# Burping a pike?



## Jackfish (Apr 15, 2004)

Burping a pike?
-	Last week I got a nice pike  40.5 inch, out of maybe 10 feet of water  seemed to fill up with air? Im an experienced pike guy, this was not rough catch, handled the fish well, wasnt overplayed, kept it wet, horizontal hold supporting the weight for the photo, net with the fish-friendly mesh, pretty quick turn around, lip hooked, etc but the darn fish filled with air and couldnt dive  looking at it from above the area just behind her gills above her belly looked like a balloon? Keep putting its head above the water and gasping  almost like it was a barking dog  really strange - after my normal release methods didnt work I began aggressively rubbing the belly of the fish while holding it in the water it would burp up large amounts of air  after about an hour of this we put her into a tiny windbreak cove and she finally stayed belly down  checked back ½ hour later, still there, hadnt moved an inch, head still on surface but not above the water anymore, less air in her system but still a good amount  about 45 minutes later, still sitting in the same spot  I really didnt want to have to eat this fish and was getting a bit nervous about it  air seems almost gone  I decide to face her out to sea  when I reach for her she finally snaps out of it, turns, kicks strongly and then dives, and finally stays down  checked the area the next two days and she never came back up J 
-	Ive caught a lot of nice pike & even a few musky  been doing this a long time  I have NEVER seen this with the air before? Really confused because she didnt come out of deep water? Anyone else seen this? Is rubbing the belly the way to do it? Ive heard about guys using needles with deep-water cats to get the air out? Ideas? Help? Best way to safely get em back down?


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## leckig (May 11, 2005)

that is really interesting story and looks like no one have any ideas!


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## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

maby it was reeled in to fast or it was just somthing strange and unusuall. but i have no idea


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## Jackfish (Apr 15, 2004)

come on, someone has to have went through this, its for a good cause...more big fish still alive!


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## Cheesehead Cory (May 16, 2004)

Hmmm, sounds like that fish had to come from deep water. Wonder if there was maybe a steep ledge near the 10' water you were fishing.

I've never fizzed a pike, or any other fish for that matter. Closest I've come is poking a hole in the air bladder of dink perch I catch on Erie when it's sticking out their mouths. It seemed to work. Since you were able to burp it by pushing on the belly, I wonder if you could get the same effect by pushing the end of a straw down its throat. Sort of a pike tracheotomy.

I appreciate your extra effort spent reviving the fish.


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## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

ull need one of those big speed way bendy straws. lol


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