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Description
The
Alligator of the North is a relatively easy gamefish to
catch due to its predatory habits. The best lures are big spoons,
spinners and
jerkbaits, but pike will attack any artificial that looks big enough
for a
meal. One of the most effective baits is a big minnow fished beneath a
float.
Once hooked, northerns typically leap or thrash the water surface, then
make a
series of powerful runs.
Eating Habits
Northern
Pike eat what they find. Fish dominate their diet,
but crayfish, frogs, mice, muskrat, ducklings, and occasionally
off-guard
fishermen are also consumed. Generally, northern pike prefer one large
entree
as opposed to several smaller courses.
Age & Growth
Northerns
are long-lived, with some fish in the far North reaching ages of
25 years. Females grow faster and live longer than males. In the
southern
portion of their range pike will attain size faster (2 feet in length
at the
age of 3) but never reach the monster proportions of their northern
counterparts due to a shorter life span (6 years). A 25 year old pike
living at
more northern latitudes will stretch to 45 inches and weigh in at 24
pounds.
Habitat
Prefers shallow, weedy, clear waters in
lakes and
marshes, but also inhabits slow streams. After ice-out, they move
further into
shallows and marshes to spawn, retreating to deep, cool waters
(65º or less) in
summer. Small Northerns remain in shallow weedy waters through much of
the
year. |
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