The elusive Pike. I never expected to find myself writing about a Northern Pike – ever – but for some reason, this one has been in my head since I caught her/him last weekend.

A 10 pounder, fresh from the waters of Georgian Bay and let me tell you, it is no easy feat to find and pull one of these lake monsters out of the deep and into your net! Aggressive carnivores they are, the Northern Pike will lie quietly, deep in the weeds, waiting for prey to travel overhead and then attack! If it’s your lure they chomp down on, get ready for a wild ride and hope your line holds! They are fast and agile with razor sharp teeth and should only be handled with gloves and a net.

And so, realizing just how hard it is to land a megalapike like this, I decided to share a few of my “pointers” for making a fishing trip successful.

1. Always hold your caught fish very close to the camera lens when taking the picture. For example – this little guy weighed .35 lb and that’s about all we could brag about with that camera angle.

And this guy below weighted in at .75 Lbs so not too much bigger but based on the photo, we claimed it as 3 pounder! See where I’m going with this? And yes, a little “embellishment” is always necessary with all fish stories! After all, the only ones that know the real truth are you and the fish!

2. Strategize: being a bit of a lazy fisherwoman, I came up with a technique that ensures a fish will be caught before the cold beverages run out.

Here is a good shot of it – hook the little bugger in the mouth AND ass – a guaranteed win! And as you can see in the 2nd picture, they straighten right out!

3. This next tip is very important…..never, ever, EVER let anyone talk you into being the “cleaner”. When it comes to fish, this word is as bad as in the movies and on TV. The cleaner literally cuts the body into pieces, must determine where to stash the carcass, and then cleans up the entire scene. But before they can even do that, they must retrieve the “goods” which in the case of the Pike, is the beautiful buttery filets surrounded by many tiny Y bones. Nothing a few hours with the filet knife won’t fix!

4. And I must include at least one safety tip as a lot can happen out there on the water! Always know where your fellow fishermen are at on the boat, and keep your hook out of their space. I have had a few relatives that received fish hooks up the nose over the years from overzealous family members going for that power cast. Not as bad as being the cleaner, but some could say a close second. They survived but had to endure a drive to the hospital with a fishing lure stuck to their nose, followed by removal of the barbed hook. Not a good way to end a day but thank goodness for tetanus shots!

5. “She Ain’t Pretty”: any Canadian that knows our homegrown music will understand those famous song words from Saskatoon based band, The Northern Pikes. But so true, the Pike is not a pretty fish coming out of the lake with its prehistoric snout, snake like body and beady eyes, but fry it up in the pan, put it on a plate and you have a “winner winner big pike dinner!”

Regardless if you catch a big one, a little one, or not a one, fishing is an amazing way to leave your stresses at the dock and get out on the water. There is nothing better than exploring all the small bays and inlets on Georgian Bay, searching for that perfect catch. And yes, the 10 pounder is what’s in the pan above and it was delicious. But honestly for me, when it comes to fishing, I do it mostly for the cold beverages! LOL