How to hunt pike and what enemies it has

Origin of the species and description

Photo: Pike

Pike is a predator fish belonging to the pike family, the class of ray-finned fish and the order Pike-shaped. To move on to the description of this fish, it is necessary to characterize its varieties, because they differ from each other not only in their places of distribution, but also in their external features. The pike genus has seven varieties of this fish. Two species of pike live on the territory of our country - common and Amur, and the remaining five are registered on the North American continent.

The common pike is the most numerous and has settled in both North America and Eurasia. We will look at this variety in more detail later; using its example, we will consider the external features of the fish.

Redfin pike (American) has a permanent residence in the east of the North American continent and is classified into two subspecies: northern redfin pike and grass (southern) pike. The length of these subspecies can reach up to 45 cm, and the weight is about a kilogram. A distinctive feature of these pikes is their shorter head. The grass pike does not have an orange color on its fins.

Video: Pike

Musking pike are very rare. She is the largest in her family. Its name means “ugly pike” in the Indian language. It is also called giant, because mature specimens can be more than one and a half meters long and weigh about 32 kg. The color can be silver, greenish, brown, and the fish is striped or spotted on the sides.

The striped (black) pike is very similar in appearance to the common pike, its body length can reach up to 60 cm, and its weight is about 2 kg, although there were also specimens weighing more than four kilograms. On the sides of this pike there is a pattern similar to a mosaic, and an almost black stripe runs over the eyes of the fish.

The Amur pike is smaller in size than the common pike; the largest specimens can reach a length of slightly more than a meter and weigh about 20 kg. The scales of the fish are small and have a silvery or greenish-golden color; brownish spots are located throughout the body of the pike, which makes its color similar to the color of taimen.

There are also pike hybrids bred by humans. Such individuals are not adapted to reproduction in the wild, and therefore are not an independent population.

Predator coloring

At first glance, it may seem that the fish has a standard color. But this is not entirely true. The color of the predator is very variable and depends on its habitat. The common pike (described in the article) changes color depending on the degree of development and the nature of the vegetation that surrounds it. The fish can be gray-green, gray-brown, gray-yellow. In this case, the back may be darker than the main background, and on the sides of the predator there are always large olive or brown spots that form a kind of stripes.

Unpaired fins are usually yellow-gray or brown with dark spots, and paired fins are orange. Some lakes are even inhabited by silver pike. It should be noted that the overall color of the fish depends on many factors and may be subject to constant changes. The age of the individual and the time of year play a role here. The common pike has a dark color in a pond with muddy water and a silted bottom.

Body coloring

Pike differ greatly from each other in color. The color can be very different and depends on the age of the pike, the aquatic environment, food supply and other environmental conditions.

The main color of pike scales is gray-green; spots of different shades from yellowish and olive to brown are scattered on a gray background. The spots form transverse stripes on the sides of the pike. The back of the pike is dark, the belly is light yellow or grayish-white.

The coloring of pike has an important camouflage function. A camouflage pattern of transverse stripes and spots scattered throughout the pike’s body makes the pike invisible in the pond. The camouflage pattern on the pike’s body is especially effective in areas with dense vegetation and snags.

The color depends on the age of the pike: young pikes have a lighter color, adults have a darker body color.

The color of pikes greatly depends on their habitat. Pike living in peat and silted reservoirs have a dark body color. Pike living in reservoirs with clear water and a sandy bottom are light in color. Pike living among underwater vegetation, the so-called grass fish, have a greenish body color.

The paired fins of pike are orange or red, the unpaired fins are yellowish-brown, brown or gray with light streaks and stripes.

Females and males of pike do not differ in body color. The female differs from the male in the larger size and shape of the urogenital opening. The urogenital opening of a female pike is an oval depression surrounded by a pink ridge, and in males it looks like a narrow oblong slit.

Pike appearance

The pike has a huge head with a wide mouth and an elongated body that looks like a torpedo. Their length can reach one and a half meters, and their weight is thirty kilograms. Color may vary depending on the body of water.

It can be gray-green, gray-brown, gray-yellow, with spots or stripes. In turn, silvery individuals are also found. Their colors can be seen in more detail in the photo of the pike. Their paired fins are orange, and their unpaired fins can be either brown and spotted, or yellow-gray.

Females and males are distinguished by the type of urogenital opening. In females it has an oval depression that surrounds a pink ridge. Males have a narrow and elongated slit the color of their womb.

Due to the overly elongated head, the lower jaw is pulled forward. The teeth on it are of different sizes, which makes it possible to capture prey.

On the upper jaw, the teeth will already be smaller and this allows the fish to plunge them into the mucous membrane due to their sharp ends.

This helps to hold the victim in the teeth when trying to free himself, in addition, it goes inside well.

The pike's teeth on the lower jaw change. Inside, the jaw is covered with smooth tissue and underneath there are replacement teeth that take the place of the working tooth in cases of loss.
At first the replacement tooth is fragile and wobbly, but over time it grows in and becomes powerful and strong. Pike teeth change at the same time, which gives them the opportunity to grow stronger.
Also, the replacement of teeth in pike may vary depending on the reservoir. If this action occurs too quickly, then catching pike will be more difficult due to the fact that it is not able to catch the bait. The same goes for the victim. For this reason, in these cases, pike do not hunt for large bait.

Mouth, vision, sense organs

The pike has good eyesight, its wedge-shaped snout is designed in such a way that the high-set eyes of the pike allow it to see very well what is in front of it, above it, on the sides of it and even just below it if the object is slightly ahead.

The wide mouth prevents the pike from seeing objects that are below it at a close distance.

The pike has binocular vision; it can well determine the distance to moving objects and the speed of their movement. Scientists' experiments show that pike can distinguish more than 20 color shades.

Pike has a well-developed olfactory apparatus, thanks to which at certain periods it can feed on carrion from the bottom of the reservoir.

The pike has a well-developed lateral line organ. Thanks to this organ, pike can hunt even in muddy water and detect the source of the slightest fluctuations in water from a great distance.

Experiments show that even a completely blind pike can successfully obtain food for many years, namely the lateral line organ.

Predator teeth and their replacement

The pike's huge mouth is lined with sharp teeth. All pike teeth are not used for chewing food, but for capturing and killing prey. Some of the teeth are located on the jaws; they look like sharp fangs of different sizes, located at some distance from each other.

In addition to the fangs, on the jaws, palate, tongue and cheeks of the pike there are bristle teeth that resemble the bristles of a toothbrush in appearance. The bristle teeth are directed with their sharp ends towards the pharynx and in the normal state are immersed in the mucous membrane. These teeth help the pike hold on and make it easier to swallow prey. When the prey tries to escape from the mouth, the bristle teeth rest against the teeth with their tips and do not allow them to slip out, pushing the prey further into the throat.

There is a legend among fishermen that after spawning and during the full moon, the pike’s teeth change and because of this it stops feeding and is not caught at this time.

In fact, the change of teeth in pike is a continuous process that occurs constantly throughout the life of the pike. The change of teeth in pike has no connection with spawning and the full moon. The passivity of pike and the lack of biting is not associated with a change of teeth, but is explained by a loss of strength due to spawning.

Each tooth in the lower jaw of a pike is adjacent to 2-4 replacement teeth, which are hidden under the soft tissue of the inner surface of the jaw. The active tooth and its replacement teeth together form a dental family. When the working tooth of a pike goes out of use, a replacement tooth takes its place; at first it is soft and not very stable, but then its base grows to the pike’s jaw and becomes strong.

The change of teeth does not occur simultaneously in pike; if you examine the teeth of a caught pike, you can see old dissolving teeth, strong working teeth, and new, still mobile, young teeth.

The sharp teeth of a pike can cause a lot of trouble for inexperienced fishermen who have not yet learned how to properly handle the caught fish. Even a scratch from the small teeth of a small pike is very painful and does not heal for a long time; in addition to the teeth, the danger for the fisherman is the sharp edges of the gill covers of the pike, which can easily be cut.

You need to remove the caught pike from the water with a special landing net. Before handling a pike, it is advisable to wear gloves with a protective coating. To remove the bait from the pike's mouth, its mouth is securely fixed with a gaper, and the bait itself is removed with an extractor, while the pike's head is carefully held with one hand under the gills, pressing it against a hard surface.

The nature of the life activity of a toothy predator

Regardless of the reservoir, pike are attracted to dense thickets of aquatic vegetation. In such areas of the water area, the predator can remain motionless for a long time, waiting for potential prey. When a suitable food item appears in the field of view, the pike makes a quick and sharp jerk. Regardless of how the pike grabs its prey, it swallows it, starting from the head.

As a rule, experienced spinning anglers know where the pike may be. Therefore, they cast the bait closer to the thickets of aquatic vegetation and spend it on the border of clear water.

Interesting to know! Pike, like other fish, loves to bask in the sun, so you can often see a concentration of large pike in the shallows near the coastline.

Pike, even large ones, often visit shallow areas of the reservoir. Therefore, it is very often possible to catch quite large pikes in close proximity to the shore. The predator feels comfortable in conditions where there is enough oxygen. She often does not survive conditions when oxygen levels drop to 3.0 mg/liter. Similar conditions are typical for winter, when the water area is covered with ice and oxygen does not enter the water. In addition, algae begin to rot in the water column and at the bottom, which significantly reduces oxygen levels.

As a rule, the pike is always in a shelter where it waits for its prey. Shelters can be either natural or artificially created by man, so it can often be found near bridges or dams. An accumulation of fallen trees and snags in a pond is an ideal place for a predator. If small pike hunts mainly in shallow water, then large pike can be found in the depths, but in any case, the pike will look for a suitable shelter for camouflage. The pike identifies and finds its prey thanks to good vision, as well as low-frequency vibrations that its lateral line picks up.

Pike lifestyle

During the day, pike usually stay close to the shore, in water thickets. Tries to settle close to large objects that can be easily hidden behind, and at the same time, so that the food is not too far away. Small individuals try to stick to reeds and other algae, where small fish that are suitable for their food usually live.

Larger individuals stay at depth, but also try to find shelter in the form of snags or a flooded bush. Pike love the warm rays of the sun, and on clear days they swim up to the very shores, sticking their dark backs up and holding motionless for a long time. Large fish do not stand near the shores, but also float to the surface with their backs, holding on to the thickets of grass.

If disturbed, they dive with a loud splash, but still try to stay close to their “beach”. By the way, when fishing for pike , it is much more convenient to catch it with a spinning rod in clean water, so you need to try to drive it out of the grass. In different bodies of water, the lifestyle of the pikes living in it is slightly different, but still, first of all, the pike is a robber and a predator.

Lifespan

Based on the vertebrae of a predator, its age can be determined. Many fish species do not have a long life cycle. As for pike, it can live more than 25 years, under favorable conditions and if no one catches it during this time.

Interesting to know! If you believe one legend, then King Frederick of Germany once ringed a young pike, which was caught by fishermen 267 years later. During this time, the pike gained weight 140 kg, and its length was 5.7 meters.

Interesting facts about pike

According to fishermen, a pike that falls off a hook remembers the bait that caused it pain. Therefore, the fisherman will have to replace either the bait or change the place of fishing.
Pike meat contains only 2-3% fat, so it is considered a valuable dietary product.
Numerous stories about the size of the caught individuals became overgrown with legends and myths over time. Thus, some sources claimed that at the beginning of the 13th century, King Frederick II personally caught a pike, ringed it with a gold ring and released it into the German lake Bjockingen. 267 years later, fishermen caught this particular pike. Over a couple of centuries, the fish grew to almost 6 m in length and weighed 140 kg. The giant's backbone was assigned to one of the cathedrals in Germany. The amazing story was quickly debunked: the spine turned out to be made up of the vertebrae of different pikes, and the emperor at the beginning of the 13th century did not leave Italy and, even if he wanted to, could not fish in a German lake.

TYPES OF PIKES WITH PHOTO AND DESCRIPTION

Currently, there are 7 species of pike known to represent this genus. Their differences are related to the conditions in which they live, their appearance and other features. For example:

Common pike

This is the typical and most common representative of this family. This species is found in most freshwater bodies of Eurasia and North America. Its favorite habitats are water areas with thickets of aquatic vegetation located closer to the coastline.

Redfin or American pike

Its habitat is the eastern regions of North America. The variety is represented by two subspecies: northern red pike and southern (grass) pike. Representatives of these subspecies do not grow more than half a meter in length and do not gain weight more than 1 kg. This subspecies is distinguished by a slightly shortened mouth. At the same time, the fins do not have an orange coloring, as is typical for the common pike.

Musk Pike

This is the largest, and at the same time the rarest representative of this family. The Indians dubbed this predator the “ugly pike.” This predator also has a second name – “giant pike”, which is associated with its enormous size. Adults reach a length of 2 meters, while gaining weight up to 35 kg. Depending on the living conditions, the predator may have a silver, brown-brown or green tint. There may be either spots or vertical stripes on the side surface of the pike.

Striped or black pike

It can grow up to 0.6 meters in length and weigh about 2 kg, although there is information that a pike of this species weighing 4 kg was caught. In appearance, the striped pike resembles the northern pike. At the same time, it is characterized by a pattern in the form of a mosaic located on the sides of the predator. In addition, she has a dark, characteristic stripe above her eyes.

Amur pike

This type of predator is distinguished by the fact that it is somewhat smaller in size compared to the common pike. Individual individuals can grow to a length of slightly more than 1 meter, weighing no more than 20 kg. Its peculiarity is its small scales, which have a silvery or golden-greenish tint. The color of the Amur pike's scales is more reminiscent of the taimen, as it has numerous black-brown spots randomly scattered throughout the body, starting from the head and ending with the tail.

Several years ago, another species was isolated - the Italian pike, which was previously considered a common pike.

On the territory of France, just 4 years ago, a species of pike was identified as the Aquitaine pike. The species is not so well known, as it was described quite recently.

Interesting fact! Hybrid specimens cannot reproduce in natural conditions, so an independent population of these individuals does not exist.

Varieties of pike

Common pike. A typical and most popular species, common in Eurasian and North American reservoirs. It grows up to one and a half meters in length and weighs about 8.0 kg.

American pike. Distributed in water bodies of the eastern regions of North American countries.

It is divided into subspecies: northern redfin and southern. These subspecies have a length of up to 30-45 cm and a weight of almost 1 kg. Their muzzle is shortened. They differ from the common species in the absence of orange fins. Life span is about 10 years.

Muskie pike. Rare large-sized species. Nicknamed by the Indians, it means ugly pike. Reaches a length of 1.8 m and weighs almost 32 kg. It is silver, gray-brown or green in color, with spots or stripes on the sides.

Pike is black or striped. Inhabitant of water bodies of North America. It is characterized by a length of almost 60 cm and a weight of about 2 kg. Looks like an ordinary one.

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Amur pike. Our compatriot lives in the reservoirs of Sakhalin and Amur. Its length is up to 115 cm and its weight is 20 kg. They have small silvery or greenish scales. Lifespan up to 14 years.

Southern or Italian pike. Inhabitant of Italian reservoirs. Previously it belonged to the common subspecies.

Aquitanian pike. Aquatic resident of France. A young species of pike, first discovered in 2014.

AREA, HABITAT

As mentioned above, the most common species, the common pike, is distributed in many reservoirs of North America and Eurasia. Southern or grass pike is found in reservoirs included in the Mississippi River basin, as well as in the Atlantic Ocean basin.

Interesting fact! Pike can also be found in desalinated reservoirs of the Gulf of Finland, Riga and Kuril, which belong to the Baltic Sea, as well as in the Taganrog Bay of the Sea of Azov.

Black pike are a North American predator that is found in rivers and lakes with abundant aquatic vegetation, from the coast of Canada to Florida, as well as the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River Valley.

Amur pike is common in natural reservoirs of Sakhalin Island and the Amur River.

Italian pike prefers to live in the waters of Northern and Central Italy.

Where do pike live?

Pike live in freshwater bodies of Eurasia and North America, preferring stagnant water. The fish is found in the Gulfs of Finland and Riga of the Baltic Sea, and feels great in the bays of the Azov Sea. In ponds and lakes, the predator prefers not to swim far from the coastal zone and lives in shallow water, among aquatic debris and dense thickets of coastal aquatic flora. In the river, pike can be found both near the shore and in deep water. Pike live in large numbers at the mouths of rivers flowing into large reservoirs, where there are wide floods and rich aquatic flora. Pike live only in reservoirs with sufficient oxygen; if oxygen drops in winter to 2-3 mg/liter, the fish can die.

What does pike eat?

Photo: Pike in the water

The usual feeding hours for pike are early in the morning and evening; during the day, the predator is engaged in digestion, resting in a secluded place. Pike eats three times a year, then it feeds around the clock. The first zhor occurs before spawning (usually in March-April), the second occurs after spawning (in May-June), and the third occurs in August-September, sometimes in October.

The menu of this avid sharp-toothed predator includes a huge variety of fish; pike feeds on:

roaches;
perches;
ruffs;
breams;
silver bream;
bulls;
minnows;
loaches;
pike.

It should not be surprising that this predatory fish happily eats its relatives. Cannibalism flourishes in the pike environment; a larger individual happily eats small pike, which is why these fish stay solitary and live apart from each other. In spring or at the very beginning of summer, pike can feast on both frogs and crayfish that are in the process of molting.

There have been cases when pike caught and pulled under the water small ducklings, rats, squirrels, mice, and waders swimming across the river.

Large pike individuals can attack ducks; this often happens when birds molt and cannot take off into the air. Also, large predators successfully catch fish whose size is half the size of the toothiest hunter or even a little more. Scientists studying the diet of pike have found that the menu of medium-sized pike consists mainly of fish, which are of no value and are numerous, so pike is very important for many fisheries, because it prevents the stocking of water bodies.

How to hunt pike

Due to the cannibalism inherent in pikes, pikes cannot live in a school and lead an exclusively solitary lifestyle. Only during spawning can pikes stay in small groups of 4-5 individuals.

Pike is an ambush predator. The pike stays in thickets of aquatic vegetation, near snags, while it hides and stands absolutely motionless, making swift, lightning-fast throws at small fish swimming past. For ambush, the pike chooses shallow grassy places, thickets of reeds, and snags.

Small and medium-sized pike choose thickets of reeds, cattails and other aquatic vegetation for ambush. Large pike try to stay in the depths, choosing an ambush site in the form of a snag or a flooded bush.

During its hunt, the pike uses not only vision, but also the lateral line organ, which is located not only along the pike’s body, but also on the head. Especially many lateral line sensors are located on the anterior part of the lower jaw.

During the zhora period, the pike changes its hunting tactics; instead of passively standing in ambush, it begins to actively patrol its hunting grounds and, having discovered potential prey, aggressively pursues and attacks it.

In the winter season, pike activity decreases, it hunts less and feeds much less often.

On clear, warm, sunny days, pike swim up to the very shore, stick their dark backs up and stand motionless for a long time, basking in the sun. Large pikes do not come so close to the shore, but they also float to the surface, somewhere in the grass thickets. If a fisherman, moving along the shore, scares away pikes basking in the sun, they dive with a loud splash and move away from the shore, but do not move far from their favorite place.

Pike lifestyle

Reproduction

Female pike begin to participate in reproduction from the age of 3-4 years, the body length of pike at this age is 35-40 cm, males participate in reproduction from the age of 5 years.

Pike is the very first freshwater fish to spawn; spawning begins in March, immediately after the ice melts; the peak of spawning occurs during high water, the water temperature is 3–6 degrees. In lakes and reservoirs, spawning occurs somewhat later, since the ice cover remains on them longer.

During spawning, pike goes aground and enters the mouths of small rivers and streams, lakes and water meadows. The depth of the water where spawning occurs is usually 0.5-1 meter. For spawning, pike choose places with a quiet current. Smaller pikes begin spawning, and the largest ones finish. Pike spawning can last up to 4 weeks. During spawning, pikes stay in groups, usually 2-4 males stay around one female; large females can keep up to 8 males.

During spawning, the female pike swims in front, and the males swim behind her, slightly behind her. Males either cling to the sides or stay above the back of the female. During spawning, the dorsal fins and backs of fish are constantly visible above the water. Constantly moving around the spawning area, pikes rub against bushes, roots, stems of reeds and cattails. Females lay eggs, and males fertilize them with their milk. As soon as the spawning is over, the pikes rush in different directions, making a loud splash, and the females often even jump out of the water.

One female pike lays from 17.5 to 215 thousand eggs, the number of eggs in a female depends on her age and size. For example, a pike weighing 2.5 kg is capable of producing 136 thousand eggs. The pike egg has a diameter of about 3 mm. The eggs are sticky, due to which they attach to grass, algae and other underwater vegetation.

If after the spawning of pike there is a rapid decline in water, then most of the eggs dry out and die.

After 2-3 days, the stickiness of the eggs disappears and they fall to the bottom, where a larva, 6.7-7.6 mm long, develops from it within 8-14 days. The rate of development of the larvae from the eggs depends on the temperature of the water in the reservoir.

As the bubble dissolves, pike larvae begin to feed on zooplankton, small crustaceans and begin to grow rapidly. The pike larva, with a length of only 12-15 mm, is already beginning to prey on the larvae of carp fish. Spawning of carp fish occurs much later than the spawning of pike; cyprinid larvae become food for young pike.

Pike fry begin to eat insects, worms, eggs and fish larvae, and when they reach a length of 5 cm, they begin to hunt and completely switch to feeding on small fish.

Pike fry often become prey for other predatory fish, birds and animals. Adult pike and pike perch happily eat small pike perch. Among the birds there are ducks and seagulls, and among the animals the muskrat is also not averse to feasting on small bee-eaters.

Pike fry grow quite quickly, being born in April-May, by autumn they grow up to 15 cm and weigh about 100 grams. The growth of pike fry depends on the availability of food supply. In reservoirs with a rich food supply, pike at the age of 1 year reaches a length of 30 cm, and a pike at the age of 2 years reaches a length of 40 cm and weighs about 1 kg. The older the pike gets, the slower it grows in length, but the faster it gains weight. Pike at the age of 5 years gains only 2 cm in length per year.

It happens that pikes enter flood lakes in the spring, after a while the water subsides, the connection between the lake and the big water is interrupted and the pikes find themselves locked in such a reservoir. In such a locked reservoir, pike experience a lack of food resources, the growth of pike here is very uneven, pike of the same age differ in length by 2 - 2.5 times.

In such a reservoir, pike fry feed on zooplankton, larger pikes feed on pike fry, and the largest pikes feed on medium-sized pikes. Reservoirs of this type are often found in Yakutia and Canada.

Pike spawning (reproduction)

The female pike becomes sexually mature at 3-4 years of age, the male pike matures at 5 years. Spawning begins after the ice melts, when the water temperature is only 3-6 degrees. Small pike are the first to spawn, which takes place near the shores, at a depth of up to 1 m; large individuals spawn last. Predators gather in small groups: 2-4 males near a female. Large females can be surrounded by up to 8 male pikes.

The amount of pike eggs depends on the size of the female. One individual spawns from 17 to 215 thousand eggs, the diameter of which is 3 mm. The stickiness of the caviar is weak, some stick to the plants, others immediately fall off. After 3 days, almost all pike eggs lose their stickiness, fall off and continue to develop at the bottom.

The incubation period depends on the heating of the water and can last from 8 to 14 days. The hatched pike larvae are 6.7-7.6 mm long. After the surrounding shell dissolves, the larvae begin to eat copepods and daphnia.

Growing up to 12-15 mm in length, young pike are already capable of successfully absorbing the larvae of carp fish that spawn after the predator. With a fry's body length of 5 cm, the pike diet consists entirely of fry of other fish species.

Pike is considered a popular commercial fish, is actively bred in pond nurseries, and is also the subject of recreational and sport fishing.

Natural enemies of pike

Photo: Animal pike

Despite the fact that the pike itself is very voracious, toothy and quite bloodthirsty, it has enemies who are not averse to feasting on it. Among the pike's detractors are otters and bald eagles, which love to eat all kinds of fish, including toothy pike. In Siberian rivers, pike compete with taimen, which copes excellently with predators of identical size, so in those places pike rarely reaches very large dimensions.

For pike living in southern waters, another enemy awaits them - large catfish. If large fish have enemies, then it is even more difficult for fry and young fish to survive; they often become prey for perches, rotans, and large pike perch. We should not forget that the pike itself eats its fellows, paying absolutely no attention to family ties.

In some northern lakes, pike cannibalism flourishes, where pikes feed only on their own kind. The food chain in those places looks like this: the fry eat small crustaceans, the fry are eaten by medium-sized relatives, and the latter become a snack for their heavier relatives.

Humans can also be considered the enemies of this toothy predator, because it is an honorable trophy for many fishermen who hunt for it. In some regions, pike fishing is not controlled in any way and is often massive. In addition, many fish die due to winter death, which usually occurs in small bodies of water.

Population and species status

Photo: Pike underwater

At the moment, pike, as a fish species, does not cause any concern regarding its numbers. The distribution area of this predator is extensive; in almost every body of water it is a valuable commercial object. In Russia, pike is distributed almost everywhere. In the Urals, it is the most common representative of aquatic fauna.

Scientists have noticed that there are now much fewer large pike. This may be due to the fact that in the middle of the last century there was a massive catch of large-sized fish, which led to changes in the structure of the pike population. Small pike try to spawn at a very young age, so the number of small fish increases rapidly, and large ones become very rare.

Pike is of great commercial importance; it is artificially bred in many ponds, where it thrives. The meat of this fish is considered dietary and very healthy. Both sport and amateur fishing cannot imagine their existence without pike, which is a noble trophy for every fisherman. It’s good that this fish is widespread and its numbers at this time do not pose any concern. The main thing is that this continues.

In the end, it is worth adding that pike is useful not only for people who use it in culinary terms and as an object of sport fishing, but also for the reservoir where this predator lives, it has undoubted benefits, eating small and numerous fish, thereby , protecting the water space from stocking.

POPULATION AND SPECIES STATUS

Pike in many reservoirs is considered the most abundant representative of the ichthyofauna, so it is not yet an object for special research, although if everything goes at such a fast pace, then in the near future pike will also have a hard time. Until recently, there were a sufficient number of trophy pike in reservoirs, which ate their relatives, thereby regulating the number of predators at the natural level. When a person intervenes in this process, you have to expect trouble.

It is important to know! In any body of water, predatory fish acts as a biological regulator of the number of many fish species, as well as a valuable species of commercial interest.

Somewhere in the 50s of the last century, active fishing for trophy pike began, which noticeably changed the overall population structure of this predator. As a rule, pike now manage to spawn at a young age. In this regard, the number of small pike increases and the percentage of medium-sized individuals decreases. And, nevertheless, today the pike has the conservation status of “Species of no concern.”

FISHING IMPORTANCE

Pike is actively grown in artificial conditions, since it is considered the most useful dietary product. Pike meat contains a large amount of protein and only 1-3 percent fat, not counting other useful components that are easily absorbed by the human body. This is typical for any seafood, so fish should be present in the human diet. Thanks to fish, a person manages to maintain the level of nutrients that directly affect human health. Therefore, pike is a fairly popular commercial fish. In addition, the predator is actively grown in pond nurseries and is the object of both amateur and sport fishing.

Pike is quite actively caught these days by amateur fishermen, using the most modern fishing gear. This became possible thanks to the achievements of modern industry, which produces unique artificial lures for pike, as well as reliable and durable fishing rods, including other elements of equipment. The fishing is so active that it is possible that the status of pike in the near future may change to “A species that may become extinct,” at least for some regions. Pike can remain exclusively in hard-to-reach places where a person cannot reach without special transport.

Recently, the number of fans of spinning fishing for predatory fish has increased and, oddly enough, everyone is focused on catching a pike. And this is due to the fact that the number of people with personal transport has increased. Sometimes going fishing is more expensive than buying fish in a store, but this does not stop people, since fishing is quite an exciting activity. Every person wants to spend the weekend with benefit, recharging with energy. This is typical for our time, since the everyday bustle takes a lot of strength, both physical and psychological.

Some fishing enthusiasts prefer paid reservoirs, since the catch here is guaranteed. This is a good sign, since fish farming is practiced in such reservoirs, and the catch is controlled.

Calorie content of pike

100 g of fresh pike contains only 82 kcal. The product is considered dietary, high in protein and low in fat, which can be consumed by overweight people without harm, but it is important not to overeat. The same goes for boiled pike, which has only 98 kcal. However, 100 g of fried pike contains 122 kcal. The product is not recommended for consumption in large quantities by those who are watching their figure.

Nutritional value per 100 grams:

Proteins, g	Fats, gr	Carbohydrates, g	Ash, gr	Water, g	Calorie content, kcal
18,5	1,1	—	1,2	79,3	82