Hello: My 5 1/2 year old daughter, Elizabeth, caught a really nice Northern Pike and we would like to share her story. Lac La Nonne, Killdeer Beach Resort, June 5, 2010 - Elizabeth Whymer (5 1/2 years old) was fishing with her mom, older sister Esther and friend Jessica one Saturday afternoon and got the catch of a life time. The girls, along with their moms, set out mid-morning to go visit a cousin at Killdeer Beach Resort. Jessica brought along her fishing rod (a little inexpensive one) hoping to get a few casts in after lunch. The day was nice and warm but cloudy. It even sprinkled rain a few times while we were on the dock fishing. Jessica started off the day with a blooper cast that ended up catching the first fish of the day, but it was too small so back it went. Sister Esther had one on the line but lost it after it swam under a boat. But Elizabeth never got a bite. Near supper time, Jessica was done fishing, Esther was done fishing so mommy asked Elizabeth and she was up for more fishing. Elizabeth's casting needed lots of work and with mommy's help it was getting better. "Okay Elizabeth," said mommy, "this will be the last cast of the day because supper should be ready back at camp." "Okay mommy." replied Elizabeth. One last cast. Watching Elizabeth reel in her line I saw a flash of white chasing her lure. I grabbed Elizabeth and the rod. The fish grabbed the lure and ran. Zzzzzzzzzzz goes her line. "You got a fish Elizabeth!" We reel in the fish. It sees the dock and splashes and then does the great tail-out-of-the-water splash! It rolls twice and catches the line around it's gills. Zzzzzzzzz goes the line again, the fish runs. We reel in, the fish runs. Since we were only fishing off the dock and only for about an hour, we had no net. How were we going to get this fish out of the water? "Okay Elizabeth," I said, "we are going to slowly work our way down to the end of the dock." "Okay mommy." replied Elizabeth. My thought was to get the fish tired out and then jump in the shallow water on the other side of the dock. Give Elizabeth the fishing rod and get her to walk to the sand (about 10 steps away) and I would grab the fish and haul it up to the beach. (Okay, maybe not a great idea, but in the moment it was the only one I had.) As we were very slowly working our way down to the end of the dock a nice gentleman yelled that he had pliers if I needed. I yelled back that we needed a net because this was a big fish, maybe 15 pounds. He came up thinking it was maybe a keeper! Until he saw the fish. "Oh, that's a big one, you got a 20 pounder!" He asked his son to go get his Uncle's net out of the boat on shore. Zzzzzzzzzzz goes the line again. Okay, I think he's getting tired. We reel in the fish again, and get it close to the dock. "That net is too small," I'm thinking, "we might be able to get the head in it!" But, enough of the Northern Pike got in the net so that we could get it up on the dock. It was landed! The gentleman got the hook out and then hit the Pike over the head. He also carried it to the Cafe for us, on the way meeting people and letting them know this little girl was the one who caught the big fish. Once at the Cafe, it was weighted and measured. This Northern Pike was 17 lbs 13 oz and 43.5 inches in length (without pinched tail). What at catch! Elizabeth is only 47 lbs and 45 inches tall. People gathered around to see the sight and the little one who caught it. Most people's comment "I've been fishing my whole life and never caught one that big!" Many were shocked to hear we did not have a boat but were fishing off the dock. Thank you to Ron and Marina Teale of the Killdeer Beach Resort Cafe for weighing and measuring and the bags and ice to get the Pike home. Thank you to the gentleman who got the Pike on the dock for us and then carried it to the Cafe (I'm sorry I did not get your name). Thank you Jessica for letting us use your fishing rod and lure. And thank you to Mike and Olly for inviting us out for some relaxation and fishing! It was an afternoon to remember. How we got that Pike on land was a miracle at best. No net, inexpensive fishing rod (with maybe 10 pound test), and a 5 1/2 year old was the one holding the rod. God is good. This big one didn't get away.
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