Life of a Northern Pike and How to Fish for Pike

[@Logan-cw9yr]

This format of video is what I've always been looking for and constantly failing to find with other fishing channels. A comprehensive guide on the life cycle of a fish is, in my opinion, the absolute best way to figure out how to catch it. Other channels seem to just go out in their expensive boats, go over 1 or 2 fishing methods they like to use, and then hock whatever lures they're being paid to advertise. This is a truly valuable resource, well done.

[@FishingwithNat]

You've summed up many of my frustrations with other channels as well. Understanding the biology of your target species is so important. Much more important than the price tag on your boat or your rod/reel.

[@rzambory2938]

great job !!

[@FishingwithNat]

@@rzambory2938 Thank you - I appreciate the comment

[@pauls2731]

I agree. I get so tired of listening to other channels rave about their sponsors' products.

[@seederdontra5227]

yea I cant believe I go that much value in less than 5min. If I'm assuming right, the main reason is money.

[@fyshfysh1281]

A couple buddies of mine want to get me into fishing, and all these recent how to videos have been amazing.

[@FishingwithNat]

Excellent - thanks for sharing. Good luck fishing!

[@rodbelding9523]

Pike are seriously the coolest fish. You haven't lived until you've witnessed a pike inhale a lure.

[@FishingwithNat]

They are awesome fish

[@FishingwithNat]

@@ML-ks2lj I have snorkeled with pike and have also successfully fished for them while snorkeling! Being underwater with them while they fly around like a bullet is pretty crazy.

[@FishingwithNat]

@@ML-ks2lj Me too. It's great to be in the fish's world.

[@sky1army423]

You haven't lived until you've witnessed a torpedo coming behind your top-water lure. Fills you with adrenaline.

[@FishingwithNat]

@@sky1army423 I know that feeling! 🙂

[@Szuubs]

short, sweet and to the point. well done

[@FishingwithNat]

Thanks - I appreciate the feedback!

[@avdmustang]

Pike are my favorite to catch, so aggressive. When you bring in a big one up close it sorta looks like a gator. I noticed something interesting about them. The small and medium size ones will fight like a normal fish. But all the monster pike I've caught have swam towards the boat to cause slack in the line. They've learned in a sense so avoid that feeling of tension on them felt then swimming away. Could just be a small sample size but I was really cool to experience it. Reminded me of how the shark swam under the boat in Jaws when Quint first hooked it. "He's a smart big fish".

[@FishingwithNat]

Interesting observation. I haven't noticed that trend with big pike here. Maybe they haven't learned that yet! 🙂

[@Treadn01]

This video was one of my favorites and very informative! The AI thumbnail represents the traits of a Northern Pike very well.

[@FishingwithNat]

Awesome, thank you!

[@j.7701]

I love pike, great fight and good to eat if prepared properly, tough to clean for me. I always use mepps as a lure

[@FishingwithNat]

A Mepps spinner is killer for pike. I use a #3 or #4 for them all the time. I like eating pike too but yes, they can be a pain to clean.

[@quyle9483]

I just go straight to mepps #5. Musky killers are great for those trophy photo northerns too but a standard aglia5 never let's me down. The new slammer series have been a hit for me this fall aside of jerkbaits

[@ikazukison2]

best fishing content on youtube

[@FishingwithNat]

Thanks - I appreciate it

[@blasterman789]

I used to fish for northerns as a teen up in canada. I can tell all kinds of crazy stories about catching them. Always fun seeing a big northern take a bass lure like a jitterbug on a quiet night and pull a boat and wreak the cheap bearings in a cheap spinning reel. If you haven't had a big one bend a hook after running your line out your haven't been fishing long enough. If you can work around that Y bone they are utterly delicious. Better than Walleye in my opinion. Bit darker and richer.

[@FishingwithNat]

I love to eat pike. They are more work due to those Y bones but they are excellent eating.

[@willkinchington1920]

Can this become a series? Like a video similar to this for each gamefish? Largemouth and smallmouth, salmon, Muskie, etc.

[@FishingwithNat]

That sounds like fun to me. I appreciate the suggestion.

[@willkinchington1920]

@@FishingwithNat no problem. Something like that would make inexperienced anglers (like myself) better informed on what time of year to fish each gamefish and where

[@coldhands00]

I am planning a trip this summer to fish for pike, this video shared some really valuable information. I didn't know about Lymphosarcoma, I am a catch and release angler, this is great to know. Thanks again for another stellar video Nat!!!

[@FishingwithNat]

Great - thank you for sharing this feedback. Good luck this summer!

[@leftmono1016]

Keep an eye on water temperature. Here in the UK they recommend max 20 degrees C. Pike are very aggressive but also very delicate fish 👍

[@FishingwithNat]

@@leftmono1016 Yes, 20*C is approaching the maximum temperature tolerance for pike, especially the larger ones.

[@joeellis2692]

2 years in a row. We were catching pike with these sores. Didn't know till now. Our local lake, nobody fishes it. If so, only from shore. Very rarely do you see another boat. Lake is a horrible, nasty green color. I recommend rinsing off boat shortly after pulling out. If not water will stain color. Lake used to be a great crystal clear lake. Great for muskie, pike, and largemouth. Lake Neatahwanta, Oswego County, Fulton, NY

[@FishingwithNat]

@@joeellis2692 Sounds like the lake may have a serious nutrient/runoff problem contributing to dense algae/cyanobacteria blooms.

[@DyadyaRona]

Just moved to Russia. They have impressive pike here. Thanks for the great video

[@FishingwithNat]

Thanks

[@prawnstar9213]

Hope we don’t overfish these guys.. it might be the land of 10,000 lakes but I’ve noticed a decrease. My grandpa used to tell me that they used to gather fisherman to fish certain lakes near brainard and fish as many as they could within a weekend to stop them from eating all smaller walleye. They would catch so many they would use them to make fertilizer for their farms. After pickling a choice few of course.

[@FishingwithNat]

The pike and walleyes got along fine before humans became so abundant around them. They know how to find their own balance.

[@TheJacobshapiro]

If it’s any consolation, I fish in the brainerd lakes area every summer and have noticed an uptick in pike, particularly 30+ inch ones, in the last few years.

[@GLepage74]

I like this kind of video! You should definitely do more!

[@FishingwithNat]

Thanks - I will likely do more of these videos with other species

[@dahlinthefiend]

My favorite pike lure is a spinner bait. Not the inline ones. The V shaped wire on the front keeps them from biting it off so I can run without a leader safely. It doesn't seem to me that it's big enough to keep them from just swallowing it, but I also have never had one bitten off like other lures, and have fished them ten times as often for those results.

[@FishingwithNat]

That makes a lot of sense to me. Pike love spinnerbaits!

[@Steez0099]

Went out today to fish before work: I was there for large mouth bass but WOW: had 2 of these boys completely SLAM my swimbait, they are fighters & they completely destroyed steel leader, it was so fun, I couldn’t help but come learn everything about them. ( I caught both with a soft swimbait, darker green 3.5 inch & a smaller purple soft swimbait 2 inch - good luck fishing fellas. God bless you all!

[@FishingwithNat]

They are hard fighters for sure. They can take off like a bullet.

[@Steez0099]

@@FishingwithNat I’d be lying if I said that fish didn’t surprise me and shock me just a bit, I was shook for a solid 20 secs 😂😂

[@FishingwithNat]

@@Steez0099 I know that feeling 🙂

[@quyle9483]

If you like swimbaits my favorite is rapala J11 and J13. Man pike just love the fast wobble. My go to lures when water temps are around 50 degrees. As it gets colder I move to jerkbaits. They will snatch jerkbaits even on a 10 second pause, you see the line get pulled and go to set the hook, most satisfying feeling ever lol

[@kompletdummerbokblin4165]

bro the fish at 1:23 tricked my brain

[@FishingwithNat]

The way they stopped instantly? It's cool how they can do that!

[@jamesporter2626]

Thanks for the concise break down of pike habits and habitats 👍

[@FishingwithNat]

Glad you enjoyed it - thanks for the feedback!

[@dougvuillemot8670]

Got a 23 and 7 8ths northern off the breakeall the other day in michigan.

[@FishingwithNat]

Awesome. Breakwalls are nice spots to catch big pike.

[@bretgrimes2051]

Great video! Would love more videos like this on different species.

[@FishingwithNat]

Stay tuned...

[@TGormania]

As stated before, I have been fishing most of my life but only now am I learning how to fish. We have a pretty heavy population of Chain Pickerel around the grassy areas of the lake we have a camp on. As you have mentioned it in the video, they are easy to catch. I can be out trying to get a few small mouth bass but not get anything. I now know I can head to certain grassy areas and am pretty much guaranteed to get a few pickerel. I have learned that they don't like bait that just sits there. They seem to like action. I started with a frog at first but they just couldn't seem to really get a hold of it. Then I tried a jitterbug and BOOM!!!! Last weekend, trying braided line for the first time-finally, I caught a couple with a Rapala floater and also a torpedo. As always, thanks for the info. I am learning a lot.

[@FishingwithNat]

Cool. The Jitterbug is a classic! Neat lure with a neat action.

[@davidwilliams1805]

Great job with the video! Some good information! Thank you for sharing this!

[@FishingwithNat]

Thanks

[@ChrisWhite.fishing]

Very informative, general info. Own footage. Solid delivery. Well done.

[@FishingwithNat]

Thanks, I appreciate it.

[@senatorjosephmccarthy2720]

Besides being well done, I'd say it's rare too.

[@FishingwithNat]

@@senatorjosephmccarthy2720 Thank you. I put a lot of time and effort into my videos.

[@AdamsOlympia]

Some of the most fun fishing I've had was using a Rebel Wee Crawfish lure on St Joseph river in Indiana. If it was the right time of year, almost every other cast landed a hard fighting pike.

[@FishingwithNat]

Awesome

[@NitroBoarder17]

love the videos and love catching nothern pike!!

[@FishingwithNat]

Thanks 🙂

[@johbob5l]

Excellent Video - enjoyable and Informative.

[@FishingwithNat]

Thank you

[@kevingodziebiewski2593]

Very informative!… I’ll admit I’m a steelhead snob..pike are fun and easy to catch…always fun

[@FishingwithNat]

They sure are. Thanks for the feedback.

[@4knanapapa]

Back in the 50s and 60s we would vacation in Little Current Ontario, my dad like to troll for Pike in the North Channel, back then it was lamphery marks that were the bane of pike, I remember the thrill of catching one even at the age of 7 or 8

[@FishingwithNat]

Sea lampreys are so nasty. I've seen them on pike, carp, salmon, and brown trout. I can't imagine being a fish with one of those attached to my side.

[@IiroElmeri]

Hello, great video. It's interesting to see how people fish for pike around the world. I live in Finland and here we most often troll for pike and use metal leaders, also my friend taught me a way to grip pike. You take your hand and slide it under the gill and that allows for a good grip. But we use the same lutes you use exept the topwater frogs.

[@FishingwithNat]

Cool, thanks for sharing your experience from Finland!

[@willrummell3670]

Awesome video. Would love to see something similar for Muskie if you get around to it. I've been fishing in the kawartha lakes in ON for them my whole life. Some years are better than others. Lots of bad years in row recently... lol.

[@FishingwithNat]

Thanks for the suggestion. Musky are tough to capture with underwater video. But I've gotten a few clips of them and I'll keep trying!

[@rds990]

I love pike. I love a fish that comes to the boat looking PISSED !!! My largest is 44" on Lake of the Woods (Canadian side).

[@FishingwithNat]

Pike are great. 44" is a beauty!

[@Rose.Of.Hizaki]

Never heard of small pike being called 'snakes' or 'hammer handles' ... if they are really really small. We call them pencils. Otherwise we call the Jack's - e.g Jack pike for the ones bigger than pencils. Always great to catch them whatever size they are.

[@FishingwithNat]

Absolutely. Those names are very common in the Midwest U.S. - not as common in other areas of the world.

[@SavageVoyageur]

Snakes, hammer handles, slime rockets, snot rockets, water wolf, slimers.

[@FishingwithNat]

@@SavageVoyageur A fish of many names!

[@19DannyBoy65]

@@FishingwithNat "Slough shark" is another one to add to the list that I've heard pretty commonly throughout western Canada

[@FishingwithNat]

@@19DannyBoy65 I haven't heard that one but it makes sense!

[@SaskFisher]

Great video! Love the thumbnail! May I ask what Ai generator?? Guessing that it was? Thanks!

[@FishingwithNat]

The original thumbnail image was created by Copilot to show the ferocious nature of the pike, but I changed it to avoid using AI

[@SaskFisher]

Well done! Love it. Ai is insane....see where she goes here soon haha.@@FishingwithNat

[@bobhmail7161]

Hello Nat, Thanks for sharing your observations and experience. You sound like a biologist. Where did you collect your data? What have your learned regarding their feeding habits during winter when in shallow 8' - 15' or deep lakes 16'-100' (random) lakes are frozen. Do you understand how Pike stage on shelfs or near tributaries. I have made several observations with cameras while ice fishing in deep clear lakes where is appears that Pike can be trended, What I don't understand is what is triggering the Pike to hunt or transition. I ASSume it is several factors to include efficiency, but water temperature and barometric pressure are common coincidental observations. I'd like to better understand what causes Pike to be where they are and feed when they do feed. Do you know any references that really get into the weeds regarding Pike. Thanks again.

[@FishingwithNat]

Thanks for the comment. Professionally, I'm a lake biologist and botanist with a lifelong love of fish and fishing. You would enjoy a book called Northern Pike: Ecology, Conservation, and Management History. There are quite a few studies on northern pike that can be found via Google Scholar as well. From my experience and understanding, pike happily cruise the shallows under the ice looking for easy meals. They will sit near aquatic vegetation that remains evergreen (more than 10% of the aquatic plant species in Wisconsin remain standing and somewhat evergreen under the ice and snow). I don't think pike have clear staging areas that consistently vary throughout the season like a largemouth bass does, relating to shelves, creek channels, etc. They seem to be very opportunistic and will cruise around looking for good hiding spots where prey items are nearby. Their lateral lines and sensory pores are very sensitive to detect nearby prey.

[@bobhmail7161]

thanks@@FishingwithNat

[@codybarnett2217]

This was awesome!

[@FishingwithNat]

Thanks

[@pauls2731]

Such an amazing video

[@FishingwithNat]

Thank you 🙂

[@CollinVeen]

I've noticed that the larger pike I catch in the summer has those sores you discussed in this video, and I never knew how they formed. Great information. Do you have an idea why most of the pike in the river I fish in northern Michigan tend to be 18-24 inches long? An occasional 30+ inch pike but I've never heard or seen a pike over 44 inches ever be caught in this river. I've seen much larger pike being caught elsewhere, so I'm curious why this river doesn't produce the same size. anyones thoughts are appreciated down below.

[@FishingwithNat]

40+ inch pike are pretty rare in most places. 18-30" pike are by far the most common. A 2-story fishery (warm upper waters and a cold deeper layer) with an abundant population of large forage (suckers, cisco, whitefish, etc) give you the best chance of catching a giant pike. Pike are very adaptable and will survive in a lot of habitats, but they tend to stay in that average 18-30" range if the conditions aren't ideal for them.

[@Gman737e]

Great video

[@FishingwithNat]

Thanks

[@pauls2731]

Awesome video. I like the thumbnail too

[@FishingwithNat]

Cool, thanks!

[@sunset2798]

Just caught a 40 inch pike on a spinner bait with a trailer on it from shore, best fight EVER

[@FishingwithNat]

That's a beautiful pike. Awesome.

[@dominicpayne4393]

My favourite fish love from the UK

[@FishingwithNat]

One of my favorites too!

[@seanpalmeter]

The first gamefish I caught was a Northern pike. Great fighters.

[@FishingwithNat]

Absolutely

[@MrKarbaasi]

This was good video! Thank you

[@FishingwithNat]

Thanks - glad you enjoyed it!

[@DodoBird157]

Quick question. Do you think that if I was pike fishing and I had to go deeper with jigs, that a 4 inch white twister tail would produce good numbers and size of pike? Obviously I know I would catch dinks, but would some better ones be mixed in? Also, could I use a steel leader while jigging for pike or would that spook them?

[@FishingwithNat]

For every big pike, you're going to find a lot of smaller ones around. And pike will eat things that are nearly half their size, so even increasing the size of your lure isn't going to prevent you from catching some small ones. A 4" twister tail and jig will certainly catch pike of all sizes. You could also try some larger deep-diving crankbaits, spoons, or bucktails. Those would work better with leaders than jigs.

[@DodoBird157]

@@FishingwithNat thanks. I was only saying jigs specifically because in summer pike can go very deep

[@bottoms_up2175]

Quality content, very informative. Do walleye next?

[@FishingwithNat]

Possibly. Lots of ideas for this spring and several people have suggested that this become a series with other species covered. Thanks for the feedback - I appreciate it.

[@adventureswithjohnandT]

Nice video!

[@FishingwithNat]

Thanks!

[@trudave_official]

Amazing video!

[@FishingwithNat]

Thanks

[@Bleda412]

What happened with those fish at 1:21? The grass is moving, but all the fish are still?

[@FishingwithNat]

Their fins are still moving, but maybe they sensed a weird vibration and stopped swimming to look around?

[@Bleda412]

@@FishingwithNat Thanks. That was super cool to see.

[@redsresearch]

what if your fishing eater size trout where there is pike? still run 30 lb leader?

[@FishingwithNat]

Good question. I tend to use much lighter leaders when fishing for trout (6-10lb, depending on fish size). I use fairly small lures when fishing for eater-size trout, so the larger pike will leave those alone. I have been fishing brown trout in the Great Lakes with crankbaits and caught big (30-36") pike. Occasionally they bite me off, but it's just sort of a risk of fishing around pike. Last time that happened, the fish ended up shaking the crankbait and it floated up to the surface. I found it as I trolled back through that area!

[@nickerboker99]

I’d love to see a video like this about lake trout or walleye

[@FishingwithNat]

More to come

[@FunFoxDK]

hey man if i could take a second of your freetime and ask you if you know if there is pike in Olsbæksøen idk if you can just tell by how it looks on google maps but im planning on going there

[@FishingwithNat]

I know that pike occur in Denmark but I don't know of specific locations. If they are there, I'd suggest throwing large inline spinners, spinnerbaits, or swimbaits to try to catch one.

[@FunFoxDK]

@@FishingwithNat thanks for the help man I appreciate it

[@Blaze3056.]

I never try to catch pike but when I do they are either stiff as a board or put up a good fight

[@FishingwithNat]

True

[@justin.fisherman]

4:03 what is that paddle tail and jig head

[@FishingwithNat]

The paddle tail is a Z-man slim swimz alnk.to/9IdQt4r . I'm not certain on the jig head but I believe that's a VMC round ball jig. alnk.to/6IFmzva

[@robohippy]

I consider them to be fresh water barracudas... I have always thought it would be interesting to put a tag on them to see how much they move around in a lake system. I would think they would be always on the move...

[@FishingwithNat]

Pike spend a lot of time just sitting in vegetation waiting to ambush something that passes by.

[@mrtnbrtt2093]

I see a pike at the exakt same spot in a small lake at my town every year.. he loves his spot

[@robohippy]

Funny, since they are built for speed, I would think they would roam around a lot.... Guess I was wrong...

[@FishingwithNat]

@@robohippy They're built for short bursts of speed to ambush their prey like a bullet.

[@kgilliagorilla2761]

Unhook them boat side if possible. Nets and handling them removes their protective slime coating. I use a long needle nose and generally fish barbless.

[@FishingwithNat]

That's a good plan. I do a lot of unhooking boatside too.

[@freddyj5845]

Not only did I catch my first fish of the year last week but it was fat pike off navy pier! Got it on a ML rod with a crappie rig 😂

[@FishingwithNat]

Awesome. Pike on a ML rod are a lot of fun.

[@freddyj5845]

@@FishingwithNatI legit thought he was gonna drag me into the water lol. I don’t know how my line or rod didn’t break but I finally got over my dry spell!

[@FishingwithNat]

@@freddyj5845 Awesome. There are some amazing pike in the harbors of Lake Michigan. A couple of them were featured in this video!

[@jacobolson6145]

Absolutely love your videos. Not a fan of the weird ai art you use sometimes though lol 😅 not that it’s bad (which it is) it is also just unethical lol I’d ask that you don’t keep using them but you do you and I will keep watching either way :)

[@FishingwithNat]

Thanks for the feedback. This is the only video where any AI art was used just to illustrate the tenacity of the northern pike.

[@bigcity2085]

So you have caught pike while snorkeling...spear gun ? Net ? I'm from the mid west, used to dive in Florida, now I live in Colorado. I want to go out and get some pike on the snorkel. Tips...would be great.

[@FishingwithNat]

No spear gun. I have a couple of short, homemade "snorkel rods" I use to jig while snorkeling. The first pike I caught while snorkeling was actually with some old line/jig and a Gatorade bottle that I found in a tree.

[@Kilo4lives]

These guys are the reason I got braided line on all my reels

[@FishingwithNat]

They are fighters. Braided line is nice for pike fishing.

[@DinoNucci]

Steel leader is a must

[@FishingwithNat]

Yeah a big pike will bite through anything but steel/titanium if it lines up in their teeth the right way.

[@liltimothy8109]

I think it depends on what you’re using. You can probably get away with something like a spinner bait without a leader

[@DinoNucci]

@@liltimothy8109 nope

[@FishingwithNat]

@@liltimothy8109 Or an inline spinner with a snap swivel works well too, since the snap swivel acts like a short steel leader.

[@phil6844]

Never used a steel leader and never had any issues.

[@Cheeseisboss]

New catch and release fisher here. If i do net a pike with lymphosarcoma, what is the best way to clean my net so i dont spread it around?

[@FishingwithNat]

Another thing to consider is if you catch a fish with an obvious lymphosarcoma sore, don't use a net to land it.

[@Cheeseisboss]

@@FishingwithNat good point right there. Would I have to dispose of the lure?

[@FishingwithNat]

No. Your lure wouldn't likely be rubbing on the lymphosarcoma sore and transferring it to other fish. To clean your net, rinse it thoroughly and let it dry completely in the direct sun.

[@TwistedTravv]

For anyone asking titanium leader is what you want

[@FishingwithNat]

Titanium or steel is definitely helpful when fishing for pike

[@LucasTheF]

It sucks that finding good spots are hard. Used to have such a good spot with my buddies but overfishing, construction and low waters ruined it

[@FishingwithNat]

Yeah, it sucks when things happen to a good spot the wreck the fishing. I've had many spots ruined in various ways to the point that I don't even bother going there anymore.

[@LucasTheF]

@@FishingwithNat the worst part is finding a new spot that's good is so tough. The only spots I found is from word of mouth

[@sky1army423]

How to distinguish which fish is female and which is male??

[@FishingwithNat]

During the pre-spawn period, females will have very large bellies, which can be a pretty good indicator. The surefire way to distinguish them requires a really close look and that is by examining the size, shape, and color of the fish's vent. These traits are different between the vents of males and females.

[@kunaiwithchain5278]

Hope we can see some more fish bio videos

[@FishingwithNat]

Thanks for the suggestion. I had fun with this one and will probably do more.

[@Fueledbyfishing13]

Really nice Thumbnail

[@FishingwithNat]

Thanks

[@alanstrong55]

Pike are tasty. They are also boney. Just got to filet those fish carefully. A pike sees a yellow perch and he is instantly hungry. The perch is nailed just like that. Yow!!

[@FishingwithNat]

Pike are excellent eating!

[@cameroonkendrick6312]

The pike in the thumbnail is eating a pikalmon

[@FishingwithNat]

Haha yes it is

[@askakas1834]

is braided light line good for fishing??

[@FishingwithNat]

I use 6lb braided line all the time on my light and ultralight rods, typically with a few feet of 4-6lb monofilament or fluorocarbon leader at the end.

[@askakas1834]

is the line at the end necessary?@@FishingwithNat

[@FishingwithNat]

@@askakas1834 I like to have a few feet of leader at the end because I'm usually fishing realistic lures or live bait with that light line, and the clear mono/fluoro leader helps with that more natural presentation.

[@timothyroche6445]

20 to 30 lb test monofilament is sufficient to stop bite thru from pike

[@FishingwithNat]

I generally use 20-30lb fluoro or mono leaders for smaller pike, but I had a big one bite through 50lb fluoro last summer.

[@bushleague3472]

Maybe 20-30lb mono leader material, but pike can definatly cut 30lb mono line. I used 40-80lb Big Game mono leader material with good success, but due to the bulky knots tendancy to pick up weeds, I generally switch to steel once the weeds come in.

[@timothyroche6445]

@@FishingwithNat don't swim in that lake, I thought 20-30 mono was sufficient to stop bite offs, guess not, steel leaders will slow the bite

[@FishingwithNat]

@@timothyroche6445 20-30lb is good for the smaller pike, up to maybe 30". Bigger pike than that are incredible in what they can bite through.

[@comment8767]

Pike make great aquarium fish ... you need about 200g tank and a good filter ... that way you can watch the pike

[@FishingwithNat]

They are interesting in an aquarium for sure. Like you said, you need a very large tank because they grow quickly. They also eat a lot and prefer live minnows.

[@comment8767]

@@FishingwithNat The advantage of keeping game fish is that they can be released if you do not want to keep up the aquarium.

[@FishingwithNat]

@@comment8767 True, but releasing a fish once it's been in an aquarium can also spread aquarium diseases from other fish into the wild, so you have to be careful about that

[@mitchgingras3899]

Northern pike will dessimate all other large spawning-age fish. As their method of attack for large spawning fish is to t-bone large fish and continue to push the large fish in such a manner that water ceases to flow over gills. Once weakened, and well advertised to other pike who follow for a group feast. The females also carry 3X+ more eggs than other species. Northern pike will take over all other species in same waters

[@FishingwithNat]

When pike are introduced to new waters, they can have this effect on the native species and they are considered invasive species in some parts of the world have they have not naturally occurred. Around here, they are native and co-occur with smallmouth, largemouth, walleye, sauger, musky, crappie, yellow perch, and more.

[@shermy12345]

God, I love catching these fish

[@FishingwithNat]

They are awesome

[@izaakoakey1260]

This should definitely be a serious. Yellow perch next!

[@FishingwithNat]

Thanks for the suggestion. I had fun with this one and would like to cover other species too. Lots of ideas for this spring and summer!

[@fallows4life]

They are very common here in sweden but anoying as they are hard to filet and dont taste as well as perch and trout do

[@FishingwithNat]

They are definitely harder to fillet than a perch or trout but I still think they taste pretty good

[@fallows4life]

@@FishingwithNat they're more then edible but just harder then perch

[@lennonjohndancel9330]

Can't count how many hooks they got from me

[@FishingwithNat]

They are professional lure stealers

[@scoop-pm7lk]

everyone I know including myself try to avoid cacthing thoze slimey things they look cool but you can have em ...

[@FishingwithNat]

Yeah they're not everyone's favorite!

[@scoop-pm7lk]

not sayin they are not fun to catch just saying I try and avoid them I caught an 11 pound 6 oz pike on my browning ultra light with 4 pound trilene XL it took a LONG time to get it in the pike was under the boat staring at the fish basket full of sunfish n crappies when it grabbed my bait Fun day there great video thanx @@FishingwithNat

[@FishingwithNat]

@@scoop-pm7lk Sounds like a blast. But yeah, they are slimy, and they are good at stealing lures, so they can be pain too.

[@DrewWithington]

Pike have very sharp teeth so wire leaders are good.

[@FishingwithNat]

Absolutely

[@draw2death421]

I live in Central Finland and ive had 3 of these in my net once. My river is infested with them since my shore is filled with water plants where they like to hide and hunt in. Id be happy but... well... i dont like the taste of pikes. They taste very mild and the meat is tender. I honestly only eat them smoked. Fun fish to catch tho.

[@FishingwithNat]

Fun to catch and I think they're pretty tasty too. My family likes pike breaded and coated with dill butter sauce.

[@detroitjc]

I remember catching my first pike. Tried to land it in putting my thumb in its mouth like I would with a bass. Won't do that again!

[@FishingwithNat]

Ouch - yeah that was a quick lesson learned! I had a pike clamp down across my thumb broadside this spring - it was torn up and sore for several days afterward.

[@Rokimanalways]

Caught a 105cm 8kg pike today

[@FishingwithNat]

Very nice!

[@Tyler-nj5dr]

About a 10 on the neat scale.

[@FishingwithNat]

Thanks 🙂

[@LyrusLLupo]

Few things make me happier than having a pickerel or pike come off the hook. This family of fish has no chill and unhooking trebles from them is just a sketchy process when they keep struggling.

[@FishingwithNat]

They definitely like to squirm around and risk hooking you or biting you!

[@TwistedTravv]

It’s all how you handle them once you learn it’s really easy. We won’t use nets for this reason hand only :)

[@indyreno2933]

Scientific names of all eight extant pike species: 1) Luciella americana - Redfin Pickerel 2) Luciella vermiculata - Grass Pickerel 3) Luciella nigra - Chain Pickerel 4) Esox lucius - Northern Pike 5) Esox reichertii - Amur Pike 6) Esox aquitanicus - Aquitanian Pike 7) Esox cisalpinus - Cisalpine Pike 8) Moschulongius masquinongy - Muskellunge

[@FishingwithNat]

Thanks. Do you have a citation for the taxonomy changes of the pickerels and muskie from Esox to other genera?

[@indyreno2933]

@, recent studies, show that there are now three extant genera of pikes (family Esocidae), which are Luciella (Pickerels), Esox (Common Pikes), and Moschulongius (Muskellunge Lineage) Pikes (family Esocidae) are also now thought to be the sole extant family of the order Esociformes The pickerels (genus Luciella) are considered the most basal extant genus of pike, followed by the split between the common pikes (genus Esox) and the muskellunge (Moschulongius masquinongy) of the monotypic genus Moschulongius

[@FishingwithNat]

@@indyreno2933 Interesting.

[@координация]

Are you making pike cutlets?

[@FishingwithNat]

I make pike in a lot of ways. Pan-fried fillets or deep-fried cutlets are my favorites.

[@JulianRodriguez-jb4wd]

Fresh water barracuda

[@FishingwithNat]

Yep - that's about right.

[@subarulegacy5497]

omfg... That release at the 37 second mark had me bricked up, so sexy.

[@FishingwithNat]

Glad you enjoyed it. That was a beautiful pike.

[@jeffsim8664]

Amazes me that a lot of fishermen will toss n pike back. Prefering walleye. I find walleye has very little taste compared to a N pike out of cold water and fillited properly. Makes a real tasty meal.

[@FishingwithNat]

Pike are excellent to eat

[@cube9967]

How to catch pike Step 1: go walleye fishing

[@FishingwithNat]

Haha that's fairly accurate

[@Hmm.223]

Nice video though I gotta say, personally not a huge fan of the AI thumbnail. Overall good vid though

[@FishingwithNat]

Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate all of it.

[@FishingwithNat]

Thumbnail has been updated to avoid the use of AI.

[@dougiep2769]

You want the monsters go out at dusk and watch for schools . Then start ripping the edges of it. Caught some monsters on fly in in northern ontario

[@FishingwithNat]

Thanks for the tip

[@RH-sb5co]

Freshwater Barracuda

[@FishingwithNat]

Yep, that's a good comparison

[@TokyoNightGirlLofi]

💞Wow🤍🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🤍🧡

[@FishingwithNat]

Thank you - glad you enjoyed the video!

[@randallnadeau1691]

Caught pike in Canada on fingernail clippers, I was bored

[@FishingwithNat]

I can see them striking that! Nice and shiny!

[@diaryofagoat-lass1023]

Always makes me laugh seeing people just casually tying lures right onto a line... Here in Canada we have real fish with real teeth so steel leaders are standard fair. Always baffles be too how people can just keep one lure on for hours at a time. I'm usually swapping lures every half hour until I find something the fish want, so a leader with a good clasp or clip are required.

[@FishingwithNat]

Swapping often can be a good way to be efficient on the water. If you know you're in a good spot and the fish should be there but you're not getting any action, give something else a try.

[@lammybowers4800]

Come on man, no need to cheapen your video with ai generated images

[@FishingwithNat]

The thumbmail image and duck image were simply to illustrate the tenacity of the northern pike. I appreciate your feedback though. I've stuck with my own images and clips in the other videos in this series.

[@billbones1000]

I hate pike! Many years fishing walleye in northern Quebec and they were a real pain in the ass. Constantly catch them and need to reel them in a toss them back.....they are as annoying as getting constant snags except full of teeth and slime. No point keeping them, full of bones, pain to clean and taste like a wet sock.

[@FishingwithNat]

Not everybody likes them

[@EmME1993]

They are just known for sportfishing, I never hear somebody Keeping them. I personally have never tried to eat them and probably never will.

[@billbones1000]

​@@EmME1993they are widely eaten throughout Northern Canada and were an important food source for many thousand years to northern first nations. They are especially easy to ice fish so an important source of protein in the winter months. They are actually not bad smoked, still a pain in the ass to clean though!

[@Orangesjesus]

Wtf?..pike-cancer?.

[@FishingwithNat]

Yep. It's pretty nasty when you catch a fish with one of those big growths on it.

[@Orangesjesus]

@@FishingwithNat on tv saw a tumor removed from a pet white 2/yo rat...was touch &go for a bit, (but the rat pulled through)...

[@FishingwithNat]

@@Orangesjesus nasty!

[@Orangesjesus]

@@FishingwithNat don't get pike here (European carp..yes), they sound like catfish, and armoured catfish, look like sturgeon?...you did a good job of making it look edible..

[@JaquelinPoppema]

4 hg Find a place to work where you feel comfortable and comfortable. Make sure the area is free from distractions. ug

[@AngeloScarpa]

You mad ? This is not devises this Wass one bite by lamprey wiils , lern beffore make this video

[@FishingwithNat]

There are no lampreys in the lake where I took the photo of the pike with the lymphosarcoma sore.