Pike

[starmac]

I have a nice pike fishing spot, where there is usually not a lot of people around. Sometimes during duck season you will see a few people.

There is several ways to get there, and that is half of the fun. lol The cheapest and the way I use takes a while, but the fishing is great.
When I leave the house it is only about a 30 minute drive to the trail turnoff of the dirt road, the trail to the landing is fairly rough and while only 15 miles takes 45 minutes usually, unless it is muddy. It then takes (I'm slow) probably an hour to get the canoe unloaded, the motor installed and gear loaded, Then 3 to 3 1/2 hours run downstream to minto flats, where the pike fishing is out of this world, and the duck hunting is about as good.

Last year was my first with a canoe, but while it made for some long days, it was a blast. This year we plan on several trips, but hopefully three day trips instead of just one day.
There is float plane service in there, but that is more expensive than the jet boat was. lol The canoe and 8 horse honda will run around 9 hours on less than three gallons of gas.

There are lots of fishing holes around , but this one has turned into my favorite.

[Mike Brooks]

I have a nice pike hole about 45 minutes away that I caught some nice fish in last year.

[quilbilly]

I can catch salmon anytime but I have always wanted to fish pike in Alaska with my own spinner baits and bucktail spinners. Someday.

[LEADHOPPER]

Starmac,

I lived up that way for a few years when my dad was in the Airforce. Never did get a chance to make it up to Minto Flats though. Did a lot of fishing on the couple of lakes they did have on the base though. I know one thing is for sure, fishing in Alaska sure did ruin me. Biggest one I ever hooked was roughly 48" and that was on a fly rod. Didn't get to land that one, bit thru the leader. I have some crocodile spoons that I don't for see me needing anymore. If you would like them, I would be more then glad to send them your way.

LH

[ole 5 hole group]

When you say Pike - I assume you're talking Northern Pike, Jackfish, hammer handles etc - right? What are you talking for size??

We go on a couple trips a year and try to steer clear of Pike, as we fish for walleye, but we always tangle with a few every hour, as they are almost everywhere one goes.

Normal size for us is in the 3 to 4 pound range but we boat a couple every day in the 8 to 10 pound range and one or more of us will tag a 20 to 35 pounder every year and that's a PITA for us, as everyone has to reel up and kibbitz as the guy battles that jack with 6# test line and either a light or medium weight rod. Average time to boat those big boys is 20 to 25 minutes, sometimes a little longer, as we don't bring any nets or gaffs along.

Any good pictures??

[popper]

Father in law used to catch keepers (30"+, 9-15#) at Stockton, Mo. I was in the boat with him and his bro. when we made bro throw a 29" back. Boy was he PO'd. Lake had lots of B. bass & small walleye.

[starmac]

These are northerns. The area I fish used to be well known for 40 inchers, but I have not caught any that big, and some of the guys that have fished minto flats for years claim they are not a lot of them anymore. 30 inch fish are very common though. I spent a couple of hours today with an old timer that has fished the area for years and got a boatload of great info on some hot locations from him.