Knee Deep Ice Derby Cancelled

[Bruce Litton]

Just got the news the derby is cancelled due to unsafe ice. Really looked forward to this & just hope February goes. Now I'm wondering if I'll go for pike. Since I'm putting together an LH photo collection, of course that's where I want to be, even though my best ice fishing memories are elsewhere. Have years yet to complete the collection, but feel driven to get what I can now.

[Chrisper4694]

the wind is just beating it up bad, no ice new ice has formed since 2 sundays ago on the hopatcong side, but there was some that survived in the back shallow coves like mikey's favorite place the state park. I think that's where he caught his big pike last year!

[Charlie B]

Are there pike in Lake Hopatcong?

[bunker dunker]

I have heard stories of pike coming down from Shawnee but have never seen one.i do not think there is any there.pickerel,true strain and tiger musky.if ya ask me we don't need pike in there.

[Jigman13]

With the panfish population in Hopatcong, it could easily support pike. There's enough quality gamefish in there though.

[bunker dunker]

no way!!!! there are to many preds in there all ready.think about it walleys,hybrid,lm & sm bass,pickerel,tigers,true strain musky and channel cats.thats why the panfish is declining in that lake.

[Chrisper4694]

Originally Posted by Chrisper4694

the wind is just beating it up bad, no ice new ice has formed since 2 sundays ago on the hopatcong side, but there was some that survived in the back shallow coves like mikey's favorite place the state park. I think that's where he caught his big pike last year!

I was just kidding about the pike, though yes i'm sure some have washed over the damn at lake shawnee when it broke. just like you'll hear of hybrids and walleye in the musconetcong river and musconetcong lake (actually saw one with my own eyes get caught once haha) I've heard a story of one caught, but in general, there are no pike in hopatcong.

[Skunk City]

One of my buddies did some digging and came across this from KDC's website.

[lukenic]

Originally Posted by Skunk City

One of my buddies did some digging and came across this from KDC's website.

never seen or heard of a pike in lake shawnee in 15 plus years.

[Chrisper4694]

Originally Posted by lukenic

never seen or heard of a pike in lake shawnee in 15 plus years.

I personally hooked and lost next to the boat a nice sized pike in lake shawnee about 4-5 years ago...later that summer the damn failed and the already shallow lake became about 2-3 foot shallower! later that summer i personally saw 3 pike belly up on 3 different occasions, the biggest being mid 30s inch range.

I took a picture of one of them, i'll see if i can dig it up with the date on the picture.

since that summer of the failed damn i've never seen or heard of another pike in there. I'm assuming they all died or escaped that summer.