Pike is a predatory fish, belongs to the phylum Chordata, class ray-finned fish, order Pike-shaped, family Pike, genus Pike (lat. Esox).
The origin of the Russian word “pike” is not reliable. evidence base. According to linguists, the name of the predator comes from the word “slim.” This is how they began to call fish with an elongated, deceptively thin body. According to another version, the word “pike” became a derivative of the common Slavic skeu, meaning “to cut, stab, kill.”
Pike – description of the fish, characteristics, photographs
The average length of pike is 1 meter with an average weight of 8 kilograms. Individual individuals grow up to 1.8 m and have a body weight of up to 35 kg, with females usually larger than males. The body of the fish is distinguished by an elongated, elongated arrow-shaped shape. The pike's head is long, with a narrow snout, and the lower jaw protrudes noticeably forward. The predatory fish is distinguished by an unusual structure of its oral cavity, which is why it is nicknamed the “river shark.”
The pike's teeth, located on the lower jaw, perform the function of capturing prey, have the shape of fangs and are endowed with different sizes. On the upper jaw and other oral bones, the teeth are small, and their points are directed inside the mouth. When capturing prey, the teeth, which resemble brushes, descend into the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, and when the victim tries to escape, they rise back, blocking the path to freedom.
The mandibular bones are lined with loose epithelium, inside which grow rows consisting of 2-4 replacement teeth. If the main working tooth of a pike ceases to perform its functions, its place is replaced by a soft and movable replacement tooth, which over time firmly grows into the jaw bone. Thus they say that pike changes teeth. The change of teeth in the lower jaw of pike occurs extremely unevenly. The mouth of pikes simultaneously contains strong working teeth, unstable young ones, as well as old, half-resorbed ones.
The pike's eyes are located quite high, thanks to which the predator can inspect large area without bothering to turn your head. In addition to good vision, pike fish have a well-functioning lateral line - a tactile organ that responds to the slightest vibrations. Pike hunts from ambush, patiently and motionlessly standing among the water thickets. Having identified a potential victim, the predator makes a sharp jerk and swallows it, always grabbing the victim by the head.
The body of the fish is covered with relatively small scales, covering the cheeks and skin formations on the gills. The color of pike scales depends on the habitat and surrounding flora. Pike living in deep water are darker in color than their relatives living in shallow water. The color of fish scales can be grayish-green, gray with yellowish or gray-brown.
The color of the pike's back is dark, the belly is white with grayish spotting. The sides are covered with characteristic olive spots, which, when merging, form wide stripes of different lengths. Unpaired fins are distinguished by yellow-gray, sometimes brown with dark spots. The pectoral and pelvic fins of pike are usually orange in color. The narrow dorsal fin is located at the back of the body and is located above the anal fin.
Male and female pike differ in the structure of the urogenital opening: males have a narrow, elongated slit, females have a pink oval-shaped depression.
In accordance with the species and environmental conditions, the life expectancy of pike ranges from 10 to 30 years.
Where do pike live?
Pike live in freshwater bodies of Eurasia and North America, preferring still 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. IN large quantities pike live in the mouths of rivers flowing into large reservoirs, where there are wide floods and rich aquatic flora. Pike live only in bodies of water with sufficient oxygen; when oxygen drops to 2-3 mg/liter in winter, the fish can die.
What does pike fish eat?
In the spring, after a forced winter fast, pike fish rushes at everything and can pursue the victim for a long time until the chase is crowned with success. Hunting and fattening continue until complete satiety, when the tail of the next prey sticks out of the pike’s mouth. Pike is an extremely voracious and indiscriminate predator in food; it can even eat other pike, especially small ones.
Pike feeds on a variety of fish species: roach, carp, bream, gudgeon, crucian carp, broadhead, minnow, loach, perch. The pike eats spiny-finned fish, for example, the ruffe, carefully, clenching its jaws tightly until the prey stops fluttering. In addition to fish, pike's food includes crayfish, frogs, as well as mice, rats, moles and squirrels, which are forced to overcome water obstacles during seasonal migrations. If the opportunity arises, a large predator can drag a duckling, as well as an adult duck or drake, to the bottom.
Types of pike, names and photographs
The only genus of Pike has 7 species:
- Common pike(lat. Esox lucius)- a typical and most numerous representative of the genus, inhabiting most fresh water bodies in the countries of Eurasia and North America. The length of the pike reaches 1.5 meters, the average weight is 8 kg. The color of pike varies depending on the environment in which the pike lives: from gray-green and brown shades to gray-yellowish. Common pike lives in stagnant waters, thickets, and the coastal part of the reservoir.
- American pike(redfin pike) (lat. Esox americanus) lives only in eastern North America. The species is divided into 2 subspecies:
- northern redfin pike(lat. Esox americanus americanus);
- southernpike (grass pike) (lat. Esox americanus vermiculatus), living in the Mississippi and waterways flowing into the Atlantic Ocean.
Both subspecies cannot boast of large sizes, growing up to 30-45 cm in length, weighing 1 kg and have a shortened snout. The only difference is the lack of orange-colored fins on southern pike. These pikes live no more than 10 years.
- Musk Pike(lat. Esox masquinongy)- a rare species, as well as the largest pike in the family. The inhabitant of the North American continent got its name thanks to the Indians, who called the fish maashkinoozhe, meaning “ugly pike.” The predator received its second name “giant pike” due to its impressive size. Some individuals grow up to 1.8 m and weigh up to 32 kg. The color of pike is silver, brown-brown or green, the sides are covered with spots or vertical stripes.
- Black pike(striped pike)(lat. Esox niger)- a North American predator inhabiting lakes and overgrown rivers from the southern shores of Canada to the state of Florida in the USA and further to the Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes. Adult pike grow up to 60 cm in size with a weight of 2 kg and externally resemble the northern common pike. The largest known representative of the species weighed just over 4 kg. Black pikes have a characteristic mosaic pattern on their sides and a distinctive dark stripe above the eyes.
- Amur pike(lat. Esox reicherti) lives in reservoirs of Sakhalin Island and in the Amur River. Representatives of the species are smaller in size than the common pike: the largest individuals grow up to 115 cm with a body weight of 20 kg. Individuals of the species are characterized by small scales of a silvery or golden-greenish color. The color of the Amur pike resembles taimen, having numerous black-brown spots scattered throughout the body, from head to tail. Amur pike live in lakes for up to 14 years.
- Southern pike (Italian pike) (lat. Esox cisalpinus or Esox flaviae) lives in reservoirs of central and northern Italy. The species was first identified in 2011; previously it was considered a subspecies of the common pike.
- Aquitaine pike (lat. Esox aquitanicus) lives in the reservoirs of France. This species of pike was first described in 2014.
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 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.
- 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. 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.
Common pike. Amur pike.
Inhabitants of North America
Black, striped or chain pike. Northern redfin. Southern herbal.
Muskie pike. Tiger pike or tiger muskie.
Another fish is called pike; it is a shellfish, which has no relation to the pike family and belongs to the ray-finned fish, which also lives on the American continent.
Pike pike 
Common pike description of the species
Predator biology
The common pike (Esox lucius) has an elongated, log-like body, slightly compressed laterally. The animal's head appears elongated due to its long jaws. The upper jaw is flattened and descends at an angle to the lower jaw, which protrudes forward. 
The back of the body sharply narrows from below and above by about half, turning into a V-shaped tail.
The body has two paired pectoral, abdominal and one dorsal and anal fins almost near the tail. All fins are rounded, including the tail.
The predator's eyes are large and located quite high, which allows it to control a large plane in search of prey and danger without turning its head.
The color of the common pike depends on its habitat and age; it can be grayish with shades of green, yellow or brown. The back of the predator is dark gray, sometimes almost black. Light spots are scattered throughout the body of young individuals, which at first glance seem like spots; with age, the spots become smaller and spread over the entire body except the back.
The fins and tail are red with dark stripes or spots.
As you can see in the photo, the fish’s mouth is strewn with sharp teeth, the upper jaw has small brush-like teeth directed inward, and the lower jaw has large fangs.
When swallowing, the upper teeth press against the palate, pushing the prey into the larynx. The lower ones serve to hold the victim.
The fanged teeth tend to change periodically, which affects the size preference of the victims. Until the new ones get stronger, even the largest one chooses small prey.
It is interesting that pike is a cousin of the order Salmonidae (taimen, whitefish, grayling, smelt, etc.). North American pike, muskie, striped, redfin are direct relatives of the common pike and belong to the Pike family (Esocidae)
Size
Fishermen divide common pike into two types: grass and deep.
- The herb most often lives in floodplain lakes, oxbow lakes and shallow rivers. The size of the predator rarely reaches 0.5 meters in length and weighs more than 2 kg.
- Deep pike is found in large lakes, reservoirs and rivers with depths of more than 5 meters, can grow up to 1.5 meters and weigh up to 35 kg. Fishermen most often catch 2-5 kilogram trophies.
In the southern regions rich in food supply, by the end of the first year of life the pup reaches 25 cm, maximum size 90 cm, by 5-6 years. Northern respectively 12 cm and maximum by 10-12 years
Females, usually larger than males, have less elongated bodies and live longer. Although fishermen divide pike into two species, this is most likely not the case; it is simply easier to hide in shallow water and not become a victim of their larger counterparts. And the food supply near the shore for growing small fish is richer. Growing pike move from shallow places to deeper ones, sliding into pools and holes.
Habitats
Pike lives in fresh water bodies of Eurasia and North America. It is found both in coastal areas overgrown with grass or snags, and in deep pools, holes in rivers and lakes.
The older the predator becomes, the deeper and farther from the shore it prefers places during the daytime. In the evening, night and early morning hours, large,
Fairway pike can be found hunting near the shore and in shallow water.
Pike is a cold-loving fish; an interesting fact is that living in northern regions fish that grow more slowly, live longer and are larger than those living in warm southern rivers and lakes.
Lifestyle
For a normal life of a small 50 cm pike, an area of 20-30 square meters is sufficient. meters, for a large bottom inhabitant 50-70 square meters. meters. The area may be inhabited by several pikes. Which hunt in turns, while one digests food, the others sit in ambush. Larger specimens always displace their smaller counterparts from their homes.
With age, the common pike becomes a loner and prefers to sit in ambush, waiting for prey. Although if the food supply is small, it can move around the reservoir in search of food. Small squints are approximately the same size; sometimes they hunt in schools, accompanying the moving fry of other fish.
To search for prey, the pike uses the visual function and lateral line (seismosensory orientation), or uses the perception of the smell of the prey. Juveniles do not have the ability to sense chemical landmarks and feed only on moving objects.
Large pike have virtually no enemies, with the exception of humans, larger catfish and taimen. Therefore, in a hole where catfish stand or taimen hunt, you will not find pike.
The long, slender body with a pointed head, wide rear fins and tail allows the predator to develop a high throwing speed (over 2.79 m/s), which is much faster than the speed of roach when frightened (1.22 m/s), perch (1. 65), bleak and even less (0.5 m/s).
Nutrition
Pike is an exceptional meat eater. Having hatched from the egg, it remains lying on the bottom in the spawning area for 8-12 days, until the yolk bubble disappears. Then, feeling hungry, it begins to spread across the pond, sticking to shallow places and feeding on small invertebrates, worms and insects. They hunt fry of other fish species, roach, crucian carp, starting in June and already in August-September fish predominate in their diet. Shchury pups grow very quickly, within a year they reach a size of 15 centimeters and a weight of 150 grams, and in the third year of life they reach 42 cm and weigh 600-700 grams.
Although pike prefers a fish menu, it can also eat small vertebrate rodents, chicks of waterfowl and frogs.
Feeding activity largely depends on water temperature.
Table of temperatures in degrees Celsius.
There were cases when villagers specifically hunted for a large pike that settled not far from the place where ducklings and goslings were walking. Periodically attacking chicks, it can cause great damage to the farm.
Typically, pike feed in the morning and evening, and rest during the day and night, digesting food.
During zhora, which happens most often three times a year, it feeds almost around the clock, in which it is helped by the lateral line and sense of smell.
The first zhor occurs during the pre-spawning period - late February, March, early April. Second after spawning, May, early June. Third mid-August, September, mid-October.
Low, constant pressure has a beneficial effect on the activity of the predator. High, stable pressure, in good weather, puts her into a stupor. The longer this weather lasts, the stronger the hunger will be. 
During the spring flood, a huge number of pike enter the floodplain to spawn; after spawning, they go back to the rivers. The hatched fry slide into small lakes and streams. Where, growing up, they kill almost all the fish of other species, their smaller brothers and even beetles. Sometimes you come across lakes in which there are no other fish except pike.
Spawning
The female predator reaches sexual maturity in the third or fourth year of life, the male in the fifth. In spring, when the water warms up to 3-6 degrees, spawning begins. Pike is one of the first to spawn, this is due to the fact that the growing small pike fish can feed on young cyprinids that spawn later.
Small young individuals are the first to enter the spawning area, gathering in shallow water in small groups of 4-5. The group usually includes 3-4 males and one female. A large female can have up to 8 males. The spawning small fish are followed by the turn of the medium and, at the end of the second week, the largest individuals.
Caviar with a diameter of 2-3 mm has a greenish yellow, at the right salt very pleasant to the taste. The amount of eggs spawned depends on the size of the female; it can be from 17 to 215 thousand. Egging occurs in places with depths of 20-100 cm. Some of the eggs fall to the bottom, some stick to plants. After 3 days, all eggs fall to the bottom and continue to develop. The development of eggs depends on water temperature and can last from 8 to 14 days.
The hatched fry are 6.7-7.6 mm, rise to the surface, cling to plants with special protrusions on the upper unformed jaw and continue development until the yolk sac dissolves. After which they detach from the plants and begin to eat crustaceans and daphnia, developing and acquiring appearance pike.
Having reached a length of 12-15 mm, squirrels begin to hunt for cyprinid fry. Growing up to 50 mm, the fish completely switch to feeding on fish. In reservoirs with a small food supply, fry 3-4 mm in size already resort to cannibalism.
If a pike of this size is kept in an aquarium and fed with crustaceans, it will soon die. The energy obtained from crustaceans is not enough for the life of a predator.
Sometimes the not very sticky eggs stick to the paws of birds devouring them and can be transported over considerable distances to bodies of water previously uninhabited by predators.
In the northern regions there are lakes completely populated by cannibals, where fry feed on crustaceans, larger pike feed on fry, and they, in turn, are eaten by even larger ones.
Cycle of life
There are legends that a pike can live up to almost 300 years and during this time reach almost 6 meters in length, but ichthyologists have proven that the age of the fish does not exceed 35 years, and the length is 2 meters.
In the presence of a reservoir rich in food, pike fry in the first year reaches a size of 30 cm and a weight of 350 grams.
This is what the predator growth chart looks like, maximum sizes.
By the age of 35, out of the same number of fry of females and males, only females remain, which reach 30 kg in weight and a length of 1.8 meters.
How they catch
Amateur gear.
Pike is a predator and primarily feeds on fish, so it is caught on live fish or its imitation.
Live bait is used for fishing, both in summer and in winter, with girders of various designs.
In summer they also use tackles, which come in different types.
A tackle is something like a trap for holding a dead fish or a silicone copy when fishing with a spinning rod or a fishing rod. 
Artificial baits for catching predators have a very wide variety.
Spoons.
- Oscillating (sound and normal).
- Rotating
- Combined
- Vertical
- Balancers
- Wobblers
- Poppers, spinners.
Jigs
- Twisters, vibrotails
Poaching
- Dragnet
- valve
- Prison
- Trap
- Electric fishing rod
- Dynamite
Recreational pike fishing is carried out in several ways.
- Zherlitsy
- Spinning rods
- path
- Spearfishing
Unconventional fishing methods
- Loop
A thin copper wire with a loop is tied to the stick, which is put on a standing fish during the fishing process. The fishing rod jerks sharply upward, the noose tightens and the predator finds itself trapped. If you don't have wire at hand, you can use willow root as shown in the video.
Another one not traditional look fishing for pike is called "muddying". On the floodplain there is a drying puddle or hole in which young pike remain. Taking off his shoes or putting boots on his feet, the fisherman enters the water and begins to walk through the puddle, stirring up the water. Due to the raised turbidity, it becomes difficult for the fish to breathe and it rises to the surface of the water. All that remains is to pick it up with your hands and throw it ashore.
Games
The common pike is so popular among fishermen that even games have been invented, such as Fishing Plane, pike fishing, Russian fishing, where anyone can enjoy fishing without leaving home.
Pike in cooking
Although pike meat is not fatty (2-3%) and not very tasty, it is still an indispensable dietary product and when properly prepared, especially when fresh, it acquires a rather pleasant taste.
At different times, pike was treated differently. The ancient Romans did not eat it, the Don Cossacks generally considered it trash because it eats frogs, but in France it is in demand among French women, especially those watching their figure.
Pike is considered a commercial fish and is not only caught, but also raised on fish farms.
Launch into fish ponds
Undoubtedly, the benefits of pike when breeding and growing carp fish species are greater than the harm. By introducing young pike into the fattening pond, the pond is naturally freed from trash fish and small things that eat away at the feed supply of the fatteners. In addition, by the end of the season, neglected juvenile pike grows, gains weight and becomes marketable.
There is probably no person in Russia unfamiliar with pike fish. Almost everyone knows it from childhood from the ABC book, in which the pike personified the letter “Sh,” fairy tales, coloring books, fables, riddles, and cartoons. Perhaps that is why even those who have never held a fishing rod recognize it at first sight.
On this page, the reader will be able to replenish his knowledge base with fishing information necessary for successful pike fishing.
Pikecommon - Age, size, distribution
The common pike is one of five species of predatory freshwater fish the only genus of Pike (Esox) of the Pike family (Esocidae). Lives in North America, Europe except the Iberian Peninsula, in the territory of former countries 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.
The common pike (hereinafter referred to simply as 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 Baltic and Baltic bays. Azov seas: in 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,” and large individuals hiding in the depths are classified as “deep Pike.” In fact, this is one type of predatory fish with no subspecies, conventionally 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, anglers most often catch small pike from 50 cm to 70 cm, weighing 1.2 - 3 kg, specimens from 3 kg to 7 kg are caught less often, 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.
There is an opinion that pike live for a very long time - more than 100 years, in fact, their average life expectancy is 18-20 years, theoretically - under ideal living conditions they can live up to 30 years, but their increased demands on the oxygen content in the water affects at age, when the concentration of O 2 decreases to 3 mg/l, the fish die.
Typically, death occurs in winter in small closed biotopes, in which a sharp decrease in oxygen is caused by the establishment of ice cover. In small biological resources that freeze through, the death of the biocenosis occurs due to icing.
Peculiaritiespike structure
Bodyfish
Pike is the most voracious predator of our reservoirs, leading a secretive, sedentary lifestyle. It mainly hunts at close range from ambush, guarding its prey while in cover. But during the period of active feeding, she changes her hunting tactics, patrols her grounds, and when she finds a target, she aggressively pursues it. 
Her characteristic cannibalism does not allow her to be in the company of her own kind, which is why the toothy one leads a solitary existence. Only during the spawning period our freshwater sharks form small groups of 4-5 individuals.
The almost cylindrical elongated body of Shch. with single fins attached to the tail indicates its ability to develop lightning speed.
All plumage is well developed, has a paddle-shaped - rounded shape, which also has a positive effect on the hydrodynamics of the animal.
Small scales closely adjacent to each other form a dense monolithic cover throughout the body, protecting its owner from the sharp teeth of insatiable relatives and other predators.
Mouth, vision, sense organs
The flattened wedge-shaped snout of the pike opens up an additional viewing area, increasing the sector of the binocular - frontal field of vision, with which the pike evaluates the speed of moving objects and the distance to them.
Thanks to this structural feature of the skull and high-set eyes, Shch can view the water area above him as well as from the side, and it’s good to see oncoming objects below him.
But the wide mouth reduces the viewing angle lower space, interfering 
she can see the target at close range if it is below her level.
Anglers who know this feature try not to “feed” bait close to the bottom and use spinning baits based on this.
It should be noted that the predator hears as well as sees. Thanks to the lateral line, it can hunt even in muddy water, catching the source of the slightest fluctuations in the aquatic environment from a great distance.
An experiment conducted with a blind individual that has been successfully obtaining food for itself for many years indicates how developed and sensitive this organ is in pikes.
The snout, wide and elongated, like a crocodile’s, has a significant gripping area, and the structural feature of the gill membranes, separated from each other, does not prevent the predator from opening its mouth wide, which allows it to swallow large food.
Pike is the only freshwater fish capable of swallowing a representative whole own kind measuring 2/3 of its length. Based on this fact, you should not avoid large baits, especially during the autumn feeding season.
Predator teeth and their replacement
Half the length of the huge head is the mouth, which is literally studded with sharp teeth. Some of them are located on the jaws and consist of sharp fangs different sizes, planted at a short distance from each other. On the tongue and palate there are bristly teeth representing a fleecy covering
of needle-like formations resembling the bristles of toothbrushes arranged in rows.
Shch's teeth do not take part in the chewing process; they serve to hold prey. This main weapon of the predator causes serious injuries to inexperienced fishermen who do not know how to handle it correctly.
Even scratches from the small teeth of a small pike are very painful and take a long time to heal, and in addition, the sharp edges of its gill covers can easily cut a finger or hand.
When removing fish from the water, use a landing net and only use special protective gloves with durable coating. Before removing the bait, the pike’s mouth must be fixed with a gaper; the removal is carried out extractor, while the head of the fish is carefully held with one hand under the gills, pressing it to a hard surface, possibly to the ground.
The voracious inhabitant of our fresh water bodies “watches her mouth” and regularly replaces old and damaged teeth.
Many fishermen assume that the change of teeth occurs after spawning, as well as during the full moon, arguing that because of this, Shch. stops feeding and pecking at this time.
The change of teeth in pikes is not periodic, but is a continuous process that occurs throughout their life; naturally, they do not stop eating food during this, which means they can be successfully caught.
The absence of a bite immediately after breeding is explained by the loss of strength of the animal exhausted by spawning, and not by the renewal of teeth.
Body coloring
Camouflage - destructive coloring using a camouflage pattern in the form of light transverse stripes and spots located almost throughout the body, except for the belly, allows the pike to remain unnoticed at any point in the reservoir, regardless of its landscape. 
It is especially effective in areas with dense vegetation and snags. The “camouflage robe” of the toothy predator is such that it is difficult to say which color is the background and which belongs to the pattern.
Its tone depends on the age of the fish, the aquatic environment, food supply and some other factors affecting the formation of biological pigment.
Young grass pikes have a lighter color; with age it darkens. In closed, silted reservoirs, high content carbon dioxide and nitrogen affects the excretory properties of Shch., which is why their color darkens.
The most common coloring, characteristic of most common pike, is a gray-green background with olive spots and stripes on it. The back is usually dark, the belly is light yellow or grayish-white with gray speckles. The fins are gray, covered with light stains and stripes.
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. Time incubation period caviar is associated with 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.
Nutrition and foodpike
A hungry pike loses all caution and grabs everything that comes its way: small rodents, frogs, molting crayfish, waterfowl, even just shiny objects. But basically its food consists of live fish, and not just any fish.
Despite its gluttony, our freshwater shark is wary of ruffs, perches, and pike perch, which can injure it with their sharp plumage; it does not like tench and burbot for their unpleasant mucus. She squeezes a caught ruff or perch in her teeth for a long time until she feels that it cannot resist. 
Food in the stomach of freshwater predators is digested very slowly, this explains their insatiability, forcing voracious fish to feed to the fullest - until the entire digestive tract is completely filled.
During the spring feast, which comes with the first melting of the ice, you can see the tail of a caught fish sticking out of the mouth of a pike, indicating that its stomach is full. Unable to digest the scales and solid parts of the food consumed, she regurgitates them.
Shch's feeding process is irregular - after eating, they digest what they eat for several days, without even thinking about food.
Active feeding in Shch populations is observed three times a year: spring - pre-spawning feeding, then fattening after spawning, which occurs in April or May, and autumn feeding, starting with the first cold snap. 
The period of active feeding of pike can be determined by its behavior. At this time, she often jumps out of the water during the “fight” of fish, chases and greedily grabs the catches caught by fishermen, carried away by the pursuit of them, and often jumps out onto the shore.
Eyewitnesses noted the following fact: a pike, which grabbed a large goose by the leg, did not let go of it even on the shore, where it barely managed to get out.
Shch grabs his prey as best he can, then turns it head first; if he cannot swallow it completely, he waits until the swallowed part is digested, then swallows the rest. In winter, the toothy one feeds rarely and conserves energy.
Methodspike fishing
Pike is a record holder for the number of tackles, devices and fishing methods invented to catch it. It is fished with a spinning rod, bottom and float rods, self-catchers, girders, mugs, set-ups and other bells and whistles, but the most effective way to catch Shch from the shore is considered to be bottom tackle using live bait.
The pike does not swallow live bait right away, so you should not rush to hook, you should wait a little until 3-4 m of fishing line is released or leave 2 m of allowance in the form of slack on tackle without a reel.
IN summer time, the most productive fishing occurs in the morning and evening hours; in the fall, you don’t have to rush to the reservoir, you can wait until the water warms up.
Rotating and oscillating spoons used with spinning rods have proven themselves well for catching shad.
In overgrown places that are impassable for bait, pike are caught with surface wobblers: poppers, walkers, gliders, crawlers, throwing them into windows clear of vegetation.
It is not always possible to catch a toothy predator near the surface of a biotope - only in the warm season, in cold water it is inactive, is located in the lower layers of the reservoir and hunts only from ambush, attacks a target swimming close, almost without reacting to what is happening at the surface. 
The toothy hunter usually watches for her prey standing in the thickets at the border of vegetation with clean water or on the part of standing water with a current, but even in this case it needs shelter, and in a calm environment.
The best weather for catching Shch. open water cloudy days are considered
Many anglers fish for this fish in the winter in a vertical manner, using winter spinners and balancers.
Despite its torpedo-shaped body, which allows the pike to develop great speed, in winter it does not resort to its sprinting abilities, it moves little and slowly - only when absolutely necessary.
Lean pike meat is considered a valuable dietary product, revered by nutritionists and recommended for overweight people.
Since childhood, we have all heard about something like the common pike. She is even a character in fairy tales. But what is it like, where does it live... Hardly anyone has thought about these questions. Meanwhile, it is one of the largest
Biology of the common pike
The common pike (order Pike-shaped, family Pike, genus Pike) is a predator. The origin of the name of the fish is not known for certain. According to experts, the name of the predator simply comes from the word “slim.” Thus, they began to call a fish with a fairly elongated body and at the same time deceptively thin. But there is another version, according to which the word is derived from the common Slavic skeu, which translated means “to kill, stab, cut.”
The biology of the common pike is such that it can grow up to one and a half meters in length and weigh up to 35 kilograms. But, as a rule, the fish has more modest dimensions: up to a meter long and weighing up to eight kilograms. Its body is somewhat reminiscent of a torpedo, its head is very large, and its mouth is quite wide. An interesting fact is that females are larger than males. The body of the fish has a characteristic elongation, it is difficult to confuse it with any other fish. But the head has some peculiarities; it is clearly visible that the lower jaw protrudes significantly forward. This is due to the fact that the common pike is a predator, and therefore has an unusual structure of the oral cavity, which is why it is nicknamed the “river shark.”
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 scheme depending on the degree of development and 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 in a pond with muddy water and silted bottom.
Pike habitats
The common pike lives in fresh water bodies of North America and Eurasia. As a rule, fish live in the coastal area, in thickets, in weak or stagnant waters. In ponds, rivers, and lakes, pike lead a sedentary life. But the fish may well be found in partially desalinated areas of the seas, for example in the Riga, Finnish and Baltic Seas, as well as the Taganrog Gulf of Azov.
The common pike has a very wide habitat. Therefore, it is found in the basins of the Aral and Caspian seas, and in the north the predator can be found from the Kola Peninsula to Anadyr, in the Amur River basin. In lakes and ponds, fish swim close to the shore, preferring shallow water littered with debris and algae thickets. But in rivers, pike can be found both at depth and near the coast. Predators live in large numbers at the mouths of rivers that flow into large reservoirs. In such places, as a rule, there are wide spills and abundant aquatic flora. However, fish prefer only those bodies of water that have sufficient oxygen content.
Even a winter decrease in oxygen levels in the water can lead to the death of predators. What conditions does the common pike prefer? We looked at where it lives earlier. The fish easily tolerates acidified water, and therefore is found even in swamps. But pike avoid fast and rocky rivers. The main condition for the presence of fish is the presence of abundant vegetation. But in the northern regions, the predator, as a rule, hides under bushes, snags hanging over the water, or behind stones, where the fish lies in wait for its prey.
Lifestyle
What kind of life does the common pike lead? A description of the fish would be incomplete without mentioning the diet of the famous predator. Usually the fish lies motionless in its ambush, and then rushes at its prey with lightning speed. It is very rare for any creature to escape the teeth of a pike while it is chasing potential prey. The peculiarity of the predator is that it not only pursues its prey in the water, but also makes amazing air jumps. She swallows the victim only from the head. Even if a pike grabs a fish across its body, it certainly quickly turns it over and sends it headfirst into its mouth.
What does pike eat?
The fish begins to prey very early. Having reached a length of 12-15 millimeters, the fry can already eat smaller carp larvae. However, during this period of development, small pike prefer to feed on invertebrates: chironomids. Having reached five centimeters, pike completely switch to feeding on the young of other fish. They can no longer eat only invertebrates. This is due to the fact that energy is spent on food production, which must be replenished nutrients(invertebrates do not replenish spent energy). Therefore, young pikes die in aquariums if they are fed exclusively with small crustaceans.
Sometimes in floodplain reservoirs that have lost connection with the river after the flood level has decreased, young animals find themselves isolated, but a transition to carnivorous feeding is still required. In such cases, the pike develop unevenly. Small individuals feed on invertebrates and grow very poorly. At the same time, larger pike eat their smaller relatives, grow much faster and turn into real cannibals, consuming their own kind.
As a rule, this phenomenon is observed among larger individuals (ten centimeters or more). However, sometimes very small fish (3.1-4 cm) become cannibals. In some reservoirs the only fish found are pike. This amazing phenomenon occurs as a result of a whole sequential chain of cannibalism. Ultimately, the only inhabitant of the reservoir remains the common pike. The systematics of the process is as follows: small pike eat invertebrates, and larger relatives feed on them, which, in turn, are eaten by even larger individuals, and so on. The objective existence of such a chain is associated with the high fertility of pikes, which makes it possible to obtain a significant number of offspring to feed their relatives, including their relatives.
When does the common pike feed? The lifestyle of fish is such that they feed in the evening or in the morning, but at night and at noon they almost always rest, digesting food. The menu of predators depends on different circumstances, and therefore can be very different. It mainly depends on where the common pike lives. The habitat determines the range of food available to the fish. As a rule, they eat the most numerous individuals of the reservoir. And in the spring, for example, pike can readily feast on frogs. There are even known cases when a predator dragged a mouse, rat, sandpiper or a squirrel swimming across the river under water.
Large pikes can afford to attack waterfowl, and it does not have to be a duckling, it could be an adult duck. For such tricks, the predator is sometimes called a duckling. The literature even describes a case when a pike grabbed a goose by the leg and did not let go until he pulled the fish ashore.
However, it cannot be said that pike causes great harm to fisheries. In natural reservoirs, it regulates the community, eating small, weak and sick fish, while it allows larger and healthier individuals to grow faster and produce good offspring. Pike digests food extremely slowly. That’s why he eats periodically. And in winter period They don't eat fish at all.
Predator Spawning
How does common pike reproduce? The characteristics of fish would be incomplete without mentioning reproduction. As we have already said, pike are incredibly prolific fish. They reach sexual maturity at 3-5 years, and their length is 35-40 centimeters. Females begin to spawn immediately after the ice melts at a temperature of 3-6 degrees. For this, fish are suitable in shallow water, near the shore. As a rule, smaller individuals go to spawn, then medium-sized ones, and only then the largest ones. Each female is guarded by 2-4 males, and up to eight potential contenders can be near the large one. The female swims in front, and the males follow her on the sides or stay behind her. Pike rub against bushes, stumps, twigs, cattail stems and other objects. They do not stay in one place and constantly move around the spawning area. It is during this period that the eggs are released. At the end of the spawning process, all fish are thrown into different sides and splash heavily, and the males sometimes jump to the surface of the water.
It’s hard to imagine, but depending on the size of the female, she is capable of laying from 17.5 to 215 thousand eggs. Large eggs, up to 3 millimeters in diameter, are scattered by the female and then glued to the plants. After a few days, the stickiness is lost, the eggs fall off and then continue their development at the bottom of the reservoir. In places where there is no vegetation, they immediately end up at the bottom. After 8-14 days, the larvae begin to hatch, which initially feed on small crustaceans (cyclops and daphnia).
How long do pikes live?
The common pike (photos are given in the article) can live up to twenty years. However, there is evidence that a thirty-three-year-old fish was once caught. In general, in the literature you can find an incredible number of legends regarding the amazing survivability of pikes. Particularly incredible is the story of the Heilbronn pike, which was caught by King Frederick II and marked with a gold ring in 1230 in a lake near Beckingen. Legend has it that the same fish was recaptured 267 years later. At that time, she already weighed 140 kilograms and grew to 5.7 meters in length. The spine of this strange creature was exhibited in the Cathedral of Mannheim. However, it later turned out that this story was just a fishing tale. It turned out that the spine of the exhibit was nothing more than a hoax, since it was made up of the ridges of several fish. And there are a considerable number of such amazing stories.
How do they catch predatory fish?
Common pike is a commercial fish. Its meat is completely lean and not very tasty, but it is considered a fairly important dietary product. IN old times Cossacks on the Don did not recognize such fish and threw them back into the river. But in the Middle Ages in England, pike was considered a very tasty and expensive fish. Fish fillet is very popular among French women, and therefore in France pike is not only caught, but also bred in artificial ponds.
In our country, its fishing is also very popular among fishermen. Most often, spinning rods are used for this; this is the most complex look fishing, but also the most interesting. With knowledge of precise technology and making the right choice bait fishermen can get an excellent trophy.
The fishing season begins in early spring, with the arrival of the first warm days, but before the onset of floods. This period falls at the end of March and beginning of April. For fishing it is better to choose small rivers. The period after spawning is especially good for fishing, since seven to twelve days after it the pike begins its spring feeding. This period can be very short-lived, or can last up to twenty days. Hungry fish will bite on any bait. But it is better to catch it closer to the spawning grounds. As soon as it ends, other fish rush here, attracted by pike caviar. And the predator wastes no time and feeds on new prey.
A sharp and strong wind forces the pike to go to the depths. When fishing, it is worth considering the specifics of the reservoir. For example, in small rivers, fishing should be carried out near pools and holes.
The fish bite improves significantly towards the end of summer, when the heat subsides. And in September it becomes very intense and remains so during the daytime, almost until the moment when the ice freezes. Feeling the approach of cold weather, the fish tries to accumulate fat, and therefore feeds heavily and falls for the bait faster. A particularly large catch can be obtained during quiet autumn evenings with fog. Autumn fishing attracts many fishermen, leaving their bottom and float fishing rods, they pick up spinning rods in order to catch a predator.
Periodically, predators change their teeth. Some fishermen believe that predators do not feed during such periods. But this is absolutely not true. The process occurs gradually, teeth change one by one, but painfully. And yet, even during such periods, the fish hunt.
The teeth on the lower jaw of the fish perform the function of capturing food. They have the shape of fangs and at the same time different sizes. But on the upper jaw the teeth are smaller, their points are directed inward to the mouth. Once the prey is captured, it no longer has a chance to escape from the predator’s mouth.
According to experienced fishermen, pike is a very cunning fish. And sometimes it’s not easy to catch her. If a fish gets off the hook once, it remembers the bait that caused it pain. Therefore, next time she will never fall for the same complementary foods. In such cases, fishermen should change either the fishing location or the bait.
Fishing Planet
Fishing is so popular that it is reflected in computer game FishingPlanet. The unique common pike is one of the possible trophies of virtual fishing. FishingPlanet is a very realistic fishing simulator (online). It was created by real lovers of this activity for the same avid fishermen. In this game you can choose fish, tackle, and strive to improve your skills. Moreover, you can also involve friends in the process. Of course, the simulator cannot replace real fishing, but there are many of its fans, since the creators of the game tried to make it very realistic and interesting.
Instead of an afterword
In our article we tried to tell the most interesting facts about the famous predator, which is the thunderstorm of rivers and lakes. But at the same time, pike is valued for its dietary meat and is a desired trophy for every fisherman.
Pike is a genus of freshwater fish, the only one in the pike family. Pike can reach 1.5 m in length and weigh up to 35 kg (usually up to 1 m and 8 kg). The body is torpedo-shaped, the head is large, the mouth is wide. The color is variable, depending on the environment: depending on the nature and degree of development of the vegetation, it can be gray-greenish, gray-yellowish, gray-brown, the back is darker, the sides have large brown or olive spots that form transverse stripes. Unpaired fins are yellowish-gray, brown with dark spots; paired - orange. Silver pike are found in some lakes. The lifespan of individual individuals can reach up to 30 years.
Pike are extremely voracious predators. They feed mainly on fish (roaches, perches, minnows)
Distributed in fresh waters of Eurasia and North America. It usually lives in the coastal zone, in aquatic thickets, in stagnant or weakly flowing waters. In rivers, lakes, and ponds, pike lead a sedentary lifestyle. It can also be found in desalinated parts of the seas - for example, in the Finnish, Riga and Curonian Lagoons of the Baltic Sea, in the Taganrog Bay of the Azov Sea.
In natural reservoirs, female pike begin to reproduce in the fourth, less often in the third, year of life, and males - in the fifth. Pike spawning occurs at a temperature of 3-6 °C, immediately after the ice melts, near the shore at a depth of 0.5-1 meter. During spawning, fish come out into shallow water and splash noisily. Usually the smallest individuals spawn first, and the largest ones last. At this time, pikes stay in groups: 2-4 males per female; near large females - up to 8 males.
Several types of fishing are used to catch pike, the most common of which is spinning fishing. When fishing with a spinning rod, gear such as wobblers, silicone fish, rippers, twisters, and various spinners are used to lure pike.
Small pike weighing 2-2.5 kg have the best culinary qualities; Their meat is softer and more tasty than the meat of large pikes.
Calorie content of pike
100 g of fresh pike contains only 82 kcal. The product is considered dietary, with high content protein and low fat content, 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:
Useful properties of pike
Pike meat is low in calories (84 kcal), contains little fat and is considered a dietary product.
Pike meat contains powerful natural antiseptics that help us fight bacterial infections and strengthen the immune system. Therefore, pike meat is considered an excellent means of flu prevention. Pike is a low-fat fish, and its meat is recommended for dietary nutrition.
Eating pike dishes replenishes the human body with B vitamins. If the pike is in in different forms- fried, boiled, baked or stuffed - will be regularly present on your table, this will significantly reduce the risk of heart arrhythmia.
Pike is a worthy representative of the fish fraternity and is always a welcome product in our kitchen. Pike meat is considered dietary because it contains a small amount of fat - only up to 3%. Doctors recommend it for those who want to lose weight and not gain weight. In addition to being low in calories, pike meat is full of protein, which is much easier to digest than animal meat. Therefore, it is especially useful to eat such meat for people suffering from stomach diseases.
It was not valued by the ancient Romans, but is used by modern Englishmen. It is especially popular among French women who are used to watching their figure.
Pike is meaty and can be used for making cutlets, quenelles, calves, rolls, and also for stuffing. The latter is especially convenient because the pike skin can be easily removed with a “stocking.” Dishes made from pike fried or baked with sauce also have a good taste.
Dangerous properties of pike
Nutrition experts did not find substances in the meat of this fish that were potentially dangerous to human health. On the contrary, it is considered completely hypoallergenic. Fishermen and nutritionists advise paying attention only to the places where the fish were caught.
