Is it possible to create a monster pike? I think the answer is yes, however, nobody has ever done it as far as I know.
How would it be done and how long would it take? The intention of this article is not to suggest someone should do it, but rather to get the readers to think about where they can find the biggest pike in whatever body of water they are fishing in.
Creating a monster pike would be a time-consuming and expensive task, but making an artificial environment with the optimal conditions for maximum growth potential would be done. To create optimal conditions it demands knowledge of what parameters to use for a pike such as water temperature, pH, water quality, food supply, and competition. One other great factor is the individual growth potential, which is very different between pike. Some pike will never grow big while others will be huge, even in the same conditions.
First of all, one needs a huge aquarium with enough space for a monster pike to move and swim in any direction without bumping into the glass all the time – maybe 2.5 meters x 3 meters x 1.5 meters would be sufficient. Then the tank would need a constant flow of 13 degrees Celsius of fresh water. The oxygen level should be high and the pH should be around 7. The lighting should be constant so the pike can feed whenever it wants.
The tank must also be constantly supplied with several species of suitable and natural prey fish. The size of the fish is also important as the pike prefers relatively big fish as prey. Less hunting means less energy consumption and less energy consumption means maximum growth.
Before we get to this point, however, we have to select the right pike to use. The perfect fry to use would be eggs from a monster pike fertilized by sperm from a large male pike so we have the best eggs to pick from. If we have fertilized eggs from a large pike and put them in a small aquarium we would see the first eggs hatch after 20 days. By giving these small guys good conditions with the right temperature and adding zooplankton, we would see the fry eat and grow. After a while, some of these pike fry will grow significantly faster than their brothers and sisters and they will soon start to eat their own siblings. These fries are the ones we should use because they have the best growth potential.
So, if these girls are taken good care of and given the aforementioned artificial conditions for some years, we would probably see a monster pike in one of these individuals just by giving them what they want and what they need. I have seen this work with Atlantic salmon and I am pretty sure this would work for pike too.
As said before, the meaning of this article is to make you, as a pike angler, think about where the big pike is in the waters where you are pike fishing.
I would do research in my area and measure the water temperature in different depths and find out where the majority and biggest prey fish are in the areas with optimal temperatures for pike.
To research a lake, you have to use a boat and I suggest investing in one of Lowrance’s fish finders. A map of the lake with depths would also be good but it is not crucial as you can find out by using the Lowrance fish finder.
Scan the whole area and note down tops, shelves, and other details. Find out at what water depth has the optimal temperature, combined with areas of prey fish.
Pike seek out the best areas by their instincts but these areas have the most competition and only the largest pike can survive, so the hot spots are shared by a small number of big pike. They patrol their territory and chase off smaller pike or eat them.
In these areas, you have the best chance of finding your record pike because there are the best natural conditions for the pike to become really big. They live and eat here 90% of their lives, especially where the water temperature is significant to their growth.
A relatively deep lake is preferable when it comes to maintaining an optimal temperature which is around 13 degrees Celsius. But of course, the climate this lake is exposed to is crucial as well. If the climate is too cold and the middle temperature is too low, the growth will not be optimal over time. A warm climate will provide very good conditions in a deep lake as the temperature will not be too high deep down where the pike lives.
So, map out the best places to fish trough and troll away making sure your pike lures are at the right depths all the time. Pike Lures