On The Water reader Matthew Magni recently landed, weighed and released a massive northern pike that was only 4 pounds short of the state record. Magni was ice-fishing in the Berkshires in western Massachusetts with friend Doug Faits when the fish hit at 10:30am. After a 10 minute fight to get the fish to the hole, they quickly unhooked the fish, weighed it and took measurements, shot a few pics and sent it back in the hole, unharmed. The fish weighed 31 pounds, was 50″ long and had a 23″ girth.
“I knew it was easily the gold pin fish for 2015, but being a huge pike fisherman I believe in catch and release, in order to preserve the fishery for these fish,” said Magni. He plans to have a fiberglass reproduction made by Northeast Taxidermy in Middletown, Connecticut.
Great job on the release
Jakgrimaldi.49@gmail.com
Awesome! Very very impressed and just wanted to pass along my thanks!
Beautiful catch. God bless for releasing her. I would have too! Good karma will reward you!
kudos on the catch and release. just imagine how many eggs a fish like that would have.
Great catch even better release.
Congratulations on this beauty, the “Outdoor Scene” Wnri.com
Beautiful fish and a true sportsman for the release of such a beneficial specimen
I released a 24 pounder in sept.2014
I know Doug and Matt .very professional fisherman they know how important catch and release is!
Matt great job I released 17 & 15 lb fish last year and love catch & release on these incredible fish
catch and release is great. that fish will be a record breaker next year.
I read this article every year, before the season, to remind myself how important all my catch and releases have been
not bad my buddy your gonna have to take me ice fishing an ill take ya on the water to show ya how to catch COWS LOL
Well done all around. You just paid it forward to future generations of pike and fishermen!
Luvz ur magazine!
Why won’t this take?
That’s one beautiful gator. It would b nice if that one was caught on lake onota. Large gators that we try to catch. Again great fish.
it was out of onota
Nice fish!!
Congratulations. And thanks for having catch-and-release ethics! If everyone would release their catch, we’d never have to stock, fishing licenses would cost less…. and, we’d ALWAYS have fish!
Thank you!
Great catch! Did he have to enlarge hole in ice prior to bringing thru?
I love Pike. One of my favorite types of fishing. Went to Black Lake New York last year and targeted bass. My brother and I did 107 total between Largemouth and Smallies. Going back this year to target Walleye and Pike. Met up with a dude they call Jiggin Jim and learned of the giant Walleye through him. Learned of the monster Pike from other locals. What a great fishing community, local s such nice folks and all fishaholics. Peace.
I didn’t know that fish got that big up at Cat’s Head…keep it going…
Does anyone know if mass still stocks northerns in the eastern part of the state. Their website only goes to 2006 in the northeast region. I caught a 12 lber out of the concord river in 2010. I haven’t caught another one there since.
They have stocked them in eastern mass a ton, mostly Cheshire Resevoir but 2006 2008 14 16 18 a lot
I wish more people would release the big fish which are the gene pool for other trophy fish. Massachusetts requires a weigh in of possible trophy fish all for a piece of paper, or a gold pin. It’s ridiculous, to endanger the life of a trophy fish and stress it to death just to weigh it in on a certified scale. Magazines and other state trophy programs allow a picture of a catch and release fish. How many trophies die each year just to satisfy these crazy rules?
Wonderful fish thanks for preserving this great sport fish. I would like to say I think this gold pin bull crap is just that and I wonder when the fish and game agencies will get their heads out of their butts and realize the undo stress these fish are under with all this measuring and weighing is probably killing a good number of the trophies that are out there never to be caught again by some of us catch and release anglers. Because they are dead now. Quick photos should suffice.
I don’t think people realize how old and rare that fish is ! If fisherman want to continue to feel the thrill Matt and myself experienced that morning think twice about killing them , think fiberglass !
nice catch man!! I also catch and release,but it was only 15 lbs.it looked awesome when came out of hole.i amagine what yours looked like
Load of crap, that fish is no where near 50 inches or 31 pounds. The measurements don’t add up.
Wow, there is one like you in every group Dick. A little jealous and too arrogant to acknowledge the success of others. The fish measurements are legit!
No way it’s 31 the measurements don’t add up and that pic was taken in hillcrest cove we have been catching them there for years
No way it’s 31 the measurements don’t add up and that pic was taken in hillcrest cove we have been catching them there for years stop trying to fake all these fish
Jeff is a crybaby wannabe. Unless the guy in the photo is 3 feet tall, that’s every bit of 50 inches
This poor guy has never caught a pike so he has to shit on everyone else and why blow up his fishing spot
Jeff is a crybaby wannabe. Unless the guy in the photo is 3 feet tall, that’s every bit of 50 inches
Great catch! Thank you for letting that awesome fish live!
That monster is for sure at least 4 feet. Nice catch and release.
CHECK OUT THE PIKE JUST CAUGHT ON THE SITE CALLED —CIRCLE TACKLE. NOW THATS A PIKE !!!!
Nice Job! A true Sportsman! I caught and released a 44” 20lb 9oz in 2017 at the Concord River.