Susan Bracha with her 42 inch northern pike caught in the Seeley Lake area Jan. 6. It weighed 24 pounds, 2 ounces.
SEELEY LAKE – Seeley Lake's Susan Bracha landed this 42 inch, 24 pound, 2 ounce northern pike Saturday, Jan. 6 ice fishing on a local lake. This is her third season ice fishing and by far her most successful.
Bracha was fishing with her friend Chris Neibauer. She set the hook when the tip-up tripped.
"I knew it was pretty good sized as soon as I felt it on the line," said Bracha.
Bracha broke the line off the tip-up and Neibauer coached her on how to work it up to the hole.
"It was super fun working it in but I was completely shocked when I saw the size of that head at the hole," said Bracha.
Once its head was in the hole, Neibauer used a gaff to pull it out. Bracha wasn't sure how long it took to land her monster pike but estimated around five minutes.
"First really big fish of her life," said Neibauer. "Now she is spoiled."
Neibauer has seen five big pike caught out of area lakes. The largest was 32 pounds and the others were more than 20 pounds. He has taken the people out that caught them but never caught one himself.
Bracha is looking forward to eating the fillets. She also saved the head and is going to have it beetled.
Bracha said, "It really made my whole ice fishing season."
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