Despite the strong windy conditions today, I launched my `Yak in the Passaic to see if I could chase a few Northern Pike around. I launched it at 2:30 and at 4pm looked at my watch & thought, “What the hell was I thinkin` about?” A cold-front had come through the night before and the high temperature was 58 degrees today. Surely this would shut the fishing down in my book. As I worked my way down-river I was coming upon a dead sycamore tree laying half-way across the river. My first cast was picture-perfect, landing inches from the submerged tree trunk. BAM! The water boiled as a Monster Pike grabbed my spinnerbait!
“WOW!…..This is a good fish!” I said out loud as the river monster towed my `Yak sideways across the river!
I fought this big Pike for nearly ten minutes, playin` him out.
Then he showed himself in the sunlight near my `Yak! As I grabbed my folding little kayak net, I knew I was in trouble! I could never get his thick head, let alone his huge body in that puny net!
My only plan was to attempt to scoop him with that little net & flip him in my `Yak!
As I got him closer, I slid the net under him & as I lifted him out of the water, he thrashed his head violently, shaking the spinnerbait loose & gliding back down into the deep murky water of the Passaic River…….
I smiled as I looked down at that little net and said, “Why didn`t I have my “real” net today???!”
So I regrouped & started paddling back down river. “Perhaps all of the Pike were not turned off by the cold-front” I thought as I paddled.
The on my fifth cast since losing the river monster, I thought I was snagged in some weeds……… Wait!
That`s a fish running! Fish on! As I set the hook!
Even though I hadn`t seen nor caught one of these in years, I knew immediately what I had landed……
A really nice 24″ Chain Pickerel!
Well now this certainly was unexpected & definitely added to this Adventure!
*Also check out the video I shot of the three deer swimming across the Passaic as I sat in my `Yak. Pretty darn cool eh???
