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The Pike is a relatively easy gamefish to catch due to its predatory habit. The best lures are big spoons, spinners and jerkbaits, but Pike will attack any artificial that looks large enough for a meal. One of the most effective baits a big minnow fished beneath a float. Once hooked, northerns typically leap or thrash the water surface, then make a series of powerful runs. |
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| Eating Habits |
Pike eat what they find. Fish dominate their diet, but crayfish, frogs, mice, muskrat, ducklings, and occasionally off-guard fishermen are also consumed. Generally, Pike prefer one large entree as opposed to several smaller courses. |
| Age & Growth |
Pike are long-lived, with some of them reaching 25 years of age in the far north. Females grow faster and live longer than the males. In the southern portion of their range, Pike will attain size faster (2 feet at the age of 3) but never reach the monster proportions of their northern counterparts due to their shorter life span (6 years). A 25 year old northern Pike will stretch to 45 inches and weigh in at 24 pounds. |
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