Northern Pike
Esox Lucius
The northern pike, often simply known as ‘pike’, is a freshwater fish found across Europe and North America.
They are usually the apex predator in the waters that they inhabit, which is reflected by their sharp teeth and almost crocodile-like appearance.
Fishing For Pike
Being a predatory fish, lures are one of the best methods for catching pike. They often hide out in thick weeds or areas with cover, so your best bet is to tie on a 10-12cm lure and cast it in front of suspected hiding spots.
Quite often (especially with larger specimens), it’ll feel like you’ve hooked onto a rock when one bites. Being ambush predators, they will hit the lure with full force and stop it in its tracks.
Fish Care
Despite their appearance, pike are quite a delicate species. They are an ambush predator, which means their method of hunting is usually to burst out of cover in an attempt to catch their prey immediately.
As a result, when fishing for pike, their energy reserves will be depleted within the first few seconds of hooking onto one, and they’ll often be completely exhausted by the time you reel them in. Great care must be taken to keep them out of the water for as short as possible to avoid oxygen depletion.