and caught bullfrogs there frequently(from their yards). However, I have fished Breakneck’s Mother, Congress Lake, three times. Once had the biggest northern on I’ve ever seen(“real” time) for a few minutes(it hit a crappie jig!, on an UL with 4# line)! Est. it was around 45”+.


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

aj yount said:


> Ive caught some huge pike out of the creek and no one ever believes when i tell them, oh well though


I believe it! Some of the most ideal habitat for pike in the whole state, IMO!


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## aj yount (May 18, 2017)

c. j. stone said:


> No, could never get on it due to 95% being private-plus as you said, not navigable. Had a friend in Brimfield who knew a couple adjacent property owners. He fished it and caught bullfrogs there frequently(from their yards). However, I have fished Breakneck’s Mother, Congress Lake, three times. Once had the biggest northern on I’ve ever seen(“real” time) for a few minutes(it hit a crappie jig on an UL with 4# line)! Est. it was around 45”+.


ive seen a few of those that size, ive landed one and have lost many


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## flyasf (Mar 19, 2021)

i kayak up the cuyahoga into break neck and pike fish, best pike fishing in NEO


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## aj yount (May 18, 2017)

flyasf said:


> i kayak up the cuyahoga into break neck and pike fish, best pike fishing in NEO


What do you use? I used some crank baits but the trebles are sometimes hard to get out of the pike so I usually use the Walmart $1 white spinner and it works like a charm


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## COmmodore 64 (Jun 24, 2006)

I HATE treble hooks. I replace them with inline singles. On spoons and cranks, and anything else that I can. 









Amazon.com : THKFISH 100pcs/Box Inline Single Hook Large Eye with Barbed Replacement Fishing Hook for Spoon Lures Baits Jigs Spinner #2#1 1/0 2/0 3/0 Black : Sports & Outdoors


Amazon.com : THKFISH 100pcs/Box Inline Single Hook Large Eye with Barbed Replacement Fishing Hook for Spoon Lures Baits Jigs Spinner #2#1 1/0 2/0 3/0 Black : Sports & Outdoors



www.amazon.com


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## flyasf (Mar 19, 2021)

aj yount said:


> What do you use? I used some crank baits but the trebles are sometimes hard to get out of the pike so I usually use the Walmart $1 white spinner and it works like a charm


i use the 2 dollar walmart ozark trail red crank bait


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## Dbrock84 (Apr 26, 2021)

I live in the area, guess I'll have to do some exploring.


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## Tony Bologna (Feb 13, 2014)

Love Breakneck Creek! Go down to the river and catch some chubs and suckers. Circle hooks and bobber will slay pike and believe it or not I’ve seen a tiger musky caught out of there a few years ago.


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## flyasf (Mar 19, 2021)

Tony Bologna said:


> Love Breakneck Creek! Go down to the river and catch some chubs and suckers. Circle hooks and bobber will slay pike and believe it or not I’ve seen a tiger musky caught out of there a few years ago.


im gonna try chubs once it gets a little bit colder


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## Tony Bologna (Feb 13, 2014)

I hit those deep holes where they rent the kayaks in Kent. I make up a mini drop shot with tiny little hooks and a piece of crawler or maggot, you’ll have a bucket full in no time.


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## flyasf (Mar 19, 2021)

Tony Bologna said:


> I hit those deep holes where they rent the kayaks in Kent. I make up a mini drop shot with tiny little hooks and a piece of crawler or maggot, you’ll have a bucket full in no time.


okay bet


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## DHower08 (Nov 20, 2015)

COmmodore 64 said:


> I HATE treble hooks. I replace them with inline singles. On spoons and cranks, and anything else that I can.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hooks are very very easy to remove on your own using a piece of braided line. Screw paying the e.r costs


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## Dbrock84 (Apr 26, 2021)

Caught the first pike of my life in Kent earlier today




  








PXL_20210921_175014199.jpg




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Dbrock84


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Sep 22, 2021


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## Oathyyy (5 mo ago)

Tony Bologna said:


> Love Breakneck Creek! Go down to the river and catch some chubs and suckers. Circle hooks and bobber will slay pike and believe it or not I’ve seen a tiger musky caught out of there a few years ago.


i call bs on the tiger musky…


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## Oathyyy (5 mo ago)

aj yount said:


> Tried out my new shimano dc rod and reel set up and a new jerk bait and was able to land 2 pike yesterday. Fun to sight fish for them in the shallows!
> View attachment 475735
> View attachment 475736


You have any social media? Shoot me a message. Have question for you


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## DHower08 (Nov 20, 2015)

Oathyyy said:


> i call bs on the tiger musky…


If theirs also muskie in there it possible as a tiger is a cross between a pike and a muskie


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## Tony Bologna (Feb 13, 2014)

Oathyyy said:


> i call bs on the tiger musky…


Cool story. But seriously, they’ve been caught in the Hoga, So why BS on breakneck?


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## coachfozz (Mar 19, 2006)

Just curious, I know Breakneck is in Kent. How does it flow all the way from Congress Lake. I don't see it on the map.


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

It might not show on every map, it’s very obscure(like only a farm drainage ditch esp. for the first few miles.). It’s on goggle maps. It’s barely defined, mostly a skinny line but with careful scrutiny, it can be traced all the way to the Cuyahoga. It snakes it’s way north draining a lot of flatter geography while gaining in volume, some places where you can see it from county roads, it’s not much more than a flooded cattail swamp area, other places, it looks like a long narrow, winding pond or canal with literally thousands of blow-downs(impossible to traverse by watercraft due to having to go around blowdowns on privately owned adjacent land. Without some signs announcing It’s name by several bridges, you might not even know you just crossed it! If you drive the area behind Walmart on rt 59, south towards rt 14 on various secondary roads, you’ll cross it several times. The only way to fish it by boat any where would be a short section near where it enters the L. Cuyahoga. Otherwise, you’d need permission from a landowner which will be nearly impossible to acquire. If lucky enough to live next to it, most people seem very protective of access.
Edit: I just again map-tracked Breakneck from Congress Lake to the Cuyahoga. In some areas, I “expanded“ the map which showed much more detail, including “names” associated with it in various areas. It begins as being called ”Cong. Lk. Outlet“ for maybe the first 2-3 miles, then further on, “Brimfield Ditch”, and others. One thing I’d forgotten from my first tracking of the flowage years ago is that it runs into Sandy Lake, then into Hodgson. [Guess what, there “has to be“ Northerns in those lakes!, and they likely escape(pike are notorious migrants) thru their respective dams/outflows!] Breakneck appears on the map as a much larger stream from Hodgson north into the Cuyahoga. South of Sandy Lake and I-76, it is still referred to as “Breakneck Creek“ by the local population nearly as far south as Randolph.


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## John Boat (Sep 23, 2014)

c. j. stone said:


> It might not show on every map, it’s very obscure(like only a farm drainage ditch esp. for the first few miles.). It’s on goggle maps. It’s barely defined, mostly a skinny line but with careful scrutiny, it can be traced all the way to the Cuyahoga. It snakes it’s way north draining a lot of flatter geography while gaining in volume, some places where you can see it from county roads, it’s not much more than a flooded cattail swamp area, other places, it looks like a long narrow, winding pond or canal with literally thousands of blow-downs(impossible to traverse by watercraft due to having to go around blowdowns on privately owned adjacent land. Without some signs announcing It’s name by numerous bridges, you might not even know you just crossed it! If you drive the area behind Walmart on rt 59, south towards rt 14 on various secondary roads, you’ll cross it several times. The only way to fish it by boat any where would be a short section near where it enters the L. Cuyahoga. Otherwise, you’d need permission from a landowner which will be nearly impossible to acquire. If lucky enough to live next to it, most people are very protective.


I’m fairly sure that the outlet from Congress Lake is an old feeder canal that runs into Sandy Lake. It was used to supply water for textile mills in Ravenna eons ago. It is not Breackneck creek nor is it connected to it. 🤔


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## ScumFrog (Feb 27, 2006)

Correct John Boat. They are two separate entities. There are stretches where the run basically side by side and it’s possible during spring flood periods for breakneck to spill over into the sandy lake feeder canal but I’m not sure how likely because the topography changes throughout the flowage and as stated 99% is private. A good friend of mine owns property where both flow through but they are separated by ridges and swamp lands. The canal seems to have been dug at a lower elevation than breakneck and it’s banks are quite steep in places


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

No, not correct!(Well, not “totally“ correct!) It is called Breakneck Creek(outflow of Hodgson) just before it joins another arm of “Breakneck Creek“ coming from the east and joining up just south of where it goes under rt. 59.(See map screenshots 1, and same one “expanded” in Shot 2). Anyone you ask who lives in the area between Brimfield and Randolph and north to Rootstown will call the “feeder canal” branch, which began as the Congress Lake outlet, “Breakneck Creek”! I referred to the CL “outlet“ actually only as the location where northern pike got into Breakneck from(and the Lil Cuyahoga) “originally” and I stand by that. It appears Breakneck (actually) has two ”arms/branches”, one coming from the south and one from the east/northeast! This is my third time tracing it back to Congress Lk, and I can only repeat what google maps shows!


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## John Boat (Sep 23, 2014)

Sorry CJ, I once lived on Lynn rd and property was bounded on west side by the feeder canal. Which I I walked and fished to a fence at Sandy Lake. Breakneck crossed Lynn Rd east of there, closer to Rte 44. Incidently, my first trout caught in Ohio was a 20” female rainbow that ran from Hodgson Lake through Sandy into the feeder canal to spawn spring of 76. I feel you know all so think what you want......I’m out.


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

John, I don’t know anymore than what the map shows in black and white(one thing it shows is there are “two branches“ of “Breakneck Creek” joining near/south of rt 59). The one from the east(larger one!) wanders back east, and north of I-76 and at some point, yes, it’s marked “Breakneck Creek”. The second screenshot shows the “branch“ going south also(clearly) marked as “Breakneck Creek“ and formed by “feeder canal”(Hodgson outflow!) and “Brimfield ditch”!(The “feeder canal“ is the blue line by the KSU athletic complex). On the last shot, Potter Creek and “CL outlet“ merge and form the “feeder canal” that flows north into Sandy, then into Hodgson. I’m not arguing the “feeder canal” exists, only that the map calls it “Breakneck Creek” at rt 59. I’m “out“, also!
AJ-Sincerely apologize for this hi-hack! Just thought it was important to clarify where the northerns in the Cuyahoga(and Bknk Ck) came from originally(at least IMHO), and your photos and thread support this”theory”!


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## ScumFrog (Feb 27, 2006)

Seems like we’re all correct to a degree. Breakneck does have many feeders and some are of decent depth and flow. Regardless it’s a great hatchery for pike. Especially since most of it is private.


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