Fish of the pike family. Endemic of the Far East. The appearance of the fish is very recognizable and quite similar to the common pike. A large head with a huge mouth and an elongated oblong body with slightly compressed sides. Light scales cover part of the head. The anal and dorsal fins are also shifted in the caudal. The difference is that the color of the Amur pike is much lighter: there are many dark spots on a greenish-gray background. According to scientists, this is due to adaptation to existence in the channel zone of the river, and not in coastal vegetation, which is typical for common pike. In a small pike (up to 30 cm), instead of spots on the body, there are narrow, transverse stripes. The maximum size of the fish can reach a length of 115 cm and a weight of 20 kg. But in general, it is believed that the Amur pike is smaller than its common relative. The life cycle and behavior are very similar to the common pike. As is the case with many other fish, in the Amur pike, females are somewhat larger than males, with the exception of the older age group. Small pike are always easier to find in the waters of adventitious reservoirs (bays, oxbow lakes), where they actively feed.
Fishing methods
Despite the fact that the pike is considered an “ambush” predator, it is caught in various ways, sometimes in “completely non-standard places.” In this case, both natural and artificial baits are used. To do this, they use various methods: starting from the simplest vents, hooks, baits to special rods with complex rigging for attaching a “dead fish” and a live bait or “float”. The most popular way of catching this fish, for most anglers, is fishing with artificial lures, spinning rods. Although, for the same purpose, rods for plumb fishing or the most common “deaf” fishing rods can be used. Pike are caught very successfully and fly fishing. The Amur pike, along with the common pike, is very successfully caught in winter from the ice.
Spinning for pike
Pike, in its behavior, is a very “plastic” fish. It can survive in any reservoirs, even in the case when the main food is its own juveniles. It is at the top of the “food” pyramid in almost all water bodies and can hunt in any environmental conditions. A huge number of baits are associated with this, including those for spinning. The main criteria for choosing a rod, in modern fishing, for spinning, is the fishing method: jig, twitching, and so on. Length, action and test are chosen according to the place of fishing, personal preferences and baits used. Do not forget that rods with a “medium” or “medium-fast” action “forgive” much more mistakes than a “fast” action. It is advisable to purchase reels and cords, respectively, for the selected rod. Practically, different leashes are required for catching fish of any size. Pike teeth cut any fishing line and cord. To protect yourself from losing baits and losing a trophy, there are various methods and types of leashes. Tackle with the use of multiplier reels, sometimes with the use of huge lures, such as jerk-bait, stand apart.
Catching pike on “live” and “dead fish”
Catching pike on “live bait” and “dead fish” has somewhat “faded” against the background of modern gear for spinning and trolling, but no less relevant. Catching for “trolling” and began with fishing for tackle with a “dead fish” – “for a troll.” Dragging “dead fish” was practiced behind a rowboat, but gave way to lure and other artificial lures. For live bait fishing, various gear is used, some of which are very simple. Traditional “circles”, “strings”, “postavushki”, zherlitsy are used. Fishing “for live bait” can be carried out both in slow flow and in reservoirs with “stagnant water”. Most of the gear is quite simple, implying the presence of a hook (single, double or tee), a metal leash and a sinker. Especially exciting is fishing for circles or “sets”, when fishing is done from a boat, and gear is installed in a certain sector of the reservoir or slowly rafted down the river.
Baits
Almost any pike actively reacts to natural baits: fish slices, dead fish and live bait. A small or “fatting” predator does not refuse a large worm – crawling out, mollusk meat and other things. Dozens of different types of artificial lures have been invented for pike fishing. Of the most famous, we will name various oscillating spinners for sheer lure, wobblers, poppers and their specialized subspecies. No less popular are baits made of silicone, foam rubber and other synthetic materials, various hybrid baits made up of several elements. Places of fishing and habitat Widespread in the Amur basin. Absent only in mountainous areas. In the upper reaches, Amur pike can be caught in Argun, Ingoda, Kerulen, Onon, Shilka, Khalkhin-Gol, as well as Kenon and Buir-Nur lakes. Also, the Amur pike is caught in the basin of the Sea of Okhotsk: Uda, Tugur, Amgun. Known in some rivers of the Sea of Japan. On Sakhalin, it lives in the Poronai and Tym rivers, in addition, it is acclimatized in the south of the island.
Spawning
Pike becomes sexually mature by 2-3 years. In northern and slow-growing populations, maturation can take up to 4 years. It spawns before most of the fish with which it lives in the reservoir. This happens immediately after the breakup of ice in the shallow water zone, and stretches from April to June. The spawner is quite noisy. The main problem of shallow spawning is the drying of eggs and larvae due to flood water leaving. But the development of larvae is very fast compared to other fish.