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Rulers of the Kingdom
Big northern pike keep a lake’s fish population in balance
Published Tuesday, May 13, 2008
While the taste buds of Minnesota anglers have made the walleye our state fish, sport fishing would not be the same in Minnesota without the northern pike.
No one will deny that they are a good fighting fish — and much easier to catch — than the walleye. A walleye might try to sneak away with your bait, the northern hits it like a ton of bricks.
The northern is one fish that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources does not bother to stock. The sharp-toothed predator is present in such numbers all over the Land of 10,000 Lakes that stocking is not considered necessary.
It is the size and savagery of the northern that makes it the favorite wall hanger of most Minnesota resorts, bars, bait shops and restaurants.
The average size of northerns has been dropping for decades due to angling and winter spearing pressure and the decline of big northerns in a lake points to big trouble.
According to Arlin Schalekamp, area fisheries manager of the Fergus Falls DNR office, northerns enjoy good recruitment, or reproduction, during high water years, such as west-central Minnesota has recently experienced. Any water-filled ditch can turn into a northern pike hatchery.
Northerns control a lake’s fish population. Big northerns not only go after perch, they also feed on younger northerns. When a lake’s perch population drops sunfish tend to explode because perch feed on small sunfish and sunfish eggs.
“Once a lake tips to smaller fish it’s hard to bring back,” said Schalekamp.
The DNR is fighting the problem with slot limits on northern pike, but voluntary catch-and-release of the big fish is the best way to go. Smaller northerns may not be wall-hanging trophies but provide a lot of fun and excitement.
Summer fishing for northerns is best done with strip-on spinners baited with sucker minnows. Spoons are also very effective.
While fishing for walleyes can often involve a very slow presentation, a good method of fishing for northerns is speed trolling.
Northerns prefer weedy hunting grounds and can often be caught in shallow water along weed beds. They hunt by ambush – short, powerful sprints that take their prey by surprise.
As northerns grow larger, they have to find cooler water. Lakes with good white fish and cisco populations are also good northern lakes.
The world record northern pike, 55-pounds, 10-ounces, was taken in the Czech Republic. Minnesota’s state record, 45-12, was caught on Basswood Lake.
Comments
The Daily Journal is happy to host community conversations about news and life in Fergus Falls and the surrounding area. As hosts, we expect guests will show respect for each other. That means we don't threaten or defame each other, and we keep conversations free of personal attacks. Witty is great. Abusive is not. If you think a post violates these standards, don't escalate the situation. Instead, flag the comment to alert us. We'll take action if necessary. It's not hard. This should be a place where people want to read and contribute -- a place for spirited exchanges of opinion. So those who persist with racist, defamatory or abusive postings risk losing the privilege to post at all.Posted by FungusAmugus (anonymous) on May 13, 2008 at 10:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"The averge size of northerns has been dropping for decades due to angling and winter spearing pressure"
What a JOKE the DNR have been intentionaly cutting off the spawning grounds for this species since the early 80's trying to greatly reduce the population, so they can stock an overabundace of walleye in lakes. With a theory that people want to catch walleye, and if there is an abundace of them, more people will travel to the lakes to fish, meaning more licenses sold, meaning more money for their dept.
The DNR try's to pretend they are trying to keep a balance in nature but they do just the opposite, they try to tilt the balance to what they believe will generate more revenue for the state. Then Once they start to realize the damage they have done they look to put blame on someone or something else.
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