# Monster Pike Pics 8-20 Hoga'



## zachtrouter (May 1, 2006)

Went to target pike today w/ Uncle and cousin and WOW was it on from the get!!! 6 Pike were caught in all and at least 10 lost!Got my P.B. at 35" today 11.5lbs. absolute MONSTER fought him for bout' 7-8minutes.The 2nd was a nice 22"Here are my fish show in order I caught em.3rd. P.M spinner dusk!


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## zachtrouter (May 1, 2006)

Sorry to many pics I want to share w/ ya' guys! My cousins 1st pike ever at 33" 8lbs.








My Uncle ended up w/ 2 pike one at 28" 6lbs and the other 32" 7lbs. Heres the bigger!


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## liquidsoap (Oct 22, 2005)

some nice pike there zac congrats!


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## legendaryyaj (Nov 1, 2005)

Nice fish!

I wish I could land one of those!


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## fishingredhawk (Apr 14, 2004)

Wow! Nice day to say the least!


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## TheSonicMarauder (Mar 9, 2006)

nice batch of toothy critters there bro... im gettin that itch again lol


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## TWD67 (Jun 22, 2006)

very nice fish..congrats on your first pike,keep up the good work


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## Master Angler (May 26, 2004)

Great day and nice fish but you should never hold them vertical and let them roll in the mud like that. They are great gamefish and shouldn't be disrespected like that.


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## crawdiddy (Apr 10, 2006)

you have taken it to the next level! congrats. that is a pike to be very proud of!


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## ian559 (Jul 26, 2006)

awesome pike sounds like a day in minnisota not ohio!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## mirrocraft mike (Mar 17, 2006)

Dam Dude i have seen your posts in the passed .It seems like you have the ability and skills( not to forget the time ) to pick a species and take names and kick a.. Who or What's next on the list ???? Congrats nice day of fishing


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## FishThis (Sep 2, 2005)

what part of the Hoga are you guys fishing??? North or South??


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## zachtrouter (May 1, 2006)

Master Angler said:


> Great day and nice fish but you should never hold them vertical and let them roll in the mud like that. They are great gamefish and shouldn't be disrespected like that.


I didnt let it roll in the mud! When it snaps your line at shore what can you do? All fish WERE released w/ no harm and swam off fine. We were fishing down at a spot that is very difficult to get to. I will be going again hopefully tommorow or thursday for some more :B We were in the C.F. FishThis.


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## smalliediehard (Oct 28, 2005)

man you really hammered em'!great job.


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## Erterbass (Jul 4, 2005)

Awesome fish, Zach!!!

Great to see the Hoga is showing itself to be an outstanding fishery - and you are doing us all proud with your C&R approach.

Well done, bro!!  

Bob


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## heyjay (Mar 22, 2005)

Nice job Zach . Those are some great hoga' pike .


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## DJSamwise (May 30, 2006)

Sweet fish dude and there is nothing wrong with holding them vertical like that. I've caught over 1-2 thousand pike over the past 10-15 years and have held most of them like that and they all swim away happy. It's actually a very SAFE way to hold those buggers. GOOD JOB!


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## zachtrouter (May 1, 2006)

That's how I always hold them! I grab them out of the net or from the shoreline right behind the head. Will continue to grab them like this because its the easiest safest way.


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## DJSamwise (May 30, 2006)

Zach I live right on portage trail. PM me sometime and we'll hit the hoga together


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## zachtrouter (May 1, 2006)

Sounds good to me DJ when you think you might want to go? I am free next week in the am a few days. We'll set something up


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## DJSamwise (May 30, 2006)

i work 9-6 mon - friday.

i usually fish mogadore 7-11, but if u want to go one night on the river i'm game. This saturday i'll be at skeeter with my father in law though. I'm thinking next week is best too.


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## drh146 (May 16, 2006)

let me get in on that evening trip! i want to see one of those things up close. and where that spot is!! ... just remembered im going on vacation next tuesday. but im down for going there soon after!


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## MR ED (May 31, 2006)

Zach,greatjob...


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## crawdiddy (Apr 10, 2006)

Huge Ohio Pike + Hottest time of the year + Small Flow + probably not the easiest place to get to = angler of the month!


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## Agent47 (Jun 27, 2006)

OK Zach, give it up, what were you using, chipmunk.. squirrels, lol
Great job, Ive never caught one but my grandpa told me wicked stories about them full dentaled creatures


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## Brian.Smith (May 18, 2006)

Nice Nice fish congrats on a great day of fishing


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## WISH IT WAS YOU (Jul 25, 2006)

sweat that is nice you you going for pike or bass


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## TheSonicMarauder (Mar 9, 2006)

crawdiddy said:


> Huge Ohio Pike + Hottest time of the year + Small Flow + probably not the easiest place to get to = angler of the month!



I SECOND THAT..... Ohio pike of that size are hard to come by.. especially from a river.... consider this...

Zach's pike.. 35" 11.5lbs
state Record...22.38 pounds, 43", 

granted that its a good ways away from a state record that was caught in a lake.... a fish still being that close to a record being caught from a river, especially one with so many snags lol, that just goes to show you the quality of the fishery and the angler


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## DanAdelman (Sep 19, 2005)

pretty sure i know where you were at...And that is a little more than a hike..I made it back there on my own just adventuring thinking i found a pot of gold no one else knew about...And Pike galore...Congrats on the fish its nice to know they are starting to heat up again this fall is going to be amazing...Last time i was out there the mosquitos were insane...These cold nights should be killing off the bugs which is awesome...And i want to reasure anyone looking to catch a big pike there are bigger in the hoga i am sure of it...  and will prove very soon  well done Zach...


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

sonic, thats not really close to the record size...


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## crawdiddy (Apr 10, 2006)

look at any of the state records. It is still VERY difficult to catch a fish half the size(wt) of any of them. I don't think I have. Maybe a 20+ lb carp?


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## DanAdelman (Sep 19, 2005)

i don't think the goal is to catch a fish 1/2 the state record...I know my personal goal and the goal of most anglers is to own some sort of record...In fact i can think at least three records that were broke this year...tiger muskie, bowhunting carp, and a type of bluegill...Earlier this year a record breaking channel was also realeased unknowingly....And i am sure there is more that i missed...


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## zachtrouter (May 1, 2006)

As far as the state record goes I think everyone wishes they could catch a state record at one point or another. It just isnt going to happen. That pike was indeed a monster but had a long way to go to reach state record status. Where did the state record pike come from? I know there are pike bigger than the one i caught for 100%! I think there is a shot that a 40 incher could be pulled out of the hoga'! I have seen 2 36 inchers come out this year but I do not know the weight of either. One is hanging up in FOS to the right of the register! I will continue to search for the monster pike as all I want to do now is catch pike! After that trip monday thats all I can think of is trying to find a 40 incher or 15lber. I will fish until I find it!  My gf isnt to happy about it either...OH WELL


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## TheSonicMarauder (Mar 9, 2006)

tell her tough rocks,...catchin toothy critters are a blast the state record is 45" from somewhere called lyme lake


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## fishon (Apr 20, 2004)

Nice Job!!!! and great fish!!!

FishOn!


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## Micro_Mini_Angler (Jun 15, 2006)

wow, nice fish


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## Urnso (Jul 13, 2005)

I take it these pike are only below the station road bridge/dam area? I have never caught a smallie or a pike anywhere after the station road area. 

Anyone ever have any luck down around Harvard or Canal area? I don't think the pike make it over them dam's or somethin.


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## wave warrior (Oct 2, 2005)

nice batch of pike!!! to see a real hog go to rattletraprex photo gallery and see my unofficial state record 42 3/4''-22 1/2 lb pike from tusc river!!!! :B


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## wave warrior (Oct 2, 2005)

P.S...i'm NOT taking anything from your FINE catch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## crawdiddy (Apr 10, 2006)

it is not my goal to catch a state record and I doubt it is the goal of most anglers. I like to set realistic goals. Like I said earlier catching a fish 1/2 the wt of a state record is extremely difficult(there are a few that would be just difficult, like carp, erie walleye, erie smallie, etc). Other that the occasional pics of HUGE muskies, I cannot think of a picture of a fish posted on here in recent times that I would rather catch than this pike.


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## zachtrouter (May 1, 2006)

I hear what your saying Craw but when I got that one I just wanted to get a bigger one out of there. Expectations kept going higher and higher! If you ever are in the area I will take you to the spot and get you a big monster pike! I personally fish to fish but would LOVE to own a state record who wouldnt? It is the mystique that comes with fishing that any1 could be the record holder and catch that monster maybe even by accident.


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## crawdiddy (Apr 10, 2006)

good point. i wonder how many of those record holders are "serious anglers"? ANything is possible. Record saugeye on trout bait at antrim, the kid that got the 0.99 lb green sunfish, etc. Let me know when you're in columbus, Zach. Keep at it, I bet the even bigger pig northerns come out to play in the colder months. Like that ones parents! Good luck.


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## Cheesehead Cory (May 16, 2004)

Nice fish, Zach!

Not trying to bust your stones (though I am jealous of the size of those pike  ), but from what I've heard, Master Angler is correct about how to hold big pike/muskie (though it was told to me with a bit more tact). A big pike is a hollow tube of muscle with teeth at one end. Inside that tube are pounds of loose organs that normally exist in a near zero gravity environment. When held vertically, these organs will shift, putting the weight of one organ on top of another, causing them to stretch, rupture, or possibly tear. Such injuries do not kill immediately. The vertically held fish that swims away today could very well be tomorrow's floater.

I poked around on the web to make sure I'm not full of beans (in this regard, anyway), found this on the Ohio Huskie Muskie forum and replied for clarification. Those guys attend lectures and seminars on this kind of stuff, so I think they would know better than most of us.

http://www.activeboard.com/forum.spark?forumID=29530&p=3&topicID=6023829

Of course, I don't have to worry about such things, because I only catch the little ones. Continued good fishing to you!


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## DJSamwise (May 30, 2006)

I see your point cory, thanks for the info I am going to have to rethink some of my tactics.


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## mirrocraft mike (Mar 17, 2006)

Thanks for the info Cory. I too was schooled on that . Never even thought of there inners moving around . Good information


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## collinwoodie (Sep 23, 2005)

A couple of friends told me about this posting and,sadly,it looks like they were right...
First off, congrats on the fish-those that get stuck in there are ,of course, river fish that cruise through that pipe when the river rises, as it did for such an extended period of time this spring.My buddies were initially pretty critical of the catches,remembering the old days when the jim-bob crowd would regularly assault that pond before it was posted and slaughter those pike on shiners, since it's essentially shooting "fish-in-a-barrel"as the fish get trapped in there with no survivable baitfish base in that water that was so tainted by the industrial toxins it was dug to hold.
Most of us locals can remember when DOW officials used to fish it themselves to catch the pike and then carry them over to the river to release so they at least could have a shot at survival in their natural habitat-something I hope those in the pics did,and think they might have as they intentionally took pictures out at the river itself to give that impression.Hope so.Those pike could never survive for long in that pond, even if Munroe Falls started to dredge it yearly as they once promised to back in the old days when it was posted as "tainted" at best.
It's nice to see the use of artificials too, to provide at least a semblance of sport, since it is otherwise the angling equivalent of "hunting farms." 
Otherwise, its now legal indeed to fish there but I pray that those that do not have the means,skills or gear to pursue the bigger and more challenging northerns in the river from there on down to Edison continue to release those trapped fish back into their natural habitat-only feet away.


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## DanAdelman (Sep 19, 2005)

seriously collinwood i will give you props if you can post just one positive post about anything....maybe its just me and i hate to pick a fight but you really annoy me with your extensive knowledge about everything...If there anything you don't know? And by the way you and your friends are way wrong about where those pike came from...So all that rambling on was about something completely not related to this thread...But a heck of a job trying to ruin it...


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## crawdiddy (Apr 10, 2006)

well I don't know if that is where the fish was caught I doubt it. But if I recognizee a location of where someone else's :B was caught I keep my mouth shut. This is the WORLD WIDE WEB! If the original poster cares to tell thats one thing, but jeebus get a clue!


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## homeworker (Oct 3, 2005)

I was riding the bike path by there with my little one the other day and we stopped to look it over.Much the same as in the dreaded days-very little plant life even grows around shore still-.

I remember in the late 60s when I worked for a time at a little plastics factory on south River Rd.and we used to dump our "excess residue" in there(the public dump was back up the hill nearer ninety-one, and we wore masks just to drive the truck!It hadn't yet filled in as a "pond".Sold later to land developer who put in those condos up the hill where there is a cleaner but I think private lake.I think his name was Trudy.
after the landfills were closed it sat stagnant for years with some river water carried in,and some fish.My brother remembers a odnr guy giving him five bucks once to put the couple of pike he had on stringer in the river, telling the boy's that the river was the last place in Ohio pike reproduced and impressed on them a values they have never forgot.We still fish the bigger pike downriver in the fall and look forward to it.That "pond"used to be really bad, you could still see the industrial barrels in the water for decades.Otherwise, its a nice little spot,I hope they finish cleaning it up as that Trudy sure never did.
and I don't consider the previous posting negative or positive Dan-I was around back then and the carnage and fishing kills were horrible.I think we've come a ways education-wise and I think it's great those guys are aparrently releasing those pike back in the river.
That's a REAL PoSITIVE.


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## TheSonicMarauder (Mar 9, 2006)

what the..... who the heck do you think..... woooooooooow..... 

i didnt think PETA members liked to fish.......... so what if they didnt transport all the caught fish over to the other side of the pipe? Are they bad people and worse fisherman now?? They did release those fish to do as nature allows them.... they got themselves in there and if they arent able to get out on their own then they made a mistake and thats the fate that nature gave them....... yes if they did put those fish on the other side of the pipe, then more power to them but if they did not then that doesnt make them any worse of a person.................... 

with all due respect...that pedistal yer sittin on looks like a pile of crap to me


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## liquidsoap (Oct 22, 2005)

Dont mean to say this but man, zac sorry that the people exposed your spots. You guys he didnt post the location for a reason.


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## homeworker (Oct 3, 2005)

guys,guys,guys...
the place being talked about is an old industrial garbage pit dump about the size of a baseball infield.
as wildlife officials encouraged for years: more people catching the fish that get stranded in there and putting them back in a survivable environment could only HELP the situation;and yes it IS a morally superior thing to do for those who now know better.
This is no more a 'secret ' spot as it is a notorious one for many of us who still remember the little girl who got deathly sick from fish that were shorelunched out of there,it was in the papers.

A think all we're saying is enjoy fishing anywhere but be aware of local conditions-as long as people care to be informed without being labled negative or a peta member.Consider the content then, not the source.
Believe me , no big secrets were given away any more than those were true 'monster' fish, though decent as they were.
Much bigger-and obviously thicker-northerns inhabit the river for miles past this place.Many of which were no doubt liberated by other caring anglers like those guys in the pictures.

Think.


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## crawdiddy (Apr 10, 2006)

funny how the best threads on here allows seem to involve a big fish and a bit of controversy?!? lol cheers


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## ddd (May 12, 2005)

So your saying that's not the river in the background in those pictures?????


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## heyjay (Mar 22, 2005)

collinwoodie said:


> I hope those in the pics did,and think they might have as they intentionally took pictures out at the river itself to give that impression.Hope so.Those pike could never survive for long in that pond,


That's funny you think they carried these pike down to the river after catching them in some "tainted pond" .


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## ddd (May 12, 2005)

What's funnier is that they took their fishing rods over to the river with them so the pics looked authentic. What a production! I think that top fish must have walked from the pond over to the river, that's how he got so dirty.


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## heyjay (Mar 22, 2005)

I can't believe that guy came into a thread accusing someone of that . Some people and their manners .


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## DJSamwise (May 30, 2006)

I'd have to agree, you have no clue where those fish came from. You might think you do, but you don't. So unless you're 100% sure don't tear someone down. Good job on the fish bro.


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## Be one with the fish! (May 21, 2006)

Kind of sad really how a person posts a picture of a nice fish but then some people cant congratulate someone and have to either say negative things about them and give aways their spots.  Anyway Nice job on the pike Zach, Im still trying to catch my first one.


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## DJSamwise (May 30, 2006)

lmao there were 6 posts in the time it took me to type mine!


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## homeworker (Oct 3, 2005)

that's _exactly_ what they appear to have done,and good for them.Just as the parks service and others encouraged many of us to do years ago.Hopefully , the lowering of the Munroe Falls dam will make it a moot point in the future as levels fall and maybe the city will then close it off as once promised and dredge thoroughly that little adjacent pool and make it a truly nice little separate pond for the disabled, kids,etc., instead of an occasional trap for valuable gamefish, which is what it still sort of is.It's just a shame they can't move it off that chemical froth under it.

Don't fret long over that water at last being "fished out" of northerns, not with a far superior fishery-the one the fish actualy originate from, running right alongside it!This is a sportsman's site and any true sportsmen it seems to me would much rather catch these wonderful fish out of their true original home, rather than penned up in some featureless holding area devoid of cover where the true angling skills neccessary to hunt them arent exactly a factor.Believe me, its a lot more fun on the river using your wits and skills to try for bigger, healthier fish which, thanks to these guys, are back where they can thrive and reproduce as nowhere else.

I just don't see this as controversial at all.It's an exchange of ideas and info,and no one sincere about there sport should fear or resent that.
My $0.02


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## zachtrouter (May 1, 2006)

First off Collinwoodie you are about an idiot! You are so completely off it is funny to me....I know the pond you are talking about and I have only pulled one small pike out of there so go ahead and think I caught fish from there then took all the equipment to the river to have some pics snapped. GET A CLUE. If you could ever post some pics of a productive day you had then I might care about these ridiculous things you say. Those pike WERE caught in the river not any pond or anywhere close to where you think. Go ahead get some shiners and go there because I guarantee you will not be catching any pike or posting any pics of pike! There is a reason I didnt post where I caught them so people like you wouldnt fish there! You can say what you want about the fish we caught but they were caught in the river and released in the river! I think if you could get :B like that you wouldnt be so jealous!


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## Agent47 (Jun 27, 2006)

Isnt it the point that he caught them........ regardless of where ???

I have never caught 1, Even years ago at the SeaWorld trout pond I couldnt catch a decent size trout EVEN WITH THOUSANDS OF THEM DAMN THINGS SWIMMING AROUND !!!!

In a pool, in a river, in a lake, in a channel... You can lead a horse to water but you cant make it drink.

Nice fish Zach


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## collinwoodie (Sep 23, 2005)

agent 47,
No, it isn't the fact that he caught them rather than where, but that he released them, for which I congratulate him.This is what cameras are best used for by us.
As for his overreaction to what else the pictures made very obvious to not just myself,I'll agree that that's the lesser point, and therefore no "secret place" was revealed at all.
Right?


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## HeadwatersEd (Mar 14, 2006)

I have spent 25+ years fishing the cuyahoga for pike. It is a unique and incredibly balanced fishery that i have spent just as long trying to keep as secret as possible. As more and more people find out about the fishery, i see more pressure on the pike. I would have prefered that people not found out about its potential, but seeing how the cat is out of the bag, i implore everyone to practice catch and release. Even more than many Canadian lakes and rivers, the cuyahoga has retained an amazing balance. Removal of pike of any size will be detrimental to the fishery in the long run. Please let them go.


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## HeadwatersEd (Mar 14, 2006)

Oh, and congrats on the pike, those are some beauties.


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## DJSamwise (May 30, 2006)

Oh and one last thing. No offense, but without any sort of structure or anything in that picture, you're full of **** if you think you can say exactly where that picture was taken. I've been on the cuyahoga since I could walk and I don't know where that picture was taken. I recognize the scenery, but I also can think of 5 places that could be within a 5 mile stretch of water. So sod off.


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## DanAdelman (Sep 19, 2005)

just so everybody knows i did recognize the EXACT area and confirmed it with zach...just wanted to let you know miracles can happen


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## DJSamwise (May 30, 2006)

whatever, all i'm saying is lay off and be happy for him.


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## jiggin'fool (Dec 18, 2005)

Those are some nice Pike there buddy... bet you that was a heck of a fight out of the river... I caught a 40 incher out at sandy but it just buried its head in weeds and I reeled it in like a log... great job... sorry it took so long but i was in myrtle beach!!


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