Pike
Description:
The strong, streamlined torpedo shaped body with the dorsal fin at the rear, the powerful jaws, its’ strong sharp teeth and elongated jaws makes the pike the perfect hunter. The pike is camouflaged and has a sensory system consisting of tactile pores on the head and jaws and lateral line. With keen eyesight its no wonder the pike is a well-respected predator.
Pike can grow to a maximum length of 1.27m, and maximum weight of 32kg. The British record currently stands at 46lb 13oz, caught by R. Lewis, Llandegfedd, Wales in 1992. Their lifespan is around 18–25 years.
They can be found in still waters, canals and slow-flowing rivers well they will hide in reeds and weeds. Larger pike will often stray in to open deep water in large lakes. Some pike have been known to travel across a county in search for food, returning to within a few miles of their starting point.
Pike feed on other fish mainly roach, bream, bleak, rudd, dace and perch. They also hunt frogs, and it has been know for them to take Moorhens and ducklings from the surface. Occasionally pike will attack and eat other smaller pike, in effect controlling their numbers.
A solitary fish they hunt their prey by lying in wait or stealthily moving around searching for the sick or wounded. Once ready to strike it thrusts itself forward with the aid of it's closely grouped dorsal, anal and tail fin at the unsuspecting fish, generally from underneath. Contact is normally made in the body area of it's prey whereupon the pike will swim with it's catch until it can comfortably turn it to swallow, head first.
Pike anglers use various methods to tempt and catch pike, namely spinning, lures and bait, being the most popular. The bait can be dead-bait or live-bait (which is banned on most lakes). These type of bait are presented on a float, paternoster or leger. Dead-bait can be mackerel, herring, sprat or a freshwater fish.
The hook arrangement usually consists of two trebles to a wire-trace hook link. The leading treble is positioned in the body to the rear of the gills or in the root of the pectoral fin, the second in the root of the dorsal fin – this is to ensure a ‘natural’ presentation of the bait. Of course, strong tackle is recommended as is a wire trace.