STORY OF NORTHERN PIKE IN TURKEY

 Northern Pike : Lat. Esox lucius (Turkish TURNA)

 Its body and head is long, torpedo shaped, covered with fine scales. Its mouth is large and toothed. Lower jaw is longer than upper jaw. Back fine and anus fin are close to tail fin. While its colour changes with the environment, its back is leaden green with yellow and green dots, lower sections of the abdomen and thorax are white or very pale yellow, thorax and abdomen fins are yellowish and the others with brown and yellow dots. In sexually matured northern pikes, average length ranges between 25 and 45 cm. There is even 130-cm northern pike.

 Northern pike is areal carnivorous creature. It feeds on small fishes including its species as well as frogs, bug larvae, waterfowls and small rodents swimming in the water. It lives alone. Northern pike is created for speed, but only for short distances. He waits till a careless fish get close to its jumping range, and at the time it throws itself towards the victim. The rest depends on the agility of northern pike and victim fish.

FISHING TECHNIQUES

Tips to be successful in supportive northern pike fishing:

The best fishing time for northern pike is the period between one hour before the sunrise and one-hour after the sunset. It very scarcely takes the bait at nights.

 It is after small fish flocks during summertime. Sudden movement on the water surface is the herald of the presence of the northern pike around. Joint places of the dense grassy sections and the gravelled ground underneath the water is the hunting area for northern pike. They are also frequently present in the small bays with ready coast, and pits around these. In hot days of the summer, they stalk to coast up to a depth of 30 cm. They retreat to deep water during wintertime and are less motile.

 In fishing, tools and technique are very important. Selection of the fishing of the rod is determined in two manners. When it is fished from a boat short (160 - 180 cm) fishing rod must be used and when fished from the coast, long (280 - 300 cm) and sound fishing rods must be used. Since more movement is needed in fishing with plastic soft bait or spoons, those rods and reel, which are as light as possible, must be used. The pulley mechanism must be strong and capable of winding 100 meter 0.25 millimetre fishing line. I personally prefer those reel which are silent while winding and with clutches. In the waters there is no very large fishes, 0.25 - 0.28 mm fishing lines must be used. When you catch a large fish you can get him only by slowly tiring him by means of clutch. The cleverest and most joyful northern pike fishing is that fishing made with lure. In this type of fishing lure which are made of plastic, metal or any other materials in shape of fish are used.

Plastic Soft Bait: These are lures which are made soft plastic and very motile and in shape of fish or worm. My favourite plastic soft baits is white, black-white may also be preferred if white one is unavailable. Orange colour is a more absolute solution under cloudy weather conditions and deep waters. Cut tail models of Mister Twister brand are more effective in fishing. The jig I used preparing this set is phosphor red. When small plastic soft bait are used wire trace must certainly be used.

Spinning: These are the lures which resembles a spon without handle having their hook at the tip of it. Since spoons are generally long, it is not necessary to use bodies.

Plugging: In addition to the baits I have mentioned above, there are also other baits which are made of balsa wood or hard plastic in the shape of fish and painted in different colours. It is necessary to take into consideration the same colour characteristics that have been mentioned above. These are classified under three groups :namely sinking baits moving subsurface level water, and baits moving at the surface of the water. My favourite among these baits, is silver fish coloured Rapala Shad Rap sinking. During summertimes, it is quite effective to perform fishing with baits moving subsurface.

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MIKE'S PIKE FISHING PAGE

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