Libby's Siefke wins Halfway House pike derby
Libby’s Johnny Siefke shows off the big 18-pound, 9-ounce northern pike, he caught Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, on Bull Lake during the Halfway House Bar and Grill Ice Fishing Derby. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
Libby's Drew Munro shows off the 17 pound, four ounce northern pike he caught in Bull Lake last weekend during the Halfway House Bar and Grill's Ice Fishing Derby. (Courtesy photo)
Libby's Vic Crace shows off a 7-pound, 6-ounce northern pike he hauled in Saturday during the Halfway House Bar and Grill Ice Fishing Derby. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
Trout Creek anglers Phil Salvatore, left, and Jessy Hill definitely enjoyed the quiet on Bull Lake, but hoped for the fishing action to pick up Sunday during the Halfway House Bar and Grill Ice Fishing Derby. Hill did land a 5-pound, 9-ounce northern Saturday. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
One local angler indicated his preference for northern pike on his license plate of his rig parked at Bull Lake during the Halfway House Bar and Grill Ice Fishing Derby. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
Ice fishing huts and ATVs dot the icy surface on Bull Lake Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, during the Halfway House Bar and Grill Ice Fishing Derby. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
The quiet out on the ice of Bull Lake was a substantial contrast to the yells of excitement when a large northern pike was weighed last weekend at the Halfway House Bar and Grill.
But the establishment’s owners and area anglers were just happy it was being held.
A lack of cold weather a year ago failed to provide enough ice for safe fishing conditions and it was cancelled for the first time since Halfway House owner Jason Williams began holding the tournament in 2016, a few years after he bought it.
“We weren’t sure we could have it this year,” Williams said Saturday afternoon. “Up until three weeks ago, we had totally open water. But it worked out and we’re glad, it’s good for people to get out and do something and enjoy each other’s company.”
But a well-timed cold snap built a good 10 inches on the 107-acre lake located off Highway 56, aka Bull Lake Road, in south Lincoln County.
One hundred twenty-four anglers registered for the two-day tournament. Fishing was slow after a big change in the barometric pressure between late Friday and early Saturday.
Anglers were catching several pike out before the pressure change, several in the 20-pound range.
Libby’s Johnny Siefke brought in a big pike, 18 pounds, 9 ounces, just before 5 p.m. Saturday. It turned out to be the winner.
It displaced the former leader, a 17-pound, 4 ounce northern, also caught Saturday by Libby resident Drew Munro. Munro's lunker placed second.
Hans Peterson, also of Libby, was third with a pike that weighed 13 pounds, 4 ounces.
In the combined category, Clayton Kyriss was first with 41 pounds, Siefke was second with 26 pounds, two ounces, and Munro was third with 21 pounds, eight ounces.
Two anglers brought in three pike and two others each brought in two fish Saturday.
Vic Crace, also of Libby, confirmed the slow fishing. While he hauled in a 7-pound, 6-ounce pike Saturday, that was the only fish for him.
“I only had one other flag pop all day,” Crace said. “It’s been very quiet.”
Trout Creek anglers Phil Salvatore and Jessy Hill definitely enjoyed the quiet, but hoped for the fishing action to pick up Sunday.
Hill landed a 5-pound, 9-ounce northern Saturday, but that was it.
“That’s fishing, though,” Salvatore said.
Salvatore had a good-sized pike on the line after it went for one of his smelt-baited hooks on a tip-up. But it managed the get free before the angler could get it through the hole in the ice.
Libby's Drew Munro shows off the 17 pound, four ounce northern pike he caught in Bull Lake last weekend during the Halfway House Bar and Grill's Ice Fishing Derby. (Courtesy photo)
Libby's Vic Crace shows off a 7-pound, 6-ounce northern pike he hauled in Saturday during the Halfway House Bar and Grill Ice Fishing Derby. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
Trout Creek anglers Phil Salvatore, left, and Jessy Hill definitely enjoyed the quiet on Bull Lake, but hoped for the fishing action to pick up Sunday during the Halfway House Bar and Grill Ice Fishing Derby. Hill did land a 5-pound, 9-ounce northern Saturday. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
One local angler indicated his preference for northern pike on his license plate of his rig parked at Bull Lake during the Halfway House Bar and Grill Ice Fishing Derby. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
Ice fishing huts and ATVs dot the icy surface on Bull Lake Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, during the Halfway House Bar and Grill Ice Fishing Derby. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)