03-22-2004, 03:47 PM
WARROAD, MN--The journey of a female northern pike caught and released four times since 1995, came to an end last month when an angler caught and kept the 37-inch (approximately 15-pound) pike while fishing in the Manitoba waters of Lake of the Woods. The fish was caught more than 10 miles from where the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources had tagged it.
Tag returns from anglers helped the Minnesota DNR keep tabs on the fish's whereabouts since crews fitted her with a tag in 1995 as part of a study to learn more about pike and their movements.
Minnesota anglers then caught and released the female pike at least three more times: in 1998, as a 30-inch fish; in 2000, as a 33-inch fish; and in 2001, as a 35-inch fish.
While Minnesota law protects pike from 30 to 40 inches in length, Manitoba has no such regulation, so it was legal for the angler who caught the fish there to keep it.
DNR officials say it represents the first report of a tagged northern being caught four separate times.
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] I caught one and released it in the same waters 5 years ago , and as far as I know , no one turned in that tag yet ! At that time , it was 38 inches long , and tag over by Warroad !!