Just Fishing Lures

Pike – Learn the Facts That Can Help you Catch the Trophies

This voracious and carnivorous fish lives in freshwaters on the Northern Hemisphere. Northern Pike (Esox lucius) is also known by its folk name of “Water Wolf”. Pikes grow as large as 150 cm in size and 25 kg in weight (1′ to over 4′, and weigh 50 pounds), although larger sizes have been reported, particularly in the Great Lakes area, making people believe in a misidentification or folk tale.

The color of Northern Pikes is olive shading into whitish or yellowish on belly, with spots on their body and some dark ones on the fins. Pikes have large pores on their head and lower jaw. This characteristic make Northern Pike a close relative to Muskellunge, similar-looking, but Northern Pike have light markings on their dark body backgrounds and less than 6 sensory pores on the underside of their jaw.

Usually found in cold, clear, rocky waters, lakes and streams, Northern Pike are usually hidden waiting for their prey, which are caught sideways with their sharp teeth. Pikes eat mainly fish and ducklings, although they are also cannibals, part of their nature, which serves in maintaining the Northern Pike population.

Some anglers have photographed Northern Pikes eating other pikes of a similar size, but also leeches and insects, because they are well known for their tremendously voracious appetite. Northern Pikes are some of the biggest freshwater fish that anglers like to catch due to the challenge involved while facing their aerial acrobatics and explosive hits.

Fishing for pike is an exciting sport in North America, where anglers usually do not eat the catch, but northern pike is usually filleted for the purpose of European cuisine, particularly popular in many German dishes. There are references traced back as far as the Romans, depicting pikes served at festivities.

In America, Northern Pike lives in northern New England, Eastern New York, Minnesota and the Ohio Valley, the Great Lakes basin and also the surrounding states of Nebraska and Missouri. Toward the north, pikes are also found in Alaska and Canada, except, British Columbia, were they appear rarely.

Northern Pike breed with Muskie to produce the Muskellunge subspecies known as Tiger Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy immaculatus), and there is also a mutation of Northern pike known as the Silver Pike, silvery-blue or silver in color, often referred to as Silver Muskellunge, occurring in scattered populations, lacking the rows of spots.

The name of Northern Pike was given to this specie after its North American habitat resembling the pole-weapon known as pike. This fish is also known as Common Pike, Snake, Great Northern Pike, American Pike, Jackfish, Great Lakes Pike, Grass Pike, and Pickerel.

There is a website that has great information on most species of freshwater fish. It has details that pertain to each species of fish such as habitat, spawning, eating habits, the best Lures and baits and more, the website is called: Fishing Stringer, and can be found at this url:

http://www.fishingstringer.com

By Robert W. Benjamin

Copyright © 2007

You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter on your web site as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.

About the Author

Robert W. Benjamin has been in the software business on the internet for over 5 years, and has been producing low-cost software for the past 25+ years. He first released products on the AMIGA and C64 computer systems in the late 1970′s-80′s.

Seasonal Vacation Spots

http://www.seasonalvacationspots.com

Having a blast fishing the St. John river near Fredericton for smallmouth with McKBarnes.mov

Baby Loon Musky Lure – Loon Pattern – Gopher Bait $29.95 Back in the 1950′s, muskie’s were on the minds of two Wisconsin men who fished the waters of the north woods. Wanting a lure with greater muskie appeal, they developed the Musky duckling (loon pattern). Designed to mimic the swimming action of a baby duck, the lure proved to be very successful. The original ducks are now highly sought after by antique lure collectors. The baits are now made again …

The Baby Gopher Muskie Lure – Musky Bait – Gray $16.95 Back in the 1950′s, muskie’s were on the minds of two Wisconsin men who fished the waters of the north woods. Wanting a lure with greater muskie appeal, they developed the Gopher. Designed to mimic the swimming action of a small rodent, the original lure proved to be very successful. The original Gophers are now highly sought after by antique lure collectors. The Gopher bait is now made again by o…

St.Clair Bait Co. Musky Minnow – Crackle Frog – Muskie Lure $23.95 It’s no secret that Lake St. Clair is the hottest Muskie fishery around. For shear numbers of fish per hour it just can’t be beat. However, there are secrets about how to consistently put big numbers of fish in the boat day after day and year after year. One of those secrets is having the right bait in the water. One that tracks true, has the proper flash and consistent action to trigger savage st…