I picked one this spring. Great tool for landing fish. Only a bit rough on the mouth/jaw of large rainbows or salmon. They work fine for lakers though and you really don't need one for bass. I refuse to use a net on my boat simply because I release everything. If I can shake them free boatside, so much the better and the least you touch a fish increases it's chances for survival. I don't really like the weighing feature either - too hard to read. If I want to weigh a fish I use another digital scale (mine is a Berkley). The Lock n' Weigh should be fine on pike, but unless you're catching pike larger than 15 lbs., you can usually land them ok by hand just as well. (Frozen water should amplify the Lock n' Weigh's value!) I just grab them across the head, over the gill plates applying pressure; lift the head a bit and slide my other hand just inside one gill plate (don't touch the gills if you plan on releasing it) and lift straight up. A tight grip on the gill plate keeps you in control of the fish and minimizes damage to YOU or the fish. Hope this is of some help