Pike. Age, size, weight

What family does pike belong to?

All known species of the predator belong to the pike family from the order Pike-like. The family includes 7 species and 2 subspecies.

Types of pike

1. Common pike (Esox lucius). The most common species inhabiting rivers, ponds and lakes in North America, Europe and Asia. For habitat, the predator chooses areas with thickets located near the banks, places under flooded trees and branches; adult individuals move to depth, preferring places without fast currents. Since this species has the ability to mimic, the color of the scales can be influenced by the color of the vegetation present: in fish living in different bodies of water, the color of the back has a gray, gray-yellow or greenish-brown tint, the belly can be white or yellow, and the color of the specks also changes from black to green. The largest individuals of the species reach a length of up to 1.5 m and a weight of 30 kg.

2. Redfin pike . The habitat is limited to North America, so in some sources you can find a second name for the fish - American pike.

There are two known subspecies of the predator:

• Northern. It has bright orange fins.
• South. Lives in rivers flowing into the Atlantic Ocean.

Redfin pike are distinguished by a shorter head and small size: the maximum length does not exceed 40 cm, and the weight is 1 kg.

3. Maskinong . A rather rare species of predator, distinguished by its relatively large size (length - 1.8 m, weight - 40-45 kg). Lives in some areas of North America.

4. Striped pike . Another North American predator, the characteristic feature of which is a regular, mosaic-like pattern of scales and a black stripe above the eyes. Mature individuals reach 50-60 cm, average weight - 1.8-2 kg.

5. Amur pike . This species can be found in the Far East. The scales of the fish have a silver or golden hue, while the entire body is covered with oval spots of dark blue or brown color. A medium-sized predator, its length does not exceed 1.1 m and its weight is 20 kg.

Two recently identified species are the European-based southern pike and the Aquitanian pike.

Age of Volga pike

The common pike is one of five species of predatory freshwater fish of the only genus Pike (Esox) of the Pike family (Esocidae).
It lives in North America, Europe except the Iberian Peninsula, in the territory of the former countries of the Soviet Union and almost all of Russia. The exception is the river basin. Cupid and Fr. Sakhalin is inhabited by another species - the Amur pike, as well as reservoirs with very stagnant water, mountain rivers, and arid regions. The remaining three species: Redfin pike, Muskie pike, Black pike live only in North America and are not of particular interest to domestic fishermen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytcreatorsru

The common pike (hereinafter simply pike or abbreviated as “Sch”) inhabits, if not every, then every second body of water in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine, which includes large and small rivers, lakes, reservoirs, ponds, and quarries.

Pike is unpretentious in the choice of habitat, just like crucian carp; it tolerates brackish water well, being found in the desalinated waters of the sea bays of the Baltic and Azov seas: in the Finnish, Riga, Curonian and Taganrog.

Until a certain age, lake shch do not leave the coastal zone; they find refuge in the coastal grass, near snags, sunken boats and other objects. Having reached a respectable size with a weight of 3-4 kg, these predators move to the depths of large holes.

River pike, regardless of age and size, do not go far from the shoreline; they spend their entire lives in the coastal area, like their small-sized lake relatives.

Many fishermen consider small pike that live near the shore to be a separate slow-growing subspecies, calling them “grass pike,” while large individuals hiding in the depths are classified as “deep Pike.” In fact, this is one type of predatory fish with no subspecies, conditionally divided according to age.

The maximum size of Shch individuals is 1.6 m and weight 26 kg. According to a registered fact, in 1930 an individual 1.9 m long and weighing 35 kg was caught in Lake Ilmen. Nowadays, fishermen’s catches most often come across small pike from 50 cm to 70 cm, weighing 1.2 - 3 kg, specimens from 3 kg to 7 kg are caught less frequently, and many trophy hunters have not been able to catch pike weighing more than 14 kg in their entire lives. The largest “tails” live in wild northern rivers, where predators can live to a ripe old age.

The e-book “Fishing for Beginners” will answer all your questions and will be the best assistant in mastering this activity. More details

I was interested in the age of my native Volga pike. Without attempting any serious research, I familiarized myself with the basic techniques for preparing samples from scales and simply tried to carefully examine them with magnification in order to satisfy my curiosity. The first attempt was more or less successful, so when a suitable opportunity presented itself, I took a few scales and examined them.

I washed the scales in warm water, then soaked them for a day, and washed them again, and so on several times until they were free of mucus. Under no circumstances should the scales be washed with hot water; they instantly curl into a tube and cannot be restored. I tried tinting the water with potassium permanganate to increase the contrast of the growth rings, but I didn’t notice much improvement.

I placed a couple of selected scales, without drying them, into the scanner slide adapter and scanned them with high resolution. The end result was these fairly legible images.

Pike 2.2kg, 67 cm Pike 2.3kg, 63 cm, Pike 2.7kg, 67 cm

Pike 3.5kg, 73 cm Pike 3.7kg, 78 cm Pike 4.8kg, 79 cm

Of course, to reliably estimate age, you need a targeted eye. For example, I did not have samples of very small pike, and therefore it was difficult for me to identify the growth rings of the first years of the fish’s life, and I cannot vouch for an error of 2-3 years in one direction or another. As a last resort, you can send photos to ichthyologists, they will be happy to tell us a lot of interesting things.

Well, the main conclusion is that Volga pikes do not grow very quickly, fish weighing 2-3 kg can reach 7-10 years of age, and the five are apparently more than 10 years old, so if you catch a worthy trophy, remember how long it takes for fish to grow, and the tenth may turn out to be your age. If your hobby is dear to you, take care of the fish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytpressru

Perhaps this article will somewhat change your attitude towards caught pike. At least if the fish is older than you, it would be good to know. Elders must be respected)

What does it look like

In the fish classifier, the description of a pike is as follows: the individual has a long cylindrical body, rounded fins are shifted towards the tail, the scales fit tightly to the body, forming a smooth and dense cover. This external structure of the pike allows it to instantly develop high speed during an attack and make lightning-fast jumps after prey over a distance of 3-4 body lengths.

The characteristic differences of pike include an elongated head with a protruding lower jaw. The elongated and widened front part of the head is shaped like the muzzle of a crocodile.

High-set eyes provide good visibility, so the predator scans the space from both sides, in front and below itself. At the same time, the pike is able to estimate not only the distance to objects, but also the speed of their movement.

Excellent hearing makes it possible to successfully hunt in the dark or muddy water.

How to distinguish a male from a female pike

You can determine the sex of a caught predator by the appearance of the individual:

• males are smaller than females and have a more elongated body;
• The urogenital opening in males and females looks like this: in males it is an oblong slit, in females it is a small oval-shaped depression of pink color.

ZANDER

Age and size of fish

Friends, have you ever wondered how old the fish you just pulled out of the water is? Personally, I was amazed by the fact that, for example, ten-kilogram pikes that are caught in our region are quite often not much younger than me, and a pike weighing 15 kg could even be born on the same day as me. I don't know why, but it's amazing.

Previously, when I tried to fantasize about the age of the pike, it always seemed to me much younger than it actually is. Actually, these and other thoughts appeared in my head after reading an article by Dmitry Luchin , which I want to share with you. The article talks about how to determine the age of a pike by its scales. The article also provides an excellent table on the relationship between the age and weight of fish. Enjoy reading.

What does pike eat?

Most of the diet consists of herbivorous fish: crucian carp, roach, young bream, gobies, gudgeons. Adults can eat smaller members of their own species.

Since food digestion occurs slowly, the predator tries to fill not only the stomach, but the entire digestive tract. Pike goes hunting in the early morning and evening; during the daytime, the fish finds a secluded place and digests its prey.

During the periods of zhora, which occur at the beginning of spring, the end of spawning and autumn, pikes feed around the clock and, in addition to fish, can eat frogs, mice, crayfish, large predators catch birds moving on the water.

How long do pikes live and what sizes do they grow to?

The lifespan of a pike is primarily determined by its habitat conditions. With sufficient food and oxygen saturation of the reservoir, some species of predator live up to 30 years or more.

How to determine the age of a pike

There are two ways to determine how many years a pike lives: by the length and weight of the individual and by its scales. Below is a table of weight, length and age of pike:

The result obtained from the table is considered approximate, since the body size can be influenced by environmental conditions. A more accurate method is to calculate age by scales. It is known that pike scales are a formation consisting of an upper transparent covering layer and a bony base, reinforced with cartilaginous fibers. As the fish matures, the scales grow with the formation of so-called growth rings. Counting the number of rings will allow you to determine the age of the fish most accurately.

How old can a pike live?

Based only on data verified by scientists, it is worth noting that the real age of pike can reach 30-33 years. The mass of the predatory fish is about 40 kg, with a length of 180 cm.

On the Internet you can find information that the maximum age of pike in the wild does not exceed seven years, with a maximum weight of 16 kg. This information is fundamentally incorrect and misleads readers. Quite serious studies have been carried out in the USA regarding the maximum age of pike. A special progressive technique has been developed to reduce possible errors to a minimum. As a result, it was possible to find out that the maximum age of local pikes rarely exceeds 24 years. Swedish ichthyologists were able to prove that among pikes, specimens over 15 years of age are quite common. Scientists from Finland have found that a pike usually gains a weight of 7-8 kg by the age of 12-14 years.

About

When does a pike change its teeth?

The pike's mouth with sharp fangs is the main weapon of the predator. On the upper and lower jaws there are teeth of different sizes, with the help of which the fish captures and holds caught prey. In addition, the inner surface of the pike's mouth and tongue are covered with so-called bristle teeth: small formations resembling needles.

One of the characteristics of pikes is the replacement of old teeth with new ones. This happens as follows: next to each active fang there are 3-4 replacement incisors; as the main tooth wears out, one of the replacement fangs strengthens and becomes the main one. Teeth replacement occurs throughout the life of the fish and depends on habitat conditions and food.

Pike spawning time

The beginning of the period when pike spawn is determined by the temperature of the water in the reservoir. The optimal time is considered to be the end of February or the beginning of March, when the water warms up to 3-5 degrees. At the same time, river pike begins to spawn earlier than lake pike, since the ice cover in the rivers disappears faster. Spawning of the predator lasts up to 4 weeks, with younger individuals shedding their eggs first. Readiness for reproduction occurs in females at the age of three, in males - 1-2 years later.

The ripening of eggs until the larvae appear takes an average of 2 weeks. Initially, pike fry feed on zooplankton, insects, and fry, and later switch to young herbivorous fish species.

PERCH

Spawning

Pike is the first of all freshwater fish to spawn. Females spawn upon reaching three years of age and a body length of 35-40 cm; males, smaller in size, become suitable for reproduction 1.5-2 g later.

Spawning time in the southern regions occurs at the end of February - beginning of March, after the ice melts, with the onset of high water. In lakes, spawning occurs a little later, since the ice cover remains there longer. The water temperature corresponds to 3-7 ˚ C.

Unlike other fish that spawn according to seniority, our heroines have the reverse order - from the youngest, who spawn first, to the oldest, who complete the four-week spawning cycle of pike.

To spawn, river Shch enter floodplain floodplains and tributaries, choosing shallow areas with a quiet current.

Lake pikes play in shallow coastal waters, where the depth does not exceed 1 m. The fertility of predators depends on age and size, ranging from 50 pcs. up to 180 thousand eggs. Group spawning, allowing almost all the eggs to be fertilized; there are 2-4 males per female. The incubation period of eggs is related to the water temperature; at 6-7˚ C it takes from 10 to 14 days.

In the first days, the larvae feed on zooplankton, grow quickly, begin to eat insects, worms, eggs, fish larvae, and very soon the grown-up squirrels switch to small fish.

Fishing Features

One of the conditions for successfully catching a predator is the correct identification of its habitat. The so-called grass or pencil pike (in the classification of experienced fishermen this is how young individuals of small sizes are called) chooses shallow water with dense thickets, sand spits, creeks, snags, areas overgrown with coastal bushes and trees. Large or deep pikes, reaching a meter or more in length, are found in the deepest parts of the reservoir: adult pikes prefer pools and underwater holes.

You can hunt pike almost all year round, but spring and autumn are considered the most favorable periods. During the spring and autumn hunger, the predator is active throughout the day, while hunger forces it to be less careful. For a fishing trip, it is best to choose a period without sudden changes in temperature and pressure.

The most effective methods of catching a predator include:

• Fishing with spinning equipment . Silicone imitations of fry, bloodworms, maggots, wobblers and spinners of different structure and shape are used as bait for pike.
• Jig spinning . The method is suitable for fishing in the bottom layers. The structural features of the bait and the stepped liner make it possible to explore the bottom with differences in depth.
• For live bait . The classic method uses live bait as bait: small fish, frogs, worms, caddis flies. Fishing is carried out with a circle or a girder: the mugs are placed on the water, and the girders are tied with a cord to bushes or trees growing along the shore.
• Trolling . The method is suitable for spacious reservoirs and consists of the following: several spinning rods are thrown simultaneously from a slowly moving motor boat, which allows you to cover a large area and achieve the maximum catch.

When choosing gear and bait, the topography and features of the bottom, season, weather conditions, water transparency in the reservoir, and the presence of vegetation are taken into account.

Thanks to the special structure of the gill membranes, the pike is able to open its mouth wide and capture prey reaching half the length of its own body. This fact must also be taken into account when choosing bait for fishing.

Types of pike

We found out how long pike lives, but do predators grow equally quickly in different conditions and on different continents? Which toothfish species are the largest and which grow very slowly?

Officially, there are several species of toothy resident, and there is even one marine one. The maximum weight of each will depend on many indicators, including weather conditions in the region where they live.

Ordinary or northern

This species is known to all anglers in the middle zone. Fish live in all bodies of water: rivers, lakes, ponds, reservoirs. It can grow up to one and a half meters, while its weight reaches 20-25 kg.

Amurskaya

It lives in a fairly limited range; its place of residence is the entire Amur River with its tributaries and reservoirs on Sakhalin. It will differ from the usual one in color and body shape.

Redfin

You can find it in North America in almost any body of water; there are two subspecies: grassy and northern. They prefer to hunt it with spinning rods; no one has seen large specimens.

Maxinonga

It is the largest representative, and feels great both in fresh water and in the sea.

Pantsirnaya

The second name is alligator fish, it lives only in salt water. The growth of pike can reach 3 meters; anglers without experience often confuse it with alligators.

Black

Pleases fishermen in North America, namely Canada. In reservoirs you can often catch a small specimen, but how much can such a pike weigh? With a length of 600 m, its weight often exceeds 4 kg.

Culinary value

Pike meat is lean, so dishes prepared from it are classified as dietary. It is believed that the most healthy and tasty are young fish caught in the fall weighing up to 4 kg. Larger and older fish have tough meat that may have an unpleasant odor of stagnant water and mud.

The predator is considered a bony fish, so the most popular method of culinary processing is to pre-grind the pulp in a meat grinder or blender: the carcass is cut, the skin is removed, the fins and skeleton of the pike are removed, and the meat with the remaining small bones is ground. The resulting minced fish is used to make meatballs, cutlets or stuffing. Pike is also used to make broths and soups, stewed, fried, smoked, prepared aspic and baked.

FISHES INCLUDED IN THE RED BOOK OF RUSSIA

Interesting facts about pike

• Pike can crawl in shallow water. In the spring, during high water, the fish is able to travel long distances, crawling across a meadow flooded with water, along streams and ditches. This explains the appearance of the predator in closed bodies of water: ponds, lakes, ravines filled with water.
• The predator is quite sensitive to water temperature, so it is not found in mountain rivers, lakes that freeze in the winter months and shallow ponds, the water in which is very overheated in the summer.
• Pike that fall off the hook are able to remember the appearance of the bait and no longer hunt for the bait that caused pain.
• The largest pike caught in Russia was caught on Ladoga. The mass of the huge trophy is 49.2 kg.
• To date, the largest pike in the world has become a trophy for a Canadian fisherman. The length of the predator caught on Lake St. Lawrence in Canada was 1.3 m.
• The maximum weight of pike caught by fishermen is 56 kg.

Pike in our reservoirs

Everyone has heard about pike; it is probably impossible to find a person in the Northern Hemisphere who does not know this aquatic predator. In Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine, many grew up on fairy tales and cartoons, where often the main character was this toothy inhabitant of rivers and lakes. Many fishing enthusiasts are familiar with it personally; spinning anglers especially often encounter it; for them its size is very important.

No one can say exactly how many years a pike lives; it has long been believed that in distant northern reservoirs it lives for 100 years. It has been officially proven that under ideal conditions the maximum lifespan can be no more than 30 years in waters with a decent oxygen content. Most often it lives for 10-20 years if it does not get hooked by a fisherman.

It will not be possible to identify yourself when catching this predator; it has specific characteristic features that are best presented in the form of a table:

The main feature of pike is the presence of spots on the body, but this applies only to an ordinary individual that lives in the northern part of Eurasia.