Seeley Lake resident Bo Jungers with his 42-inch, 30 pound, 10 ounce northern pike caught on Seeley Lake New Year's Day. He pulled the fish through an eight-inch hole with his hands.
SEELEY LAKE – While Seeley Lake junior Bo Jungers went out expecting to catch northern pike on Seeley Lake New Year's Day, he had no idea what was waiting to take the bait the first morning of 2016. After pulling a 42-inch, 30 pound, 10 ounce pike out of an eight-inch hole, Jungers could not be more excited about his success.
Jungers bought an insulated fishing house with the proceeds from his 4H hog project this past year. After seeing several people out on Seeley Lake Dec. 31, he had heard that people were catching up to 20 fish in a day.
"I just thought I would go out and catch a bunch of little ones," said Jungers.
He headed out in the morning by himself to his favorite spot on Seeley Lake. He baited his tip-ups with smelt and set them out. He started working on getting his new house set up when one of his tip ups went up. He ran over and set the hook.
"I knew it was a big one because it didn't move," said Jungers. "Then it started taking out line."
Jungers brought the fish up to the hole three times only to see part of it before it would make another run.
"I kept thinking holy cow, this is a big fish," said Jungers.
On the fourth try at the hole and after about a 15 minute fight, Jungers said he had finally tired the fish out enough to guide it through the hole. Not having a gaff to grab the fish with, Jungers reached his hand in the hole and was able to grab the fish by the gills.
"All I was thinking was getting it out of the hole and onto the ice," said Jungers.
Even though the fish broke a fin on the way out, Jungers plans to have it mounted.
Jungers' trophy is just shy of the northern pike mount that hangs behind the counter at Rovero's. Caught by Seeley Lake resident George Welch Feb. 14, 2004, the pike weighed 31.5 pounds and was 45 inches long. Welch caught the fish on Lake Inez using smelt. He also pulled it through an eight-inch hole using a gaff.
"It's not every New Year a fisherman can claim [such] a prize as this," wrote Jungers' parents Ed and Lesley Jungers in an email. "We couldn't be prouder of his success."
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