Thomas Francis’ new Idaho record northern pike weighed 40.76 pounds, was 49 inches in length and 26.5 inches in girth. (Photo courtesy of Thomas Francis)
I’ve been fascinated with big northern pike for nearly 50 years. Of course, “big” is a relative term depending on the fishery. In much of the Midwest, a 10-pounder is considered big, while closer to the Canada border it takes a 15- or 20-pounder to turn the head of an avid angler.
Throughout Canada, hundreds of 20-pounders are caught each year, but few of these fish reach 25 pounds, and as I stated in this article’s tease, 30-pounders are very rare today. Fish of this extreme size exist in some select waters in Canada, and also parts of Alaska (namely the Yukon River system). But 40-pounders? You could literally spend every day of your lifetime on the top trophy pike fisheries in North America and never encounter a fish of this size. They don’t exist — except one was recently caught in Idaho!
On March 21, 2023, Thomas Francis was fishing on Hayden Lake in north Idaho. “Pike is what I go after all the time,” Thomas said. “I spend almost every day fishing for pike. As soon as the ice is off and until it comes back.”
When Thomas arrived to Hayden Lake that day, there was still ice along the shoreline, meaning he could cast from his boat only to the edge of the ice, not all the way to the bank. He was using an 11-inch swimbait.
“When my lure hit the water, I let it sink all the way to the bottom,” he explained. “As soon as my lure hit the bottom, I felt her hit. I fish with 80 pound-test line, and she almost immediately started peeling drag, a lot of it.
“She pinned herself to the bottom and just kept going, peeling drag the whole time. I knew that wasn’t normal, and I could tell it was something special.“
The pike then changed its fight tactics. “Suddenly I got slack line, as she was coming straight up from the bottom,” he said. “She came flying out of the water, and it was obvious she was a huge fish.“
After landing the giant pike, Thomas headed for shore, knowing it was close to a new state record. “I immediately headed for the dock to try and find a boat with a scale and tape measure,” he said. “We found a boat with a scale, and the fish pegged the scale out at 30 pounds, so we knew we needed to find a bigger scale.“
Thomas' massive pike initially weighed 41.26 pounds, but he wasn't able to get the fish certified until the following day, when it still weighed 40.76 pounds, making it a new Idaho record.
To understand how rare the 40.76-pound northern pike caught by Thomas Francis is in North America, check out these 15 current state and provincial records (and catch dates).
- Saskatchewan, 47.5 pounds, 2008
- New York, 46.13 pounds, 1940
- Minnesota, 45.75 pounds, 1929
- Manitoba, 42.4 pounds, 1977
- Ontario, 42.12 pounds, 1946
- Idaho, 40.76 pounds, 2023
- Michigan, 39 pounds (spear fishing), 1961
- Alaska, 38.5 pounds, 1991
- Alberta, 38 pounds, 1982
- Wisconsin, 38 pounds, 1952
- Montana, 37.5 pounds, 1971
- North Dakota, 37.5 pounds, 1968
- Oklahoma, 36.5 pounds, 1976
- South Dakota, 36.2 pounds, 1993
- Massachusetts, 35 pounds, 1988
The official world record northern pike was caught in West Germany in 1986 and weighed 55.06 pounds. Click here to see photos of many of the biggest pike caught around the world.
