AtomixIGN;745742; said:
Hybridization is a ***** isn't it? Stripes... Spots.... Both!
what was the weight and measurements
GIANT NORTHERN PIKE!
- Thread starter Headrush
- Start date
what was the weight and measurements
so what would you rather keep a northern pike or an alligator garfish, we pulled a 7-8ft gar out of the water and took the meat hook out of his mouth and sent him on the way. both are monster fish and feeding would be a beast for both fish.
I bought one of these Northern Pikes on an impluse buy at a fish hatchery near my home. I had a indoor pond setup at the time that was 600 gallons that I put him in. He was about 13 inches, but they are long and slender fish so 13 inches isnt real big for them. I NEVER saw the fish eat. I threw in minnows and goldfish and all kinds of stuff in the pond and never saw him eat. Well one day I came over to the pond and looked all around and couldnt find the pike. Finally I started searching outisde the pond and there he was in the far corner of the room dead.
When I got over to him I saw that his stomach was HUGE. I couldnt figure out how this could be because I had never seen him eat anything that I had thrown in there. I got curious and sliced open his stomach, he was dead anyways so I didnt figure it was a big deal. Inside him I found a Convict and a Red Devil. Both about 4-5 inches..
I would LOVE to have another one, but I would want a proper sized tank to keep him and a really nice fitting lid....
When I got over to him I saw that his stomach was HUGE. I couldnt figure out how this could be because I had never seen him eat anything that I had thrown in there. I got curious and sliced open his stomach, he was dead anyways so I didnt figure it was a big deal. Inside him I found a Convict and a Red Devil. Both about 4-5 inches..
I would LOVE to have another one, but I would want a proper sized tank to keep him and a really nice fitting lid....
this fish has raised questions in the uk but i can give you the lowdown the fish is a pike from the netherlands, as the guy is wearing sunridge clothing (european company) and yes it did only weigh 44lbs which was disappointing but the dutch are very creative in the way they take photos so it appears bigger.
pike do get bigger as there have been fish to nearly 90lbs in ireland but that was in 17 and 1800's so they dont count for world records etc. i believe the biggest is 74lbs taken by a cree indian, unsure when though. to be honest 90lbs is probably the biggest this species will ever get but who knows whats lurking in undisturbed lakes with a plentiful supply of food e.g trout lakes.
pike do get bigger as there have been fish to nearly 90lbs in ireland but that was in 17 and 1800's so they dont count for world records etc. i believe the biggest is 74lbs taken by a cree indian, unsure when though. to be honest 90lbs is probably the biggest this species will ever get but who knows whats lurking in undisturbed lakes with a plentiful supply of food e.g trout lakes.
Mentzer;740799; said:I agree, I don't think it's a northern pike....
Amazing fish all the same, I'd love it if it were possible to have a huge esox lucius and a huge channa micropeltes together in an outrageously huge tank, now that would be interesting
The first two fish pictured are most definitely Northern Pikes. Some Muskies do have stripes, some have spots, and some don't have either. I have personally seen more than one of each of these fish and all phases.
Either way, great pics. That first one is awesome.
hey gang, as a musky fisher-woman 
I can tell you that the easiest way to determine if it's a musky or a northern is this...
light markings on a dark body = northern
dark markings on a lighter body = musky.
There are so many varients of musky now... spotted, striped, spotted-striped, clear even which is very pretty. Northerns always have the creamy white spots. Muskys also have more reddish fins. They get bigger is the norm. Northern fry grow faster and prey on musky fry. Small northern we call "hammer-handles" cuz when they're about a foot long they're so skinny. I joke that they're half tail and half mouth, goofy things will hit anything! They're fun to catch and release. Ice fishing northerns is a blast! (I pickle them). We have northern in abundance in our northern WI lakes, but the musky is still usually honored as the ultimate game fish and many practice catch and release. Some people want a trophy for the wall which is fine too... many guys fish for years and never get a trophy. There are so many hybrids now... we have two on the wall; my husbands is a 40" tiger (hybrid) musky, and mine is a true musky caught in late spring, therefore it's not a big fat sow like they are in the winter. I haven't caught a musky since, it was sheer luck that I boated this one... it is 45". I'm not sure what the weights were, but I know it tipped 20 lbs.
our fish wall (that big walleye was 30" through the ice):
my husbands 40" tiger musky:
my 45" true musky (and yep, that's the lure I caught it on!):
I can tell you that the easiest way to determine if it's a musky or a northern is this...light markings on a dark body = northern
dark markings on a lighter body = musky.
There are so many varients of musky now... spotted, striped, spotted-striped, clear even which is very pretty. Northerns always have the creamy white spots. Muskys also have more reddish fins. They get bigger is the norm. Northern fry grow faster and prey on musky fry. Small northern we call "hammer-handles" cuz when they're about a foot long they're so skinny. I joke that they're half tail and half mouth, goofy things will hit anything! They're fun to catch and release. Ice fishing northerns is a blast! (I pickle them). We have northern in abundance in our northern WI lakes, but the musky is still usually honored as the ultimate game fish and many practice catch and release. Some people want a trophy for the wall which is fine too... many guys fish for years and never get a trophy. There are so many hybrids now... we have two on the wall; my husbands is a 40" tiger (hybrid) musky, and mine is a true musky caught in late spring, therefore it's not a big fat sow like they are in the winter. I haven't caught a musky since, it was sheer luck that I boated this one... it is 45". I'm not sure what the weights were, but I know it tipped 20 lbs.
our fish wall (that big walleye was 30" through the ice):
my husbands 40" tiger musky:
my 45" true musky (and yep, that's the lure I caught it on!):
