Question for the pike guys...

[Grant]

Would this years hatch of pike and musky be an inch or two long by now? trying to ID som fish that looked a heck of alot like two inch pike and muskies.

thanks-Grant

[BoxMN]

Hey Grant, I am not an expert, and I thought this small pike my wife caught was a small muskie, but it is not. I sent it to a DNR biologist asking if this particular lake was stocked, and he told me that it was a pike. He said the muskie has a bar that goes from the back of the head down towards the tail, and pike do not. Hope that may help you out.

edit - oops, sorry pic is so large...

[Note from Jonny P: I scaled down the photo size for you so it would fit in the screen.]

[Random guy]

I don't know that one, interesting although. I emailed a fisheries guy that should have the answer. I'll post once I get a response.

[cjac]

I'm bored and don't want to work, so I did some looking....

Sounds like these very well could be this year's hatch based on this article.

Jonny P: Those look like a couple beauties you and Nelson caught! Can't wait to hear about it.

Chris

"Spawning takes place soon after ice-out when temperatures reach 35 F in shallow waters. The female broadcasts the eggs over aquatic vegetation while two or more males fertilize them. A large female northern pike can produce 250,000 to 500,000 eggs. The adhesive eggs stick to the vegetation and hatch within six to 29 days depending on water temperature. The young pike typically attain a length of six inches by their first fall. Sexual maturity is typically reached in three years. Pike have been documented to live 24 years."

[Random guy]

Ok the Bemidji area fisheries office is on the ball and it was explained to me that many variables factor in although roughly this years hatch should be 4-6" long and up to 12" by fall.

Last years fish 14-16"

and fish two years old come in roughly 20-24" long.

Little ruggers sure grow fast I guess. I never knew that I would have guessed much smaller.

[Grant]

of course I could be off on my guesstamate, i was about four feet off the water. if these were pike and musky, the mississippi north population is plenty healthy. the schools were so thick you couldnt throw a rock and miss the fish.

of course, i wont divulge _exactly_ where i was!

grant

[Scott M]

They should be much longer than 2". It's almost midsummer...When pike and musky ponds are harvested, those fish are pushing 10-12 inches and feeding like mad all summer.