is this for real?

[JohnWester]

Anyone know about this northern caught on rainy?

54 inches,? ?44 pounds

[labs4me]

I'll bet you a dinner at Manny's that it wasn't caught in the Rainy or anywhere within 500 miles of it.   Look at the tree line, it's obviously much farther north just inside the tundra line (north of the 60th parrallel) or in Northern Europe (where they indeed grow huge Northerns).  Believe me this has been going around over a week now and you don't think every T.V. station and every outdoor rag wouldn't have picked this story up? 

C'mon, there may very well have never been a 45+/- pound Northern caught in this state... and don't tell me about our standing record... they never had to verify them back in the good ol' days and even the experts in the DNR doubt that it's accurate...  by dimesions and the fact it's never even come close to being tied or broken... not even close...

I've been fortunate enough to get up and fish "just inside the tree line" 3 times and believe me, the fish grow huge up there, but this fish is still a once every couple of decade's fish, even up there, but down here the buzz of the story would be incessant. 

Good Luck!

Ken

[bowhunter73]

now labs4me i got to say you sound like you know a thing or two, but fish like this are common to say the least, We get them all the time in Como lake maybe your just using the wrong color ?  try green     has anybody else had luck in Como lake   if so with what color

[dogstyler]

 i bagged this brute on como with a red & white

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[bowhunter73]

yeah i think i remember seeing that one on the dock. I think i remember you saying somthing about only 6LB test or something?

[Mayfly]

I'm determined to track down where this picture is really from. I have been in contact with a fisherman from Ireland who is looking into it. As I hear something I will post it.







These fish are not as big but you can see some similarities in the pictures. I noticed in all these pics from Ireland and Sweden they are always looking at the fish in the photograph.

[Mayfly]

Here is what one angler from Ireland had to say....



Hi Tim,
 
Judging by the flat landscape in the background this pike was not caught here in Ireland. Also, Irish pike generally have a different pattern and are darker coloured. It could well have been caught in Holland because Holland is a very flat country, the pike grow big and very fat on some lakes and also: the marking of this fish is like that of many dutch pike. If it is a pike from Europe, I am quite certain it is from Holland. Besides the reasons I mentioned above, Holland is the only country in Europe where aluminium boats are widely used for fishing! There are a few in use by anglers in Ireland and England, but these are usually the smaller types like the Sylvan Sporttroller, the boat on the picture is clearly bigger than that. I am not too familiar with the piking scene in the USA but I thought that pike overthere are generally much leaner fish than the one on the picture, but maybe I am wrong...
 
Have you more pictures of this fish and were did you get it from? It certainly is a massive fish! If the 44 inch measurement is correct I would not be surprised if the fish is a lot heavier than 44 pounds!?
 
Please let me know when you find out more about its origin or other details!
 
Kind regards,
 
Ferdinand Heijerman
 

[Harold]

Mayfly - You should invite Ferdinand to the forum.  That was an interesting post.

[Mayfly]

I have invited Ferdinand to the site and I look forward to more from him.

Welcome to MNO Ferdinand!

[Mayfly]

[Joe]

Probably as real as this pic. If I remember correctly, the rumor was this monster was caught in the Rainy River.



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[GRIZ]

I have seen a 54" northern. It weighted 39 lbs and was caught about 300 miles north of winnipeg. The guy who caught it wanted to release it and have a replica made but his guide told him to keep it as it wouldn't make it. (gilled)