Beat the Freeze..... 1/20
 

Wanted to get out for a bit yesterday before the temps dropped and the storms arrived. Hit the river around 11. Water level and current were up a bit and the wind was FIERCE!! Tried a few diff presentations and managed 1 pike on a swimbait. Wasnt a giant, but he had some meat on his bones.

http://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/...IMAG0376-1.jpg

He also had a minor gill deformity were its gill was kinda , hanging out a little. Not sure if it's from a previous c&r of just genetics, but there was no blood and he seemed to be healthy and eating so. Maybe its the water.........

Re: Beat the Freeze..... 1/20
 

Nice fish!

Re: Beat the Freeze..... 1/20
 

Nice Fish Buddy!!!!!

Re: Beat the Freeze..... 1/20
 

Sweeet! Nice fish!!!

Re: Beat the Freeze..... 1/20
 

Nice fish.....and the beat goes on !!

Re: Beat the Freeze..... 1/20
 

Nice dude. Was down there on Saturday afternoon for a bit. No Pike action, but ended up snagged into and landed a good sized Carp. Thought I had a state record Pike until I saw a tail come up with my husky jerk hanging off the end of it waving at me :p .

Re: Beat the Freeze..... 1/20
 

That's funny cause I did the same thing last time out. Thought I got a strike, then thought it was a branch. Reeled in and had a BIG carp scale on my hook, lol.

Re: Beat the Freeze..... 1/20
 

Nice fish! Those pike often have gill deformities @ the hatchery.

I, too, "Beat the Freeze", around 12:30, that same day @ RVR.

Strong WNW are usually good for me wading the eastern shore.

I caught, only 1 brown,.................@ 18" it was painfully thin.

Kept it,........snails in the stomach.

Re: Beat the Freeze..... 1/20
 

Snails? Never heard of trout eating those before. You said it was really thin; think it was desperate for food and just started eating anything it could find, or do trout normally eat snails?

Re: Beat the Freeze..... 1/20
 

I personally have caught quite a few rvr trout with snails in there stomachs....Usually mixed with plenty of insects but it is winter and just guessing that there isn't much else going on in the shallows...

Curious if anyone else has seen this food source being used?? other than Mark B,.