Spawn-run inconnu

Sunday, October 8, 2017
Size: 
Around 40 inches

Visited the Pike Jam on Sunday, the latest I've ever been there. I would've gone weeks earlier but I've been busy moving so last weekend it was -- the very last day it could practically be achieved if at all. Winter is a shadow of a snowflake away from descending on the North Slave region of the Northwest Territories. It snowed two inches today. The temperature was 23 F on the morning we left for the Pike Jam.

I was hoping to encounter inconnu during their spawning run and would not be disappointed, although the fishing was the slowest I've ever encountered at this place. The inconnu I did catch -- less than 20 of them -- however, were the most splendidly marked I've ever seen. The black edges on their fins and caudal and dorsal scales were somehow even darker, the lateral line more intense. All were males and gushing with milt. No pike were caught.

Anyway, we froze half to death to get there but it was nice to get outside after a month of unpacking boxes and to catch a new perspective on this amazing species of fish.

Comments

Hengelaar's picture

Glad to see you managed to squeeze a trip in after all.

Man, look at how dark that Coney is! Sooper cool.

No Pike, huh? Seems odd. You'd think they'd be getting a late season gorge on....

Fishn sure is neat

Mike B's picture

I find the pike really turn off once once the temperature drops below zero - in fact all species seem slow to bite right before freeze up.

mike b

Hengelaar's picture

Yeah, that makes sense. I guess I didn't fully register how HECKING COLD it already is over there!!

Pretty damn rad that you boys still went out and made that boat ride through that.

Man, I be day dreaming about that place...

Fishn sure is neat

andy's picture

That inconnu certainly looks a bit more stylish in his spawning mode.  I don't think the Internet has ever seen one quite like that!  Thanks for sharing, Mike.

SomewhereDownstream's picture

Holy crap, I need to go north sometime.

SomewhereDownstream

R L White's picture

I need to go north with my fly rod in tow!

Lake Kantelljuhwhar's picture

battling the elements as usual I see :-)

RoughFish's picture

Amazing fish Mike, I was just rereading the trip when Hengelaar visited you at this very spot the other day.

Eli's picture

Glad you made it out

Eli