Strange Pike Action

[Poozymo]

I noticed last week that an object was floating along the top of the water. As it neared, I thought it was either a beaver,muskrat or maybe a water snake...it's head must have been out of the water for at least 30 seconds or more....Then it jumped straight into the air and I realized it was a Pike.

Has anyone ever witnessed such behaviour from a Pike?

One thought is that it may have just swallowed something large and may have been attempting to force it down its throat?

[Cancatchbass]

Pooz:

I have witnessed something similar three times in the past 6-7 years.

Pike swimming along with their entire head out of the water. Two of them actually were clacking their jaws together. Creepy. No evidence of a lure or anything stuck in their throats seen, but that may have been the cause, I guess.

Tom

[wolfe]

Hey guys. CCB, remember when I posted this question a couple of years back? The odd behavior noted then was the same being questioned here and it was BIZARRE. Reminded me of a little alligator. I recall you mentioned the clacking. That would be freaky!

I have no idea why they do this, either. The lodge owner told me it had to do with oxygen, but I can't remember exactly what it was he said...whether it was depletion or expulsion...?????????????

Anyway, it's weird to witness. The one we saw was only about 24-26", but it was heading right for the boat, never really flinched as it got close, just changed course slightly to avoid hitting us and went on it's way. It did not seem distressed in the least.

W.

[Fishhawk]

I've seen it once myself. I was apt to believe that the fish was on its last fins.

Or perhaps we are witnessing the evolution of a new breed of pikinoids? Legs and arms and fins for an amphibious carnivore?

[BBRich]

They're pretending they're lily pads in hopes that a frog will jump right in.

[steve2112]

Hey Guys

A couple of years ago at Buckhorn, I saw a huge musky Swimming with his mouth open above the water. My two friends and I were so stunned, none us a had the sense to cast towards it. We witnessed this after my friend fought and lost a real big musky. Someone told me that muskies often travel with another fish and the one that swam above the water was probably checking out all the action on the surface from its partner. Has anyone heard of this before?


Cheers

Steve

[Fisher Dude]

First day out this weekend on my brand new 14' Lund (so glad to get off the shore!!) We were fishing the Mississippi. My son's young friend caught a beautiful Pike (he was thrilled as he's never caught one so large). He however let the poor devil inhale the spoon so far down his throat that I had a real hard time getting him unhooked. As I held him in the water at the side of the boat to recover, he began his swim away from the boat in this very same odd fashion; head above water. I thought (oh crap), he's on his last leg and then boom he leeped out and took off like a shot!! Indeed, very odd!

[fishin loon]

I hope the Buckhorn you where talking about is a lake and not the bar at Calabogie because I have seen fish in there to.

Paul

[ganman]

I wouldn't touch that with a 10 foot noodle rod

[ady]

Seen Muskie do this in hot and cold weather - most recent ; 2 weeks ago. No idea why they do it though.

[Big Bass 444]

Probably they do that as a warning yelling: 444 is around get the@@#!! out!!!

[wolfe]

When we saw the pike on Wolfe swimming this way, it was a very hot afternoon, mid summer.

W.

[TroutSlayer]

I too have seen both musky and pike doing this, I figured they were hunting. One pike came straight up like a periscope on a submarine, did a 360 like it was checking out all areas and dropped back into the weeds.