How are Pike moving from one body of water to another?

[sparky1doug]

After some recent study and interviews I've come up with some concerning information which we should at least be consider. How are Northern Pike spreading through our waters? I have found that there are three major avenues of travel.
1. Migration: Once in a drainage system they will search for an enviornment conducive to optimal survival. Forage, abundant food source, spawning areas and lack of preditors. They will move down stream but very seldom upstream.
2. Planting: Manually placing fish in habitats they previously did not exist. This could be done by offical means or sadly by those whom take matters into their own hands 'bucket biologists".
3. Accidental transplantation: This is done by transporting fish with realitivly innocent methods, this could be the most previlent method of all. Some examples are ballast water, fish hold water, ship hulls, forest fire fighting (yes, really). But the most disturbing of all is the same way invasive species (milfoil, zebra mussels)sre intoduced, boat hulls, live wells and float plane pontoons (say what).

I recently interviewed a fisherman whom spent many years fishing Alaskan waters for Salmon and Northern Pike. He spoke of a subject not often brought up by "bush pilots". Pike are moving from one body of water to another in remote areas where people could not have been planting them. The pilots began to wonder if they were carrying them via their float plane pontoons. The pike's fetilized eggs are very sticky and resilent to cold and even drying out. Think for a minute if this had some basis in fact how easily the eggs could be transported by boat hulls.
Think of the shear size of area that the Pike have spread around Montana, Idaho and now Washington State. Can you imagine the effort it would take to populate that amount of area by bucket biology? I hardly think that could go unnoticed. Sure some could be going on but not like this. It is reasonable to believe that the above number 3 is the most plausable means followed by the effect of number 1. This needs to be investigated further by those smarter than me, which is most of you.

[MarkFromSea]

Back yard biologists are blamed for the perch infestations that occur on Hatch Lake near Colville. The state added a new reg to Hatch, not allowed to retain any non trout species...

[Fish-N-Fool]

I think it would be safe to say that most likely 90% of all fish that end up in a new body of water are do to human intervention. Where some guy thinks it would be cool to catch what ever fish in his own back yard type of thing. I have been fishing a small private very shallow weedy lake in N, Idaho for many years and it is perfect L.M. bass habitat. It has 2 small creeks that feed into but has no exit, so any fish that is in there was transported. Because this lake has no exit it also has a tendency to flood in the spring and dry up to a puddle in late summer and is prone to winter kills and low oxygen. All of a sudden last year I started catching Smallmouth in it. It ihas very poor habitat for Smallies as there is no rock or hard bottom at all. Some moron planted them into it, who knows why. but I'm sure they will just die out as I don't see any way they will ever spawn in these waters. It was a great LM bass fishery a few years ago but sadly it has been over fished by what I call N. Idaho meat fisherman, (the same kind of guys that illegally transplant fish). These are guys mostly younger kids that go in with a 5 gallon bucket and keep ever fish they catch. no matter if it is 5" or 5 lbs. Because it is a "private lake the game dept will not enforce any regs. there, The land owner will let anyone fish it if the ask. His only rule it no use of outboard motors. I wish it was managed better but the guy that owns it doesn't want the hassle and when he passes I think it will all come to an end anyway as I don't see his kids keeping the land.

Getting down off my soap box now. lol

[sparky1doug]

Fish-N-Fool I agree with your 90% human intervention. In the case of Northern Pike its possible it is less on purpose then it is unintentional. This is a subject for debate and study. But considering the large areas they now inhabit it would be a sizeable operation to accomplish planting on this scale.

[fishcreekspinners]

I've heard a similar topic related to trout in high basin lakes that have fish and are not stocked or realistic to bucket them in.

In my version, birds not planes move the eggs or fish. I imagined Osprey, Eagles doing it, but maybe even ducks or geese in lower elevations.

Anybody know if eggs or milt could survive a trip thru a birds digestive tract and magically join together after raptors take dumps over a new water?

Now that's a blessed event.

[sparky1doug]

Great thoughts John. Rather than the "poop effect" as works well with seeds. The birds can transport the eggs, they can and do cling to the feathers. This was mentioned in articles from Europe.

[Mark K]

This possibility was brought up at one of the meetings we had. I believe it was the one with Bruce Bolding last year. The question was asked about birds, and boats being hauled between between lakes (Like the short distance from CDA to Newman). He didn't discount it completely but said it was highly unlikely.

I'm no expert but I really don't think the odds are very good for fish eggs to survive any trip like that. I'm going to have to go with methods 1 and 2 as far as fish being moved water to water. Milfoil and zebra mussels are a different story though.

[fishcreekspinners]

I don't know, if you look at odds, a million migrating water birds, a million fish eggs. Many diving ducks. Some eggs might make the trip.

I'll blame it on the cormorant, those guys always look guilty. lol.

[sparky1doug]

Those commorant are a guilty sort. On a more serious note: point of my original post is the fact that washing down the boat is a darn good idea after fishing the POR, especially this time of year.

[Stacie Kelsey]

Boats should be washed down no matter what lake you are at to get rid of any vegetation debris or other possible invasives.

[muskyhunter]

After some recent study and interviews I've come up with some concerning information which we should at least be consider. How are Northern Pike spreading through our waters? I have found that there are three major avenues of travel.
1. Migration: Once in a drainage system they will search for an enviornment conducive to optimal survival. Forage, abundant food source, spawning areas and lack of preditors. They will move down stream but very seldom upstream.
2. Planting: Manually placing fish in habitats they previously did not exist. This could be done by offical means or sadly by those whom take matters into their own hands 'bucket biologists".
3. Accidental transplantation: This is done by transporting fish with realitivly innocent methods, this could be the most previlent method of all. Some examples are ballast water, fish hold water, ship hulls, forest fire fighting (yes, really). But the most disturbing of all is the same way invasive species (milfoil, zebra mussels)sre intoduced, boat hulls, live wells and float plane pontoons (say what).

I recently interviewed a fisherman whom spent many years fishing Alaskan waters for Salmon and Northern Pike. He spoke of a subject not often brought up by "bush pilots". Pike are moving from one body of water to another in remote areas where people could not have been planting them. The pilots began to wonder if they were carrying them via their float plane pontoons. The pike's fetilized eggs are very sticky and resilent to cold and even drying out. Think for a minute if this had some basis in fact how easily the eggs could be transported by boat hulls.
Think of the shear size of area that the Pike have spread around Montana, Idaho and now Washington State. Can you imagine the effort it would take to populate that amount of area by bucket biology? I hardly think that could go unnoticed. Sure some could be going on but not like this. It is reasonable to believe that the above number 3 is the most plausable means followed by the effect of number 1. This needs to be investigated further by those smarter than me, which is most of you.

I think blaming President Obama for this too is appropiate..lol

[sparky1doug]

Amen to that Stacie. Muskyhunter I believe this goes back to the Bush Admn.

[Mark K]

Muskyhunter I believe this goes back to the Bush Admn.

Now that's funny!:bounce: The "problem" did start in 2004 right? Hmmmmm:-"

[fishelk]

That's a bunch of B.S. They are moved in live wells by lazy people who don't want to travel to fish for those worm infested fish. End of Story!

[sparky1doug]

That would be a vote for option #2. Sadly no end to that story as thats how its been done for literally thousands of years. Fishelk I think your holding back, so how do you really feel?