This weekend, just a month away from a Northern Pike’s most important part of their life, the spawn, we have witnessed multiple gory scenes and pictures of gaffed pike. This weekend has just been a small sample of what has been going on across New York State on the ice for years. With blood pouring from the gill area of these fish, and gaffs laying close by, chance of survival is very slim. A fish’s gill system is the most vital part of their health and a puncture would trigger massive amount of blood loss. Gaff hooks are illegal in many states year-round and here in NY for freshwater fishing all year except during ice fishing.  Many uneducated and inexperienced anglers, feel the need to purchase and use gaff hooks to stab and or hook large Northern Pike and Muskellunge in the precious gill area for a quick and easy retrieval through the ice. Any experienced angler would proudly declare that a gaff is never needed, as they continuously land these fish in excess of 45" on frozen lakes over and over doing so by hand without use of gaff hooks.  A 45" pike is well over 25 years old, most likely a female with eggs ready for spring spawn. Gaffing and  puncturing and tearing a fishes gill system damages it to the point where bleeding out and dying is a high probability. I feel as anglers, we owe these older fish the proper respect and treatment, so not only can we help our fish population now, the effects will be seen for generations.