Lite tackle holds up to monster pike

SEELEY LAKE – "All I saw was the tail and it covered all eight inches of the opening in the ice," Seeley Lake 17-year-old Klayton Kovatch recalled after getting the first glimpse of a monster pike through the ice Monday, Jan. 17. After more than a half an hour fighting the fish, he landed the 20.5-pound, 40.25-inch northern pike on his lite action, 24-inch jigging rod, spooled with four-pound test line and tipped with a sixteenth ounce tungsten jig.

"This type of setup would typically be used to catch perch or other small fish and I would strongly recommend it not to be used to catch mature pike," Klayton said. "Despite the mismatch between such a fish and the shrimp of a rod I held, my gear didn't fail and I feel inclined to mention that I was really surprised that nothing ever broke, tangled or faltered even once."

Klayton has been ice fishing most of his life. This winter he has made an effort to go out every weekend with his father Kal or his buddies. They have tried different lakes for perch, pike and an assortment of trout.

"We never really go after a specific type of fish, it's more of catching whatever we can manage to hook into," Klayton said. "After fishing on a lake for awhile you learn what type of fish are active or biting and narrowing down what bait to use becomes second nature."

On Monday, Jan. 17, Klayton, his father Kal, his friend Seth Richardson and Seth's father Nathan were fishing on Seeley Lake. They were after perch but also set some tip ups for pike.

"We didn't really have a goal in mind - just to have a good time and hope we snagged something for the frying pan," Klayton said.

In the morning they hooked into a few perch and Klayton landed two small pike on his jigging rod.

"Compared to some days, it was pretty slow fishing," Klayton said.

Klayton decided to drop his fish finder down one more hole before he and Seth had to head in for basketball practice. He noticed a big mark right at the bottom of the lake, about 32 feet of water, so he let down his little jig.

"The fish I had seen before was gone and so I lost interest pretty quick because once they leave it's hard to get any type of fish to turn back around," Klayton said.

However when he looked back at the screen, the same size of mark he had seen earlier was back, at the same water depth of the jig.

"I didn't actually notice that it bit my hook but after a moment I knew I had something on my line," Klayton said. "I set my hook hard but my line never moved and it was as if I had snagged something at the bottom of the lake, like a stick or log or something. Then it started to swim away, doubling over my little rod as it took out my drag. From then on it was a full on fight."

Klayton said the pike would run 30 feet of line and then he would gain five feet before it ran again.

"At the start I was nervous that the fish would take all of my line out and break off with every head shake I felt but I kept gaining on it," Klayton said.

Everyone started to gather around the hole when Klayton hollered that he had never felt a fish like this before. However, they all doubted he would land it because he was using such a small rod and four-pound test line.

He continued to play the fish and was able to get a glimpse of the tail in the hole. After a few more hard runs, Klayton saw its head slide into sight. Nathan snaked the gaf down beside the fish's face and turned it so he could hook it as Klayton held tension on the line.

"Then in a silent three, two, one he pulled it onto the ice like he had done it a thousand times before," Klayton said. "After that it was just a blur of whoops and howls laced with profanity as we all were struck by what had just happened."

Klayton hooked the pike in the tip of its top lip. Had it been hooked any other way, Klayton is certain its teeth would have cut the line. 

"I might not ever catch another fish like this one, hopefully that's not true, but I won't ever forget it that's for sure," Klayton said. "It took almost 35 minutes to drag in and well worth every second."

Klayton plans to mount it since it is the largest pike he's ever caught.

"It was one of the best times I've had fishing," Klayton said. "Thanks to Seth and Nathan for inviting us that day and Nathan for pulling it in for me. I couldn't be happier with this fish."