In another sign of the thriving fishery for northern pike around Chicago, Ryan Whitacre caught two pike heavier than 10 pounds on back-to-back casts Saturday while fishing the Cal Sag Bass Anglers Big Lake Tournament.
“Pretty shocking,” emailed Whitacre, who caught them on a deep-diving crankbait.
“First one was around 35 inches,” he added. “The next cast was a bigger one, certainly the biggest of my life. I did a rough measurement based on a picture that came to 43 inches.”
Pike have been around Chicago for a long time, but the numbers caught by boaters and shore anglers alike this year seem notable.
Pike the size Whitacre caught deserve a full-length look.
FOTW, the celebration of big fish and their stories (the stories matter, as this one shows) around Chicago fishing, runs Wednesdays in the paper Sun-Times.
To make submissions, email (BowmanOutside@gmail.com) or contact me on Facebook (Dale Bowman), Twitter (@BowmanOutside) or Instagram (@BowmanOutside).
