Winter Pike

[Vagabond]

The fish was 1 meter 15 long ... which is ...... 43in. long by our values

 

Actually, it isn't. One metre is 39.37 inches so 1 metre 15 = 1.15 x 39.37 = 45.27 inches.

 

An extra couple of inches at that size would correspond to an extra four or five pounds on the weight.

 

Whatever the weight, that was a magnificent pike that Hoppy caught, as indeed was Gerry's

Edited December 4, 2005 by Vagabond

[HOPPY4]

First of all Good Morning to All! Secondly, Thank You Newt for posting the photos and the tale for me!! Additionally, I want to say Thank You to Budgie for the vote of confidence. Now on to Fishing, I Thank the Almighty God for the pleasure of catching such a fish. As to skeptics, I say that it is your right to beleive or not beleive, but facts are facts. If you take a look at the second photo, the back of my truck has a Black and Red pole that is my net handle. The fish was longer than this pole by 3 in. and the this is a DAM tele handle that will extend to 6 3/4ft. As to personal size, I am not a small man, but not as big as Budgie. The head if the fish is over 7in. wide if you will take a look. The fish of a Lifetime is what it was to me and I am Happy to have shared with you.

 

Later,

HOPPY4

[Peter Waller]

First of all Good Morning to All! Secondly, Thank You Newt for posting the photos and the tale for me!! Additionally, I want to say Thank You to Budgie for the vote of confidence. Now on to Fishing, I Thank the Almighty God for the pleasure of catching such a fish. As to skeptics, I say that it is your right to beleive or not beleive, but facts are facts. If you take a look at the second photo, the back of my truck has a Black and Red pole that is my net handle. The fish was longer than this pole by 3 in. and the this is a DAM tele handle that will extend to 6 3/4ft. As to personal size, I am not a small man, but not as big as Budgie. The head if the fish is over 7in. wide if you will take a look. The fish of a Lifetime is what it was to me and I am Happy to have shared with you.

 

Later,

HOPPY4

 

Why all this sceptiscism? According to Mona's scale, which I find pretty accurate, a 52" fish should weigh about 44 pounds. But Fred Buller, who knows a lot more about pike than I do, goes on to say that, in his experience, a 48" fish would weigh 44 pounds. And this year, if German pike are like UK pike, then they have packed the weight on early. Vagabonds interpretation of Hoppy's measurement is 45". And, according to Buller, an average 45" pike weighs 37 pounds. Buller also suggests that the extreme maximum weight of a 45" pike would be 46 lbs. And that is one chunky fish, so I for one, give Hoppy the credit he deserves. And, anyway, he's bigger than me!

 

And, Hoppy, its nice to see a bloke that is holding a fish and smiling, not usual in the UK!!

Edited December 4, 2005 by Peter Waller

[Jan O]

With all due respect, could there be a mistake made by using the wrong scale? A pike that is 115 cm and not abnormally fat is more likely to weigh aprroximately 10-13 kilos... and the pics support thsi weight i think. But, a lovely pike, well done...

[argyll]

Buller's table is for measurements from snout to fork of tail, for which he offers a small formula to reduce the 'overall length' to 'fork of tail' length. If we're saying that the measurement of this fish is to 'fork of tail' then its getting bigger by the hour

 

To fork of tail its therefore 42 inches. Bullers average is 27.25lbs within a range of 20.5lbs to 34lbs, the top of the range being for fish during full spawn and full of reservoir trout. Since there's no evidence of either in the picture, it seems to me that its closer to the bottom than the top of the range.

 

A 44lb pike is a MASSIVE beast with a real stage presence... a real star and if you've fished for big pike for long enough you dont need to have caught a 40lber to have a good idea as whether a pictured fish goes the ball park weight or not. I referred to Eddie Turners view in my earlier post.... both Eddie and Steve Gould on the P&P forum have seen a 44lb pike and were in a position to comment. Some fish are deceptive, but Hoppy's fish however, is held close to his body so its an easier fish to assess. I've seen two 35lb plussers and they were much bigger fish. If you look at the muskie statistics (they make a habit of measuring their fish as well as weighing the biggies) a 44lb fish is likely to be in the 52-55 inch range.

 

Here's Fudgie MacPhersons magnificent 41lb 12oz scottish pike on Dave Lumb's website and some few pounds LESS than the stated weight of Hoppy's fish. (caught on a Dave Lumb rod I should add, just in case he accuses me of nicking his pictures ) Please compare the two and whilst Fudgie isnt exactly Arnie, he isn't exactly a dwarf either.

 

http://www.dlst.co.uk/fishpics/41.jpg

 

 

Hoppy, its a lovely big fish and you should enjoy it, I'll live with my grief over its stated weight.

Edited December 4, 2005 by argyll

[Graeme B]

Hoppy

 

That is a magnificant fish and one that I would be extremely pleased to catch

 

I think also pleasing is the fact it's being nicely supported in the picture and held level with ground. (I'm never sure whether holding a large pike with its head up even if it supported by the other hand is a good idea?)

 

Graeme

[KAYC]

First time I have felt the need to air my frustrations at some of the same old negativity around size. Hoppy4 mate , great fish caught on a great method and a fantastic smile: Let no-one take that from you!

[Tony U]

I agree with Kev well done Hoppy

[Guest Brumagem Phil]

Well done hoppy, a magnificent fish!

 

Excuse the bad manners of the english here who wish to put a dampener on your catch.......very bad form IMO.

[argyll]

Well done hoppy, a magnificent fish!

 

Excuse the bad manners of the english here who wish to put a dampener on your catch.......very bad form IMO.

 

 

Never apologise for me, apologise for yourself....clear? If I've done something that deserves it, I'll do the apologising. If you look back over my posts you'll find I'm usually one of the first to congratulate the captor on their fish, whether that be their first, their biggest, whatever. But if it doesnt look right by a fair margin then I'd find it difficult not to say so and in that respect I probably have said what a lot of other pikers were thinking.

 

Only once have I queried a fish here before when I noticed the photoshop lines around the hands and on that occasion I was also swimming against the tide. The captor came clean shortly after, apologised and got a stiff talking to from all of those that had previously berated me for shooting off my mouth. That's just me making a point that I'm generally very positive about other peoples fish and not a direct comparison with the circumstances surrounding Hoppy's fish.. On this occasion I just said what a number of other pikers were probably just thinking and since this fish has now regretfully had a deal of publicity on another forum, I'm not exactly alone.

Edited December 4, 2005 by argyll