Sugar Run was high and swift from the recent heavy rains, the bay backing up and flooding the shoreline, and all species of fish were moving into the drowned grass and trees.

Such conditions can produce excellent fishing.

It was a perfect time to slip the canoe into the water, attempting to take advantage of the situation. We were using crankbaits, casting as closely as possible to the flooded grass edges and small trees. The water was slightly cloudy, but clear enough for any prowling fish to spot your lure.

Matt fired a cast underneath some leafy limbs and twitched the lure once. The surface exploded, a magnificent smallmouth bass cartwheeling out of the water and throwing his lure the second jump. That bass was 22 inches or larger, a real trophy! I checked the hooks while poor Matt bemoaned his bad luck.

We worked the shoreline into the creek mouth, being as careful as possible not to bang a paddle or make any other noise. A long cast against a steep, brushy bank suddenly came to an abrupt halt half way back. I set the hook hard, and then set it twice more. Whatever I was into felt as solid as a rock. Was I hung up?

Suddenly, the water bulged up and swirled, it was a fish! I kept the pressure on, angling the fish toward the boat. Matt and I stared into the water expectantly when a broad, crocodile-like head came into view. It was a pike — and a big one! The pike glared insolently at us, then suddenly turned and shredded the water into white foam, shooting away like a bullet. Knowing pike, I’d anticipated that lightning dash and adjusted my drag even lighter as the fish came in, thwarting the pike’s attempt to snap my line. After an exciting 5 minutes of lightning runs and tail thrashing, Matt managed to net the big fish and swing it into the boat. The pike went wild in the net, ripping meshes apart and actually tearing the Rapala in pieces.

A pike over 20 pounds is a wild and dangerous opponent once in the boat and needs to be treated with respect. Avoid those whipping hooks and razor teeth. A big pike’s a real adventure.

Pike — or esox lucius, “devil fish” — were first named and categorized by Swedish biologist and physician Carl Linneaus in 1758. Widely distributed across the globe, pike are found in the northern latitudes of Russia, Europe and North America. The old-world species run larger than those found in North America, commonly reaching up to 60 inches and oftentimes weighing up to 50 and 55 pounds. That is a lot of bad temper when hooked!

The largest pike ever caught in recent times came from an abandoned stone quarry in Germany in 1983. This submarine- like creature was 58 inches and weighed a staggering 68 pounds. To put a 68-pound pike in perspective, just grab a 5-pound bag of flour or sugar. Pretty hefty, isn’t it? Then imagine hefting 13-plus of these bags together and packing that weight into a long body of explosive muscle and powerful jaws filled with sharp, razor teeth.

That is one impressive fish. It’s always wise to keep your fingers carefully away from pikes, jaws of any size or you will find yourself bleeding.

When the Irish first began netting their largest freshwater lakes in the late 1800s they caught some unbelievably huge pike; the largest specimens, yes, more than one, were recorded as weighing up to an incredible 92-93 pounds. I don’t believe I would care to have my grandchildren swimming in any lakes that had pike that large in them.

Pike here in the states and Canada don’t grow as large as their European cousins, but still reach impressive sizes. The current record is a line-snapping 46 pounds. This monster was caught by Peter Dubuc from Sacandaga Lake in New York on Sept. 15, 1940.

Northern pike are an ambush-type of predator, preferring to slip beside some type of cover, where they lie in wait. When the unwary victim draws too close the pike streaks forward in one of their lightning rushes and snaps the victim up in their jaws. Besides other fish up to half their length, occasionally even larger, pike will eat anything they can catch — little ducks, muskrats, frogs, snakes and so on. I caught a pike once that had a huge bullfrog in its stomach.

Pike can be caught on almost any type of fishing lure. I have had good luck with Mepps spinners, Rapalas, spinnerbaits, spoons, buzz- and crankbaits. I always like to use a wire leader to keep these toothy creatures from cutting me off, but many of the super braid lines and even the newer monofilaments resist their sharp teeth quite well. I have had so many pike cut me off over the years that wire leaders always seem to end up on the end of my line.

Minnows and small suckers are another great choice for pike as well. Nightcrawlers have also accounted for a pike or two when I was fishing for other species, especially jigs tipped with nightcrawlers, as any walleye fisherman can testify.

Good luck and good fishing; pike can always add a little excitement to your day. Just be careful handling them!

Wade Robertson