Spring Lake pike prove prolific

While few anglers have visited Spring Lake this chilly week, action was good for the Department of Natural Resource’s annual pike netting. Biologists needed just two days on the south end to collect 92 females and 62 males. The largest female weighed 12 pounds.

Those prolific pike provided 500,000 fertile eggs for Jake Wolf Fish Hatchery. But northerns were hardly alone in the trap nets.

“The northern looked good and the big bass were moving,” biologist Wayne Herndon said. “We saw quite a few bass between 5-8 pounds. And we don’t usually see them in our trap nets.”

Herndon said he also netted “quite a few” crappie that were 8-9 inches long and “quite a few over 9 inches.”

As for the north end, anglers have been catching some muskie in recent days. But things will slow starting Sunday when state nets are scheduled to go in on the north end.