Practicing proper catch and release is vital for maintaining the trophy quality of remote Canadian lakes. Large Northern Pike are surprisingly fragile despite their fierce appearance. When landing a Pike, use a large, rubber-coated landing cradle or net that won't tangle in their teeth or damage their fins and scales. When lifting the fish, never hold it vertically by the jaw/gill plate, as this can damage its internal organs and spine.

The safest hold is the gill plate grip: slide your fingers carefully under the gill cover (avoiding the red gills and gill rakers) and support the fish's weight with your other hand under its belly. Keep the fish in the water as much as possible. If you take a photo, be quick. Have your long-nose pliers and jaw spreaders ready before the fish even hits the boat. For stubborn hooks, a pair of compact bolt cutters can be used to snip the hook points, which is much safer for the fish than prolonged wrestling. Release the fish by holding it horizontally in the water while it recovers and is ready to swim away under its own power.