Fish spawning is an amazing phenomenon when a flock of pikes lays eggs not far from the coast. The pike is also called an underwater torpedo because of its swift shape. Any spinning player wants to catch this predator. For fishing to be effective, you need to know the behavior of the predator, as well as its spawning period.

Pike begins to spawn earlier than all fish in conditions when the water warms up to + 6- + 7 ° C. When the rest of the fish begins to spawn, then the small pikes are already real predators. Despite this feature, only 10% of all pike offspring survive. This is due to natural phenomena, and first of all, with fluctuations in the water level. A sharp drop in water can destroy not only eggs, but also adults that may end up in trap pits.

The spawning process begins in late March or early April, depending on weather conditions. When the water temperature rises to + 7 ° C, the most active spawning period for pike begins. Individuals that have reached puberty are the first to spawn, after which larger individuals begin to spawn, and finally the largest specimens come to spawn.

The pike chooses shallow places, within 5 cm to 1-2 m. Sometimes you can see how the pike rubs its stomach on the hard bottom, and its back peeps out of the water. This is due to the fact that such places warm up faster. Pike can spawn in thickets of reeds or reeds, where there is a hard bottom, and at the bottom there are many crumbling leaves or broken branches of trees. Very often the pike rises upstream in search of suitable places. At the same time, it enters bays or small rivers, as well as streams.

After 3 years of life, the pike is ready to lay eggs. A pike goes to spawn, accompanied by several males, while there can be only one female in a group. Having gathered in such groups, the pike goes to spawn, without ceasing to hunt. This period is notable for the fact that an angler can get into such a group and pick up several trophies. She lays eggs on any object, grass or just on a hard bottom. The color of the eggs allows you to disguise them among the old grass that has remained at the bottom, which protects the eggs from other predators who do not mind trying pike eggs. The eggs are about 3 mm in diameter. Under appropriate weather conditions, small pikes may appear in a week. The "trifle" that has appeared in the world reaches a length of about 7 mm. Having such a small size, they begin to feed on the smallest microorganisms that live in this reservoir. Such insects can be tubifex, bloodworms, larvae of various insects, microfilms and others. After about a month, they begin to attack small fish, or rather fry of other fish. The pike develops quite quickly and by the age of three years of life reaches a weight of about 400 g. Moreover, the warmer the region, the faster the pike grows. From the beginning, females and males develop in almost the same way, but gradually females begin to outstrip the growth of males.

Such an early period of pike spawning is explained by the fact that by the time a small pike is already at a water temperature of + 7 ° C, most of the predators have not yet shown real activity. In addition, when the water temperature rises, other fish begin to spawn and they have no time for pike eggs. In other words, nature has given her a chance to survive, given the fact that many offspring die for other reasons. Anglers are also involved in this not comforting statistics, who catch everything that falls on the hook.

Video "Pike spawning"

Lyalkovsky O.

At the end of March, the rivers of the Middle Lane lose their ice. Then comes the flood, and after another week or two - spawning of pike. Pikes gather en masse in shallow waters warmed by the spring sun, where they choose places with a slow current or without it at all. These can be flood meadows, various reclamation channels, and often - and simply ditches, which become full only during this period of high water. Those who saw the pike spawning with their own eyes must have carefully packed these memories and put their most vivid observations of Nature on the shelf. This is a very interesting sight ...

Several males hover around a larger female. It seems to me that the "milkmen" rarely outgrow the bar of one and a half kilograms, and the largest pike - from five kilograms - and completely polls "caviar". It seems that these usually cautious fish have lost all their fearfulness and secrecy, merging in a seething round dance, with splashes and circles, in this shallow water, yellowish after the flood. At the bottom is a carpet of last year's grass, to which fertilized eggs are attached. It will take another couple of weeks before the water starts to noticeably leave. And the lion's share of the former pike spawning grounds will dry up, and caviar will die with it: nothing can be done - this is the natural mechanism, there can be no too many predators.

In conditions that scientists call "normal", i.e. without natural disasters and weather disasters, pike spawning usually takes three weeks. The spawning of a single individual, according to smart books, lasts 2 - 3 days. In Belarus, the spring ban on pike fishing usually lasts exactly one month - from March 1 to March 31. As my observations show, in the Neman basin in the first ten days of April, the spawning of pike is already fully completed.

This is what gives the green light to fishing-hungry spinners. Although it is technically possible to catch pike even earlier - already at the end of March, it is not only illegal, but also often barbaric. I urge everyone: let the pike spawn, and after that, uncover your spinning rods, because we will want to fish for pikes not only this spring, but also in ten years. Let's think about tomorrow!

Today, as you can imagine, we will talk about post-spawning spinning pike fishing on rivers... It is no coincidence that I described pike spawning in sufficient detail, because it is precisely the knowledge of its mechanisms, places and calendar dates that will serve as the foundation for successful fishing at the dawn of the summer spinning season.

So, the end of April. The pike has already swept away its eggs - and literally it has become easier. In the first days after spawning, for example, I came across pikes, which, it would seem, should easily pull the scales down to the 2 kg mark - these were quite good 60-centimeter pikes. But exhausted by wintering and spawning, "eggs" barely reached 1.3 kg. One got the impression that the pike was like a stocking, thin and empty inside. Presumably, trying to replenish stocks and regain its former shape, the pike is included in the zhora process, which usually starts two weeks after spawning.

In the twenties of April, year after year, I had an excellent opportunity to catch pike. But it is important to know how much protein you and your family need in the diet - and after reaching this reasonable rate, I personally stop fishing. Indeed, in the right places, the bite is simply amazing, and you can take much more fish than you need. My performance record, which looks decent even against the background of the Volga eriks, took place on April 22, 2003. When I saw 9 pike bites in an hour and a half of fishing - and, remarkably, all were effective, 7 of them were quite scoring - from 1 to 1 , 5 kg. It was on one of the tributaries of the Neman. Therefore, it is important to have that “handbrake” in oneself and say “stop” in time - we are not fishermen, we are fishermen.

Pike fishing spots after spawning

I propose to talk about the "right places" in more detail. With the ending spawning pike does not leave the spawning grounds and adjacent areas. The surviving individuals simply scatter across the nearby water area, but they do it without much hunting, moving away just as far as necessary so as not to have problems with larger pikes, which have already begun to actively feed. So it turns out that in the most convenient places for ambushes, promising from the point of view of feeding - I call them "penthouses" - the largest pikes are located. And then - in descending order: the shallower the place, the smaller the pike. Why is this happening? What has the pike forgotten here, seemingly having fully fulfilled its fish "civic duty"? There are probably many answers, especially if you do not know that around this time the spawning of the favorite pike "canned food" - roach begins. In essence, this schooling fish chooses the same places for its mating games as the pike. This is where this tragic and gastronomic rendezvous takes place, as a result of which the pike often reaches its usual weight norm.

But it is better to look for an active pike not on the spills themselves, where the depth rarely exceeds a meter line. "Test" individuals slide down into the channel, where they choose the nearest of the adjacent places with a suitable depth, bottom topography and water temperature. Usually this is a coastal zone of shallow calm reaches, places where the riverbed licks a gentle bank at a rather sharp turn, forming a reverse current and an interesting relief, as well as areas adjacent to the entrance to various backwaters, oxbows and old rivers. All these places are united by similar conditions: a small current, which does not take a lot of energy and, moreover, allows the water to warm up better, and the dark color of the bottom, which gives the pike the opportunity to merge with its background. The depths here are usually shallow - up to two meters. By the way, that very memorable place, where the aforementioned April 2003 events took place, fits exactly this description.

Here pikes practice a truly ambush hunting style. More than once, thanks to polarizing glasses, I could observe how the pike literally sticks to the ground and, without moving, controls the "transit" of little things scurrying around nearby. Chooses a victim to his liking. However, the pike does not always show hyperactivity at this time. It often happens that he just stands there, pretending to be a herbivore and ignoring the fish, even in the range.

I once watched such a pike for half an hour. It was quite a decent pike - almost two kilos offhand. I tried to offer her different baits. He began with a slow-slow posting of a stubborn "turntable" - led downstream directly into a head-on meeting with a predator. And, as it turned out after several such postings, my blood was receiving adrenaline advances completely in vain - not only did the grip not follow - it seemed that the pike simply went blind and did not notice my bait! Roughly the same thing happened with the "shaker", and then with another "turntable". A small wobbler, which I launched next, made the pike change the bed - it moved two meters downstream. I just threw up my hands. What else was there? I don’t remember, whether by chance, or for fun, I decided to try a small by pike standards one and a half inch twister on the head weighing 6 grams. I do the wiring, and I myself watch what is happening. So the twister sank to the bottom, so I started wiring - and the lure, lifting a small plume of mud, moved towards the pike. Imagine my delight when the spotted one from the "immovable snag" at the bottom suddenly turned into that very coveted fish that lives on the page of the primer with the letter "u", literally pounced on the twister dragging along the bottom!

The pike turned out to be a little over one and a half kilograms, although in terms of dimensions it was a legal "kopeck piece" - apparently, the vicissitudes of the past winter and exhausting spawning affected.

There were, however, other situations when two pikes came out from different sides after the wavering spoon bait, vying with each other trying to attack my bait and thereby considerably interfering with each other. There have been such things.

Weather for spring pike fishing

I have formed quite clear ideas about spring pike fishing, and the first thing I want to mention is the weather. Although I think that the topic of meteorological dependence of fish bite is a very subtle and controversial matter, in this particular conversation everything seems to be quite clear. So, the vast majority of bites during spring pike fishing happen with me in clear or variable cloudy sunny weather. It is important that the luminary periodically appear in the firmament, filling the water area with its warm rays. Moreover, I can say quite accurately, in the spring the average bite of pike does not happen. We have either a complete kukan, or a complete zero - solid extremes. And the first option for biting reinforced concrete is associated in my mind with the sunny weather - this is how my spinning experiments developed.

I don’t know how to explain this - the version about the optimal blackout of the spotted one in such conditions, which makes it easier for her to hunt, seems to me the most coherent and coherent. After all, hunting in the July manner - with fans of scattering fry and shark patrolling of the water area - is an impermissible luxury for an exhausted spawning pike. It is much more profitable to wait and then close the mouth at the right time. And such an alignment is most likely in sunny weather, which generates myriads of glare and the play of light and shade under water, one to one repeating the camouflage patterns on the pike's body.

There is, however, another important factor - the wind. So, unlike sunlight, its presence is not at all desirable - except perhaps a light breeze, slightly warping the mirror of the water surface - no more. If the wind is perceptible, and even more so - gusty, cold, then you will not wait for the bite of the pike.

Of the external factors, one more is important: the activity of frogs and toads, in a word - amphibians. If you find yourself at the peak of the mating season of frogs, when both the shores and the coastal shallow water are simply occupied by these animals, the bite of the pike is simply zero. I cannot convincingly explain, but this is a point that has been repeatedly tested in practice. This is how, under the frog's accompaniment, you "grease" the spinning rod all daylight, but in the right places, but you still won't see a single bite, although it would seem that our buy-in: the sun warms up and is almost calm, but no, the pike does not take it. Apparently, she switched to "French cuisine" - and now you need to wait until the amphibians calm down. With this option, I immediately go to the riverbed, to the current. There are fewer frogs - and the chances of catching a toothy pike increase.

Lures and their guidance when fishing for pike in spring

It is difficult for me to single out from all the variety some "miraculous" spinning lures that leave far behind all the others in the spring. It turns out that absolutely different things work. lures when fishing for pike in the spring: both "spinners", and wobblers, and oscillating spoons, and "silicone"... Everything works, but it doesn't always work. One thing unites all these types of baits - the wiring must be done slowly - on the verge of a foul - breaking the "game". The pike is still in about the same state as the young woman after the night disco ... Sluggish and sleepy, the pike does not want (or cannot?) Chase after the bait that is fast moving in the upper layers.

For me personally, when the conversation comes about spring pike, real scenes of observing this fish in the same period always appear before my eyes - akin to the one that I described in such detail above. I imagine its passivity - and I begin to quite clearly understand which bait to choose from the box, how to carry it out in this particular place, knowing the approximate depth and speed of the current. I try to offer the bait as close to the bottom as possible, and if I succeed, then right along the bottom and at the most measured pace. And I do it closer to the place where, in my opinion, the pike's muzzle will be located. And then no, no, but it comes out to serve all these numerous and rather capricious factors - and get a pike bite.

I was often rescued by rather small sizes, but light "vibrators". For example, as in photo 1. The mass of such lures rarely exceeds 25 g, which is a very insignificant figure for their size. Fishing takes place mainly in shallow places - rarely when the bottom is more than 2.5 m, and the action takes place not on the rapids. Such "vibrators" float softly and ornate in the water - and the pike will certainly attack them. One of my favorites is Kuusamo Professor (pictured below).

There were several episodes with her participation when I managed to get away from zero precisely thanks to the leisurely and bright "play" of this bait. For example, once the banks of one Neman tributary were simply littered with spinning players of various stripes and calibers. Spinning players changed places with each other, sorted out the baits, huddling and complaining about the severity of life. Whoever I asked - they didn't get a bite. I have the same picture: I went through all the places, overtook all the lures - there was no pike biting. And then, on the promising site closest to the parking lot, firmly intending to complete the final procedure of clearing the conscience here, in order to go home, I decided to put this spinner. I must say that the coast, viscous from the water that had recently receded, was generously flavored with traces of fishing boots - a lot of them passed there that day. But these nuances did not bother my conscience too much - in general, I put this very "Professor". Ten minutes later, fan-shaped casts a sluggish bite - and not too stubborn resistance of a kilosh pike. Not a record, of course, but, as they say, without fish ... And she took something like that! For the very edge - sitting on one hook of the tee! Persuaded, I must think ...

It used to be that the spinners - "non-hooks" (photo 2) also helped out. In essence, it was an ordinary "spoiler". It flies in the same way, plays in the same way. But it has one major advantage in the spring: it can be driven at the slowest speed - literally striking along the bottom while driving, without fear of snagging. And the pike, which is still sluggish after spawning, is very, very fond of such wiring.

Not once or twice, shallow, actively playing wobblers helped out. Especially Lure Yo-zury L-minnow 66(photo 3). It sinks quickly, and you can spend it in the right horizon with high quality. On the whole, I think, these wobblers do not need a special introduction - they fly well, actively “play”, and catch decently. And it is precisely the "sixty-sixths" that stand out, a very pike size, as it seems to me - 66 mm. For spring, it's better not to come up with. Their shiny surface also comes in very handy. If you think about it, in the spring it is the glossy silvery baits that sparkle defiantly in turbid water more often. For example, I try to put a wobbler with a perch-like coloring on a trouble-free summer wobbler - zero, I put on a brilliant L-minnow 66 - there is a bite!

There are good turntables. Actually, it is often with them that I start catching. Somehow, after hibernation, it is drawn to "understandable and simple", and it does not pose any particular problems to hold a stably working spinning spoon at the right speed and in the right horizon. Here, however, I noticed one nuance: if the water is not yet warmed up enough and the weather does not indulge in warmth, "turntables" often remain out of work, losing, first of all, to "shaker" and "rubber", to a lesser extent - to wobblers. But, in fairness, I will say that since you have to use the forceps to extract the bait from the pike's mouth, then in the lion's share of cases you will have to get the “turntable”. I really like Mepps Aglia Long and Celta Rublex (photo 4). Although these are "high-speed" lures, with a high petal rotation frequency, they can be carried out in the lowest layers - on the verge of falling off, which is very handy in spring. And, of course, Mepps Lusox(photo 5) - where for a pike without him! Absolutely trouble-free operation of the petal plus the ability to do stepped wiring - like in a jig - do their job. My record, which I never tire of boasting today, was set precisely with this bait.

And, of course, “silicone” should not be forgotten. I have a preference for translucent glitter tones. The spectrum is approximately the same (photo 6). Have you seen toad caviar? Twisters about this color work almost always. Variations on the theme of "machine oil" and pale light green tones are also good. I'm not particularly shy about the size: three-inch models are what you need. The load is selected in such a way that the bait drags along the bottom, raising a little mud. If the bite is more or less active, and the bites are correct, I use "non-hook" offset makers - a lot of hooks happen with such a wiring. Basically - for the rhizomes of perennial plants, and I must say - for the most part deaf holds. In general, "silicone" in the spring, in my opinion, can be classified as "magic pills", because it often helps out even in complete bastardness.

Twisters of classical shapes work great for me. I tried to use two-tailed, various imitations of frogs, shaggy octopuses, like those that decorate the hooks of spinnerbaits - everything lost to the "classics". Rippers - they also lag behind in the spring - I don't know exactly why. In general, we will use the "Paganini method" to play on those strings that are definitely played.

I would also like to dwell on one of my homemade products - a sort of hybrid. Of course, I don’t pretend to be the author of the idea - I have seen something like this somewhere. But the idea was embodied precisely on one of the April-May days, when I was "opening up for the pike." The idea is simple: to make a bait that will fly well, not go too deep, cling to the bottom as little as possible. And, of course, fishing for pike. As a result, this "turbo whister" came out (photo 8). A three-inch twister on an offset hook plus a petal from a stubborn "turntable" number two and a lead weight-head weighing 10 g - this combination has brought me spring pikes more than once. The advantages of the bait are that it works in all stages of the wiring, including the fall, it can be carried out very slowly and close to the bottom - it works. It is especially good that there are practically no overlaps during casts - this is prevented by the removed loop of the weight-head.

Castmaster(in photo 7 - he and his analogue from "Hulko") - this type of spinner somehow does not dare to refer to the general concept of "spoiler" - these weighty things are too functional and universal. Therefore, about them - a separate item. So they often seduce the spring pike. The main "trick" of Castmasters and the like as applied to today's topic is their vertical component in the "game". Universal can be called "Cast" weighing 21 g - it is heavy enough to fly perfectly, but at the same time, it is quite "floating" - and does not go like a stone down, instead, floridly planning in the direction of the bottom and substituting its shiny pike sides. It happens that on spring floods you simply cannot do without these spinners. I remember I got into a situation when sunny calm weather drove the spring pike to a large shallow flood - either to warm up, or for some other reason. I saw the fish with my own eyes, and I suppose she did me too. As soon as the shadows flickered on the water - the pike immediately left in an incomprehensible direction, having previously raised a muddy train. The result was achieved precisely with the help of a long-range Castmaster. Those two predators that I took that day, literally got out beyond the line of sight of my shadow, and at the same time outside the range of fire with other, less "volatile" baits. The equation turned out to be simple: no Castmaster, no pike.

In general, the unifying point for all pike lures in the spring is good flight performance. And the point here is not that the pike is standing in-o-he under that bank, no. It's just that in many regions in the spring, fishing is allowed only from the shore, so the bait should fly well. And one more thing: in the Belarusian rules, for example, in the spring it is allowed to fish only with a lure "with one hook". It turns out that a two-hook wobbler or a large "wobbler" is already illegal. So take this point into account if it occurs in your area.

In contrast to most fish, the pike does not play with runes, but with very small cooperatives - three or four in number, among which there is usually one female, so that there are much more moloshniks than eggs. As a result, obviously, most of the spawned eggs are fertilized, which cannot be said about other fish, in which, partly due to the lack of males, partly due to their incorrect distribution among females, even due to the very crowdedness and disorderly crush, a lot of eggs and milk flows out and disappears completely in vain. With a huge amount of pike caviar, there would be no doubt about the extraordinary reproduction of this predator, the final extermination of all other species of fish, with the exception of the perch and the well-defending ruff, if most of the caviar swept by the pike did not remain on the drying spills and swamps, many of the fish themselves would not have disappeared in the same way, and if the enormous mass of pike, unusually meek during spawning, in which even the ide is inferior to it, would not have been made the prey of humans and birds of prey, for example, osprey, kite, white-tailed.

The pike usually lays its eggs in the third year, when there are already more than half-arshin. First of all, not the largest one plays, as in all other lake fish, but the smallest, then the middle one and, finally, the largest, sometimes even with small intervals, which is why spawning lasts an extremely long time, longer than all other fish - often two weeks , which, of course, also contributes to its more successful fishing. Many pikes are caught even before the game with fenders, when they just climb into the reeds and swim at the rims.

The spawning itself, however, has a place not here, but in the smallest places, in sedge, flooded with water from a lake or river; as a result, it often happens that they come to a far distance from the river bed or the summer bed of the lake and spawn not only in drying up bogs, but also on hard, usually dry shores. At this time, it is often necessary to observe pikes at such a shallow depth that their back protrudes out of the water. Then, after a sudden loss of water, especially on river floods, they will have many desperate jumps, and it's good if they manage to roll over or jump from a running start into flowing water or even a deep hole. Undoubtedly, many of these fish remain stranded and sooner or later become prey for birds and humans.

First of all, as soon as small edges are formed and the water begins to absorb air, the pike approaches the reeds and most willingly swims at the very edge of the ice, which is explained by the fact that the water contains the most air here, the bubbles of which are released when melting. This phenomenon is characteristic, however, of fish, and in pikes it is expressed only a little more clearly, at this time, heralding the imminent onset of spawning, they are usually caught with fenders, and the more often the entangled pike releases; beating, spawning, the closer this eagerly awaited time. A week passes, the pikes begin to walk in whole artels: usually two or three males, differing in their driveability, chase one female, as thick as a stump, for another day or two, and the pikes finally lose their usual caution, approach the very shore of the lake, enter coastal swamps and floods, rivers raised by water; their artels already seem to be one merged, mass: slowly and smoothly the female then sinks to the bottom, then rises upward, and the dark backs of the curling males sometimes protrude completely out of the water.

The molars accompanying the female are always significantly less than the latter, sometimes by half. According to O. Grimm, 3-5-pound males walk with 9-pound eggs. However, I have never noticed a particularly sharp difference in growth, especially since spawning does not take place simultaneously, but begins with the smallest (rarely two years, but more than three years) and ends with the largest. According to some fishermen, small one-year-old males also take part in the party, as if holding their teeth to the fins of the female, but this is an obvious absurdity. What is the purpose of keeping your teeth screwed up and why do they risk being eaten by adult gentlemen? It is reliably known that frequent and prolonged fights occur between the latter, as each tries to be closer to the female. These fights end in severe wounds and even death. It is quite possible that occasionally large females devour their very small lovers.

Greenish-yellow and very small pike caviar is swept directly to the bottom, more often on last year's grass, and lays down in a single layer. Its quantity is very significant, although in this respect pike is inferior to perch, crucian carp and many other fish; the famous ichthyologist Bloch counted 136,000 eggs in a six-pound pike. According to many foreign authors, pike caviar eaten by a bird and ejected from the anus does not lose the ability to develop, but this is hardly fair; the sudden appearance of pikes, and other fish in completely enclosed basins, is explained by the fact that sticky eggs stick to the legs and feathers of water birds that devour it, and then are carried over great distances by them. However, there are cases that adult pikes, during heavy rain, moved from the nearest pools to neighboring ones, where they were not.

The development of pike eggs is relatively fast; for this, a temperature of +8 -10g Celsius is sufficient. In the sun and in shallow water, young fish hatch at 1.5 weeks, even at 8 days, in the shade and in deeper places - at two weeks or more. The juveniles first hide in the moss, in the dense grass near the coast, but very soon, as soon as the yolk bladder disappears and they feel the need for food, they scatter and are no longer found in large numbers in the same place. At first, young squints stay in the smallest places, are a little shy, feed more on insects, worms and other small invertebrates and rarely catch juveniles of other fish earlier than July, when they move into deeper water. But in August and September, the squint feed exclusively on small fish and quickly increase in growth. In May they are even less vershok, in June a little more, but in October they are often more than a quarter in length and more than a quarter of a pound in weight. Then in winter they hardly increase in growth until early spring. From that time on, they begin to grow by leaps and bounds. Most of the squints die at a very young age in dry spills, becoming the prey of ducks and other water birds. In large numbers, they are eaten by one-year-old and two-year-old pike and perch, and in ponds and lakes - by perches.

Pike feeding.

Most believe that the pike, as a predator, does enormous harm to the fish population and the fish industry, that it is a water wolf, which should be exterminated by all possible means until it is completely eradicated. In their opinion, if there are no pikes, then the number of fish will increase significantly. This view is not entirely correct and is based on an incorrect assessment of the importance in the economy of the nature of predatory fish in general, and in particular of the pike, and on exaggerated concepts of the number of fish that it exterminates.

The fact is that, with very rare exceptions, that is, when absolutely correct fish farming is being conducted and such valuable fish as, for example, trout, pike or other predator are raised artificially and at great expense. In the "wild" and "semi-wild" waters, pikes serve as regulators of the fish population: by eating insignificant trifles, sick and weak fish, they enable larger and healthier individuals to grow faster and produce healthier offspring. Some foreign authors present the pike as such an insatiable glutton that one can only wonder that there are still other fish in the world besides this predator. According to these writers, pike not only eats twice as much fish per week as it weighs itself, but it can eat the same amount of fish in one day, which is physically completely impossible. Observations and facts show us that the pike digests food very slowly, which is why it eats from time to time; stuffing her stomach chock-full, she digests the contents for a very long time, then starts to "eat" again. From the same thing that many fish are found in the stomach during eating, it was concluded that she consumes such an amount almost daily, almost all year round.

Meanwhile, the pike is hardly able to eat more food during the year than ten times as much as it weighs itself, and then only at a young age; the older it gets, the relatively less it eats, and a pood pike, of course, will not destroy ten poods of various animals a year. If we take into account that the pike eats more than one fish, as well as crayfish, frogs (especially in the south), mice, worms and insects, that its prey is mainly low-value, and often harmful fish, such as, for example, char, squinted that pike grows extremely quickly, is extremely unpretentious, has a significant cost and is very well marketed on the spot, it turns out that in our uncultured ponds, lakes and rivers, this harmful predator is almost the most profitable breed of fish, not even excluding the carp. Of course, pike perch and burbot are even more profitable than pike, but, unfortunately, they do not get along everywhere. Perch is now valued everywhere cheaper than pike, comparatively more voracious, and therefore more unprofitable. As for the catfish, it is undoubtedly extremely unprofitable, as it is a consumer of large and much more valuable fish than himself. I consider it necessary to make a reservation that large pikes are also extremely unprofitable for the same reasons and must be exterminated. The most delicious shocks of two or three years old; starting at a 10-pound weight, they already have tough, rather tasteless meat, and large, pood pikes are even almost inedible. The business of the prudent owner is to maintain the proper balance between pikes and other fish and prevent pikes from reaching large sizes. The most convenient way to regulate is by shooting them during spawning.

About the value of pike.

Abroad, they have long been aware of the benefits and benefits of small pikes and deliberately let them into those ponds that are designated for feeding adult carp. By eating the juveniles of the latter, they enable large fish to develop faster. We should also let pikes in such ponds where there are too many small crucian carp, roach, and especially char. If there is little chance that predators will survive the winter, which can happen very rarely if ice holes are made, then even a summer stay of several pikes in the pond is enough to clear it of sick and weak fish and reduce the number of loaches - the most harmful fish, since they destroy the eggs of other fish, themselves representing almost no value. In such conditions, there are, for example, the ponds of the Peter the Great Academy, where the char displaces the tench and crucian carp. It seems that pikes were here (in the main pond) 20 years ago. But since they were mercilessly shot in the spring, the survivors also perished in one of the harsh winters. Pikes are sometimes transferred even in very deep lakes. For example, in the well-known and very deep (up to 25 arsh.) Lake Belom, near the village. Kosina (12 versts from Moscow), 10-12 years ago in winter, all fish died in a rather mysterious way, except for a few tench and crucian carp, and now there is not a single pike in it.

As already mentioned, the pike delivers very tasty and valuable meat: only among the Romans it was in great contempt; among the British in the Middle Ages, pike, on the contrary, was considered the most delicious and expensive fish. Pike meat is especially valued by Jews, and therefore over the past twenty years it has greatly increased in price, both in Moscow and everywhere this bug-like nation has spread. It is remarkable that the Don region is the only country in Russia that is insured against Jewish invasion, at the same time the only area where pike is considered rotten and is never eaten by anyone. The Cossacks throw it back into the water on the grounds that the pike has a snake head and is eating frogs. Most of the pike are caught in lakes, ponds and small rivers; in navigable rivers, its fishing is comparatively negligible.

Young pike, cooked in Pozhidovski, with minced meat and vitsy, or in Polish, makes a very tasty fish dish; pickled pikes are also not bad, as well as fried, like navaga, squinted. In very silty ponds and lakes, pikes react strongly with silt and are sometimes even suitable only for pickling. Young (river) pike is considered the most delicious - the so-called. pike blue feather - just before spawning. Moloshniks are preferred to caviar, because mature pike caviar in many localities of Russia, for example. in the lower reaches of the Volga and throughout Western Europe, it has not only a strong laxative effect, but is quite poisonous. In Germany, there is a belief that even the meat of a pike killed during spawning, eaten in large quantities, produces stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and diarrhea. Apparently, salted caviar no longer has any harmful properties; where there are a lot of pikes (on large lakes), their caviar is salted in large quantities and sold (to the common people) for 30 or more kopecks per pound

With the exception of humans and their fellows, the pike has almost no enemies. However, in the south of Russia, catfish, and in Siberia, taimen do not give descent to a gaping predator. The small pike sometimes becomes the prey of the osprey, but the large one (even the ten-pound one) usually drowns its unexpected rider. In Western Europe, many pikes are exterminated by otters, but we have comparatively very few of the latter (except for Poland, which is why otters are called the Polish beaver). But pikes suffer greatly from worms, which become infected from eaten fish and mice. Occasionally there are somehow blind pikes, as well as insatiable gluttons, who rush even at people. Several cases are known that such mad pikes grabbed people by the arms or legs. Finally, the pike has an epidemic disease: the belly becomes covered with nodules and the fish floats up dead. Pike bile delivers a very good yellow-brown color and is also used as a cure for colic.

Pike spawning begins at an earlier time than that of other fish. This is not just that, it is explained by the fact that when the fry of this fish appear, other predators are not so active. And this has a beneficial effect on the development and growth of individuals.

Where does the pike spawn?

During spawning, this predator prefers zagruzhennye areas of the reservoir, shallow and inaccessible places for humans. But at the same time, at this time, she loses her caution, does not pay attention to external stimuli. Typically, the depth of the spawning ground ranges from 10 cm to one meter.

At this time, this predator ceases to be a loner, they move in small groups: there are up to 4 males per female. They are about the same size, go far enough away from their usual habitat. First, small predators, which have just reached sexual maturity, begin to throw, usually a 30 cm pike, which is about 3 years old. Then larger individuals begin to throw eggs.

Pike spawning time

When does pike spawn? Everything is quite simple when the temperature begins to rise to 5 degrees, and the very peak at 10 or more degrees. When the rest of the fish starts spawning, the pike fry are real predators, whose diet includes microorganisms, worms, etc. The process begins:

• Usually in spring, late March or early April (depending on the weather).
• However, the earliest spawning also occurs in winter, in late February, this happens in the southern regions of the country, which, as usual, was the case with pike spawning in 2017.

At the same time, it is important to note the following regularity: spawning in closed reservoirs is carried out later than on rivers. This is not surprising, since ice melts on rivers earlier than on lakes. Therefore, it should be understood that in some reservoirs, especially in the north, the ice can only melt by May, respectively, at this time, the spawning of pike is shifted. Therefore, the spawning time of this predator in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus in 2017 was different.

Spawning process

Pike eggs attach to aquatic plants, but later they sink to the bottom and mix with organic matter. The color of the eggs is similar to the color of the vegetation, as a result, the eggs are better preserved from being eaten by predators. Throwing eggs in areas with large vegetation will be able to provide a higher survival rate for eggs (first of all, this is a shelter, and there is also a large number of aquatic plankton, which is perfect for feeding fry).

Eggs are large and can reach up to 3 mm in diameter. Their development takes at least 10 days, depending on the conditions of the reservoir. The fry are up to 7 mm in length, at first they hide among the plants, with the growth of the pike ration is replenished not only with microorganisms, but also with fry of other fish. It is important to note that despite the spawning conditions, about 10% of the fry survive. This is due to:

1. Mostly natural phenomena, especially fluctuations in the water level, because a sharp drop in water can have a detrimental effect not only on the eggs, but on the adult pike, which can fall into the trap pit.
2. The activities of other predators.

After spawning, the pike becomes really active, eats everything, which pleases anglers. Such zhor is also noted in the fall before wintering, but in spring it is still higher. It is important to remember that fishing for pike during spawning is prohibited by law!

Video on how pike fish spawn:

Pike spawning is an amazing phenomenon in which these fish gather in schools and frolic along the coast. It is important for any angler to know when and how this process takes place in order to ensure himself a good catch without breaking the law.

When does pike spawn?

In the spring, pikes are among the first to spawn. This biological feature gives them an advantage over other species. Indeed, by the time the pike become real predators and switch to food from small fish, the rest of the spawning is just beginning. This allows you to protect your eggs, as well as attack other fish during the period when they are busy breeding. But even despite this feature, only 10% of the offspring survive.

When does pike spawn in central Russia?

The first zhor of the predator begins in February or early March, when she gains strength after winter. At this time, the fish usually comes to the mouths and absorbs all living things that it encounters on its way. In spring, closer to April, when the ice in the rivers melts and the water warms up to 3-7˚С, the spawning period for pike begins.

In closed waters, where ice melts more slowly, pike spawns 3-4 weeks later. But it all depends on the weather conditions: in the case when the winter is delayed, it can start spawning under the ice.

Under normal conditions, that is, in the absence of weather disasters, the spawning time for pike lasts about three weeks. For a single individual, this period is 2-3 days.

How many times a year does a pike spawn?

Pike spawn, as a rule, in the spring. This process takes place once a year.

At what age does pike spawn?

Females reach sexual maturity by the fourth year of life. In the case when there is a good food base in the reservoir and the fish is able to quickly gain weight - by the third. In males, this period occurs only by the age of five. Young females are the first to spawn, the largest ones wait for their turn at the end of spawning.

By 3-4 years old pike weighs about 400 g. Females are usually larger than males.

Throughout the year, pikes live alone, but at this time they unite in groups and stop hunting. There are 4 to 8 males per female. The fish lays eggs on rocks, bottom, bushes or grass. Depending on the size and age of the female, the number of eggs can reach 220,000. Under favorable conditions, fry appear in about a week. Initially, they feed on microorganisms, larvae, insects. But in less than a month they are already able to attack small fish.

In terms of the amount of caviar, pike is second only to perch and crucian carp.

Where does the pike spawn?

During the spawning period, pikes swim into small rivers, streams, rims or creeks. They choose places with a depth of 5 cm to 1 meter, so you can often observe a picture when fish rub their belly along the bottom, and their backs are visible on the surface. This is due to the fact that the water in shallow water warms up faster. The spawning area should be snaggy, reedy and leafy at the bottom.

Fish arrive at the mating site and spawn at night, but the pike itself spawns in the morning and lasts until the end of the day. At the same time, a group of pikes constantly moves through the spawning grounds. The fish rubs against algae, roots and bushes, leaving eggs on them.

The end of the process can be determined by the characteristic bursts - the males rush in different directions. This happens due to the fact that not very large individuals can become victims of a hungry female, if they do not have time to swim to a safe distance. After which she goes to the bottom, and the males remain to attack other females for mating.

Fishing for pike during spawning

The best time to hunt for pike is considered to be the pre-spawning and post-spawning period, when the fish begins to eat. But do not forget that the size of its population directly depends on this period. Therefore, if you suddenly caught a pike in late winter or early spring, it is better to let it go.

Penalty for catching pike during spawning

During the spawning period, the predator is very vulnerable - the fish loses its vigilance and can be caught with almost bare hands. But the law imposes a ban on fishing from February to early April (depending on the country and region). This is important to know in order not to get caught in unintentional poaching. Any decision regarding fishing at this time is made only by the local authorities, which are responsible for the fishing industry. They also establish fines and punishments. Therefore, depending on the region, the sanctions differ.

The amount of the fine can be up to 300,000 rubles. If they refuse to pay it, the offender will face an additional 15 days of administrative arrest.

There are rules that are introduced on reservoirs for the spawning period:

• a ban on movement in a water body on a regular or motor boat;
• a ban on approaching the coastline by vehicles at a distance of less than 200 meters;
• a ban on fishing in spawning grounds.

Important: Be sure to check the ban times for your region before you go fishing.

A bit of history: spear fishing for spawning

Ostrog was known even in Ancient Russia. Fishing for pike in spawning often took place using this simplest tool. This device is a stick with a pitchfork at the end and is used for fishing like a spear. Although it was more correct to say it was used, because today it belongs to the prohibited weapons.

Fishing in this way began much earlier than with a hook or other tackle.

Fishing with a spear was more like hunting. The most difficult thing in this process was to guess the distance from which the throw would be accurate, fast and not frighten off the prey. They tried to strike obliquely, aiming under the dorsal fin. Moreover, it was necessary to beat across the fish - so the probability of hitting increased.
The ostrog was also used for irradiation, the meaning of which is that at night the shallow water was illuminated with the help of fire, and later with a lantern, and they were looking for large fish. In this case, she was either asleep or blinded. After finding a suitable individual, she was stabbed.

When does a pike start to bite after spawning?

During spawning, the fish does not feed. Accordingly, it is useless to catch it. But at the end of this process, you should not immediately go after the extraction. After throwing eggs, the pike needs to recover. It takes 3-4 days to a week.

Pike fishing usually starts in mid-May. But choosing the right moment for spring fishing is not as easy as it seems. After all, the fish leaves for spawning unevenly and is also restored at different times. Moreover, large individuals are the last to hunt.

With the end of spawning, pikes do not leave the spawning ground. They simply swim away from each other at a safe distance. This is due to the beginning of the breeding season for roach, which the pike preys on. And since the victim chooses the same places for throwing eggs as the hunter, it makes no sense for the predator to leave her festive table.

It is best to look for large individuals in river beds, not far from a gentle bank at a sharp turn. You can also check the plots at the entrance to the backwaters, oxbows and old rivers. That is, places where the current is not strong; depth that allows the water to warm up well and the color of the bottom is close to color.

Pike spawning videos

How the pike behaves during spawning and what happens during this can be seen in this video.

The pike is a popular trophy among anglers. But it is better to postpone its capture until the end of spawning. And if suddenly you find fry in a drying puddle, then try to transfer them to the nearest body of water, because only a small part of them will survive until the end of the first year.