Eating and daily rhythm
After hatch up young pikes depend on yolk-sac and are fastened to water plants at least part of the time. When pikes reach 1 cm length they start to take food: first plankton, then small larvae. Already in length of 4-5 cm, pikes start to eat small fish.
Pike is local fish, partially for it's techniques to pray. Longer migrations are usually due to spawning time. Pikes rest nights and take food or just digest days. A pike weighting 1 kg needs 3-6 kg food to grow it's mass with kilo. So pikes eat yearly 100-150 fish.
Pikes lurk pray. They lie in hiding and when prey comes in, pike slowly turns towards it for seeing it with both eyes. Then it closes range cautious using only chest and abdominal fins. When close enough pike tense it's muscular body and lighting-fast ambush it's pray by kick of it's large back and tail fins. Just before hit pike opens it's scary 700-teeth mouth to create deadly suction.
Spawning time
Pike spawns early in spring. On the southern parts of country spawning could start even in half of April, but usually in May. Spawning can last a month. Temperature of water is + 1-4 C when spawning starts and at the ending + 3-13 C. Water temperature is not a starter factor for spawning. Pikes in the southern Finland spawn in colder water than pikes of the north as they spawn 4-5 weeks later. It is suggested that spring floods has something to do with spawning time's start. Sometimes spawning takes place under ice.
Spawning areas are shallow and with plant-rich ground. It is usual that pikes spawn in flood areas that dry before young pikes hatch up. Pikes spawn in size order, smaller first. Large females spawn several days, in many different places and with plenty males. It tries to confirm that at least some spawning is successful. It also decreases competition among youth.
Catch, records and notable ways to fish
Finnish game and fisheries research institute reports that in 2006 professional fishermen's pike catch was about 370 tons. Same institute states amazing 10 000 tons catch of pikes for recreational fishing.
Finnish fish records of 19th century has a probable tale in pike column: it claims that 25,5 kg pike was shot dead with a rifle in Pyhäjärvi of Säkylä. Well, as we say in Finland, you can put + 50% extra weight to catch when telling fishing stories… Anyhow current record in official 20th century stats is 17,86 kg, but 20 kg is just waiting to be broken.
Since pike is common and easy to catch, it is such a everyman's fish. It is strong, so it puts up a good fight when caught. I am very enthusiastic about fishing pikes with line snappers under ice in Spring.
Pike's flesh is low fat and fairly good. It's significance were formerly much greater than today. Pikes were salted down and dried for commodity.
Sources:- Koli, Lauri, Suomen kalat
- FGFRI's stats (In Finnish)
- Fish records (In Finnish)