Wow, this is the 1st time I've ever seen anyone cause a stink about someone keeping a pike.
I think some people just need to cause a stink, and will find any route to do so. If I was that considered about a fish's welfare that filming a portion of a fight would be out of the question, I wouldn't be angling in the first place!
@Salmotrutta - you ever try eating pike? It's great! BUT - if you're trying to practice C&R pike fishing needle nose pliers, teeth spreads and a net are a MUST
I do eat pike, but I can't eat fish out of Southern Ontario waters any more, with the exception of extremely clean watersheds.
At this spot, I don't usually need a net, because I can bring them right up shallow and pop the hooks without even taking the pike out of the water. But I got this one off a platform, away from the bank. I have teeth spreads and have definitely used them before. They were in my vehicle, and the fish would have suffocated by the time I got to my vehicle and back.
But yes, pike are great eating, I usually do the 5 fillet method around the bones. They were the first fish I ever learned to clean. Misconceptions surrounding this species are quite prevalent with regards to filleting and eating them.
