Threat to Pike ?

[fairplay]

I just noticed in another forum the mention of eating only small Pike if you must try wild food and a new word to me - Jack Pike was mentioned.

What exactly is this threat as I always thought Pike were reasonably common - I often see Pike (Suffolk) lurking in the shallows when leaning over a bridge.
Last year, I spotted a family of Yellow Wagtails playing, so I thought, by the rivers edge, but then realised they were alarmed at something and kept trying to hover/fly over the water.

That's when I spotted the very large Pike absolutely motionless half a metre off the bank. Surely it wasn't hoping to snap a wagtail out of the air was it ?

Do excuse any ignorance shown, coz as you can see, I know now't about our fish.

Neil.

[darrenm]

a Jack Pike isnt a different species but a term used by Anglers applied to a Pike when it is still small, say around 2-5lb mark.

Pike do have a fairly mixed diet but your Wagtail's should be fine.

[darrenm]

It is also widely thought that if you remove all the large Pike from a water body that you will get an explosion in small Pike numbers and these will have a serious affect on the balance of the water body (in that all these new mouths need something to eat) and have a major impact on the other species that inhabit the water. Large Pike will take and eat other smaller pike.

Could your Wagtails have been Grey Wagtail?

[fairplay]

Cheers Darren,

So I wasted three quarters of an hour, camera at the ready, hoping to get a classic shot of a Pike pretending to be a Killer Whale jumping onto the land to catch a seal.

Neil.


EDIT Could the Wagtails have been Grey ? Very likely knowing my lazy ID technique !

[darrenm]

it could have happened and i dont right it off fully and Pike are oppertunist feeders but it seems a bit unlikely that one would leap out of the water in 'Orca seal hunting mode' but with nature you never know, hence the reason i said should be fine.

I have seen a Pike take Mallard ducklings in the past but they were allready on the water and they do have a very varied diet which does include small mammals and some water bird species but they mostly predate other fish. I understand Pike may also scavange dead food items allready in the water.

They are a stunning Apex predator and they help maintain a healthy balance in a lot of water bodies and i get a thrill every time i manage to see one.

[Dogghound]

This is also a very large problem with perch. When either of these species occurs in large populations of small stunted fish it results in other fish occuring in large stunted populations, such as roach and rudd. As Darren says lack of large pike would result in lots of small similar sized pike these would have a large affect on amphibians. Large pike also like most predators feed largely on dead and diseased prey, if you loose this apex predator you decrease the overall quality of the fish in the lake.

P.S. Neil's Wagtail is almost certainally a grey wagtail a bird associated with rivers, streams etc. Yellow wagtails are largely a farmland bird living in quite dry habitats.

[Naturenutz]

Pike are known to take ducklings from our local canal.Ive talked to a distressed barge owner who witnessed a brood of mallards reduced from four to three and then to one over a period of time.Of course only one was definately predated by the pike(she saw it),she assumed that the rest were had by pike.if the wagtail had landed in the shallows i have no doubt it would have been in danger.Pike have been under threat in some locations from some of the eastern european community who have a taste for most fish and do not understand british laws on removing fish from waters.

[Naturenutz]

On another note there is a very good brand of camo clothing out,in english oak pattern .The name is jack pike spelt slightly different ,not sure if im allowed to say the name.But its ideal for photographing wildlife,warm ,waterproof and noiseless and great camo and a huge range too.

[RedFish]

Male pike never reach the size of females. Hence 'jack' for smaller fish(up to 12lb or so). The UK record stands at 45lb8oz. A true monster. Nothing in or on the water is off the menu, and they will bite you.

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by RedFish

Male pike never reach the size of females. Hence 'jack' for smaller fish(up to 12lb or so). The UK record stands at 45lb8oz. A true monster. Nothing in or on the water is off the menu, and they will bite you.

Rubbish they wont bite you...I have handled lots and never been bitten...
They do have sharp teeth so handle with caution when removing hooks..