01-30-2014, 10:31 PM
I am all for the occasional harvest of big pike for exactly reasons PBH mentions. That's why you can keep one over 36". However what seems to be occurring is fisherman are going to Yuba multiple times and keeping all the big pike every trip. Do that and you will end up with hammer handles. There will be no apex predator (bigger pike) to keep the smaller pike in check and soon they will out populate the forage base. Which results in stunting. Keeping one or even two pike over 36" over the course of the winter is fine. Keeping 6 or 8 or 10 not so much. Minnesota has switched to one over 36" for the entire year in some trophy pike lakes for example. Not suggesting Yuba go to that extreme but let's go a little easier on the big pike.
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