weird catch this weekend

[Rappin Mikey]

I went to get a bit of work done on my car after work on Friday. Conveniently, my mechanic's shop is in the same parking lot I use to access one of my spots on the CT River. So, I grab my gear and headed down for about an hour, threw on a canal special, and tried my luck for a striper. At the end of one of my casts I get wacked. A decent sized splash, but an odd feeling fight. As I get the fish close to shore. I here a guy say " That's the biggest pickerel I've ever seen!". Anyway, it was a7# toothy pike. Unforunately, hooked in the gills and bleeding pretty bad. After I dislodeged the hook, A guy asked me how they taste, as I was stating there was no way it was going to make it. I told him pretty good, just tough to fillet. He asked me for the fish and I obliged. Made a few more casts and buttoned into a 29" striper that was fat and my guess full of roe. Released successfully. I snapped a pic of the pike but couldn't get it off of my phone to my computer. I'll try again later. All and all a fun way to spend an hour. Got a few more decent stripers over the weekend. I love this time of year.