Spawning Pike?

[TooPureToDie]

I was just interested in finding out when pike spawn and where, along with any other kind of info. I've never really looked into it, instead i just made guesses [] So any info will be great!
Thanks!
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[yaxisx]

The spawn begins, as I understand it, while the ice is still on the water, and by the time the ice is mostly gone, the spawn has pretty much gone also. It usually occurs in the shallows along the shore.

There's some good info in the book, "Pike on the Fly" (I hope I got that right). The author really gets into Pike life cycle.
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[mattscru]

I may be wrong, but I think they spawn in the late fall. Kinda like brown trout.
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[TooPureToDie]

Well hopefully they are just spawning where i am....we've had some cold weather but now its finally starting to warm up and i can get out and fish a lot more.[]
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[mattscru]

I was way off, I dont know why but I thought they spawned in the fall. I wonder in jackfish (chain pickeral) have the same spawning habits as pike? We have alot of jackfish in georgia and people treat them as trash fish but Ive ate a few and they have really good sweet meat. I just need to learn how to fillet them right because of all the bones. Im sure some of you pike fisherman could help me on that one [] Matt
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[yaxisx]

You weren't exactly way off. Pike, Muskies, and Tiger Muskies will move to the shallows in the fall; but actual spawning is in the shallows only in spring.

Pike love weedbeds in the shallows and shorelines, but they will slip down to deeper water, just off the weedy areas, for the summer. Thus, Pike can be taken by trolling the deeper water in summer, when shore waters warm up.

Wildlife managers create a popular hybrid called a Tiger Muskie. Like all Hybrids, The Tiger Muskie is sterile; but amongst all the thousands of them, there are odd occasions when the "hybrid" produces a breedible animal, and these can reproduce. It's rare, but a reality.

Muskellunges are the older fish on the evolutionary scale. As temperatures dropped in the Northern latitudes, the Northern Pike evolved which can withstand colder water better.

In waters where Pike & Muskellunge share habitat, the Pike is the more aggressive fish, and will eventually dominate the Muskellunge population. Perhaps this is why it is the smaller Pike that is called a "Water Wolf".

Here in Colorado, where a couple of reservoirs have them, I use several lures in the 5 to 7 inch range to catch them:

"The Believer" "The Super Stalker" "The SUPER Shad Rap"

The last two of these are surface to down a couple feet. The Believer goes deeper.

A surface lure that can be particularly amusing is designed for the "Peacock Bass" of South America. It is called "The WOODCHOPPER" It has propellers on the rear and is a surface lure. It pulls across the surface like a motorboat, really churning the water. Pike will rise and "hit" the lure without actually taking it. You can see their swirls just at the back of the lure. Sooner or later, they take it while you watch, and it is very exciting. I've never seen a largemouth take a lure this big; but a 24" pike will.

Largemouth Bass are frequently found in the stomach of Pike, but Largemouth Bass seldom eat Pike. No one seems to know why. Pike eat anything, including your hand if you try to remove hooks without a long hook removal tool. I've seen many fishermen get their hands shredded and have to go to the hospital, because even after they were WARNED, they figured Pike teeth would just give a "bit of a scratch".

Pike fishing with a Fly Rod is popular. Almost any streamer fly will do; but the fisherman using a 6 weight or smaller is sometimes surprised that the pike can sometimes break their rod. Of course, the fisherman's expertise in playing the fish will affect whether equipment is damaged, often as not.

It is recommended that if you eat the Pike, that you remove the skin before cooking.
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[yaxisx]

Some Pike waters in Colorado are Catch & Release only, so it requires a barbless hook. I crush mine down with pincer pliers; but if I'm home, I use the MOTO-TOOL with a #953 stone head to grind down the barb. It's much faster, and makes the hook smooth.

For many years I had suspected that I would lose fish if I fished barbless. I don't think I've ever had a fish slip off though. When you get fish that you want to release, the hook sure slips out easy. I'm fairly confident that fishermen can catch nearly everything they hook if they go barbless. It is much easier on the fish, and the fisherman.
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[mattscru]

Great post. Very informative, so I guess most of that can be said for chain pickeral as well since they are all in the same family?
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[mattscru]

Very informative post. You should join the club, alot of good info on here as Im sure youve already seen.
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[birddogwi]

or should I say "I just joined" now .. via varification e-mail
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[tubeN2]

Welcome aboard birddogwi. Thanks for becoming a member so quickly. I hope you are aware of the weekly drawing for some cool prize packages. Available to members only.[cool]

You are automatically entered just by being a member.[]
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[mattscru]

Glad to see you join up. Beware this site is like crack, you cant quit[]
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[birddogwi]

Thanks, TubeN2.

I'm sure I'll enjoy the swim around here! Fishin' folks are good company.[cool]
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