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New Idaho - possible world record northern pike caught 4/23/2007 Coeur d’Alene, Idaho – Coeur d’Alene Lake produces some of the fastest growing northern pike in the world according to Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) Regional Fisheries Manager, Ned Horner. Bob Ringer of Hayden, has the new Idaho state record fish to prove it – nearly 40 pounds of top of the food chain, toothed, esox lucius (Northern Pike). At 48 and one half inches, the post-spawn female tipped the scales at 39 pounds 13 ounces; beating the old state record by more than a pound. The girth on this fresh water predator was a whopping 27 and-a-half inches. “I had a day off of work and thought my buddy and I would go try to catch a couple pike,” Ringer told WIN in a telephone interview. “It was the first fish of the year and much bigger than any pike I had ever had on before.” Ringer had thoughts of entering an upcoming northern pike fishing tournament and thought he would spend the day with his buddy, Phil Cooper, plying the waters of Coeur d’ Alene Lake in hopes of perfecting a winning technique. He may have proven himself too soon. “It would have been nice during the tournament but I am just glad I got her in the boat.” Ringer said. Without a net big enough to land the fish, Cooper had to help out. “Dead perch on the bottom,” was the trick for Ringers first pike of the year, and probably the biggest of his life. The largest recorded pike ever caught in Idaho was also three times large than any pike Ringer had caught before. Horner estimates the fish to be eight to ten years old – a phenomenal growth rate for any pike fishery. “The inconsistency of recruitment lead to low density of pike per acre, and abundant forage, along with a clean natural lake habitat, all add up to great growth rates,” Horner said. Horner reported that several pike in the 37 to 38 pound plus range were caught this spring and last. “Because of the natural fluctuations in the lake levels in spring, each year class of pike varies in success. This limits the pressure placed on the forage and leads to fewer and much larger pike being produced,” explained Horner. “Twenty pounds in six years is no problem.” “These few strong year classes of fish are producing these 30 plus ponders shows that we have had a great growth rate,” Horner went on. “While this one (the new state record) is an exceptional fish there are probably bigger ones out there.” Ringer really wasn’t sure why his fish got so big so fast but was just grateful to get the fish to a registered scale and then to the IDFG offices for recording. During the fight to land the fish, Ringer questioned his choice of tackle – medium weight spinning rod and reel with just 14 pound test mono-film line. Although he had confidence in the circle hook and steal leader, he worried about the line holding during the battle. Which leads to the fact that this may well be a new World Record line class fish. Paperwork pending, the fish may well have shattered the previous line class record by more than five pounds. |
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