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Author Topic: Northern pike in st. John river  (Read 1372 times)

redbandit850

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Northern pike in st. John river
« on: Oct 28, 2021, 08:35 PM »
Just wondering if it is a known fact that there are pike in the st john River system?..... I have searched and cant find anything online but either case wouldn't be surprised..... I landed a decent 30 inch pike while Muskie fishing at the beginning of the month in the main part of the river and just wasn't expecting it honestly.  I Have fished that river system a few times a year for the past 15 years and havnt seen one before.

jacksmelt

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Re: Northern pike in st. John river
« Reply #1 on: Nov 01, 2021, 05:55 PM »
well theres a thread that someone got them in the penobscot and they share tribs. so it doesnt suprise me. with all the warm water species in the st. john river system now they have plenty to eat. wont take long we will see them up at Glazier and Beau lakes if thats the case. hopefully like the the muskie and bass they dont get above the fish river falls.
PARADISE IS A 5LB. SALMON ON A 5WT. FLYROD!!

Smallmouth Squarepants

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Re: Northern pike in st. John river
« Reply #2 on: Nov 02, 2021, 06:54 AM »
If that's the case, it's really the worst case scenario. It's another apex predator, so salmon and trout are really gonna suffer even more than they have with the muskies (the bass are a little more hardy and their prolific spawning might be a bulwark). This is also going to effect the Musky fisheryin a really big way in the long run, as pike spawn earlier in the spring, and studies have shown that, in bodies of water with both pike and musky, the pike have a much better survival rate on those first year fish. Some even postulate that the young of the year pike are one of the biggest predators of the YOTY musky, due to their quicker growth rate and earlier spawn.

Did you happen to get a shot of it? Just to rule out it being a Musky/Pickerel hybrid.

jacksmelt

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Re: Northern pike in st. John river
« Reply #3 on: Nov 04, 2021, 02:11 PM »
been fishing the upper st. john for 40 yrs. no pickeral in there. smallies showed up about 15 yrs ago. muskie in the 80's.
PARADISE IS A 5LB. SALMON ON A 5WT. FLYROD!!

jacksmelt

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Re: Northern pike in st. John river
« Reply #4 on: Nov 04, 2021, 02:13 PM »
If that's the case, it's really the worst case scenario. It's another apex predator, so salmon and trout are really gonna suffer even more than they have with the muskies (the bass are a little more hardy and their prolific spawning might be a bulwark). This is also going to effect the Musky fisheryin a really big way in the long run, as pike spawn earlier in the spring, and studies have shown that, in bodies of water with both pike and musky, the pike have a much better survival rate on those first year fish. Some even postulate that the young of the year pike are one of the biggest predators of the YOTY musky, due to their quicker growth rate and earlier spawn.

Did you happen to get a shot of it? Just to rule out it being a Musky/Pickerel hybrid.
will just replace one apex predator with another and chew through the smallies in there.
PARADISE IS A 5LB. SALMON ON A 5WT. FLYROD!!

jacksmelt

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Re: Northern pike in st. John river
« Reply #5 on: Nov 04, 2021, 02:16 PM »
Just wondering if it is a known fact that there are pike in the st john River system?..... I have searched and cant find anything online but either case wouldn't be surprised..... I landed a decent 30 inch pike while Muskie fishing at the beginning of the month in the main part of the river and just wasn't expecting it honestly.  I Have fished that river system a few times a year for the past 15 years and havnt seen one before.
what part of the St. John were you on?  st. john ponds/ baker l. share tribs. with the upper Penobscot.
PARADISE IS A 5LB. SALMON ON A 5WT. FLYROD!!

Smallmouth Squarepants

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Re: Northern pike in st. John river
« Reply #6 on: Nov 05, 2021, 10:27 AM »
will just replace one apex predator with another and chew through the smallies in there.
Better the devil you know...
The ecosystem stands a better chance with a low-fecundity, slow-growing apex predator than a high-fecundity, moderate-growth apex that matures at younger ages and sizes.

Additionally, we also have to look at the economic costs alongside the ecological. The Valley has really made as much lemonade as they could from Muskies being in the river. The guides, the derby, lodging, etc.: all getting their cut from anglers trying to land an elusive, bucket list fish. NMW still is getting travel revenue from anglers traveling to remote deadwaters or to Glazier, 5th, and Baker, partially filling the gap for anglers that 40 years ago would have been going up to Big and Little Black for Trout. If the Musky are expatriated and replaced by pike, very few people are going to make the effort to travel that far north to fish for them. Musky have that "fish of 10,000 casts" allure to them, and the thought of a trophy (or adding it to their lifelist) brings people from all over the state, as well as New England. Pike don't have that allure, and even if one did want to fish for them, they are either currently found by where the anglers live, or they would have to pass by well-established pike fisheries of various renown (Champlain, Winchester, Conn River, Sebago, Andro, Belgrades, etc.).

jacksmelt

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Re: Northern pike in st. John river
« Reply #7 on: Nov 05, 2021, 11:47 AM »
i never thought of that aspect. either way it will still take awhile for them to take over in there. it took 20 yrs before muskie showed up from where they got in from canada. pike dislike current even more than muskie so that should slow them down as well. as far as the derby goes, as long as the moneys there people will come up and fish for the pike as well as the muskie so i dont think that will ever end. the guides are the ones likely to lose out.
PARADISE IS A 5LB. SALMON ON A 5WT. FLYROD!!

JDK

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Re: Northern pike in st. John river
« Reply #8 on: Nov 05, 2021, 12:22 PM »
I'd like to see a picture of the pike.

# SAND

redbandit850

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Re: Northern pike in st. John river
« Reply #9 on: Nov 05, 2021, 12:29 PM »
Was 100% a Pike I know the difference but I know me telling you that doesn't mean anything cause you don't know me and I don't have a picture;  I wish I had my phone on me but I have three other people that were with me and can verify.  Regardless I caught the Pike at ferry landing from shore pretty early right at sunrise basically.  It was hanging out in an eddy but if you have ever been there its definitely not the deepest section of the river and not one I would normally fish as the current is pretty fast but just happened to be camping there so figured why not take a few casts.  I certainly thought it was a Muskie as well until I pulled it up on shore; I caught it using a jointed bomber 1-2 and the fish was definitely over 30 inches so it wasn't some dink.  I had three other people there to verify it was a pike. The fish was laying on the rocks at this point so I went to get my plyers and as soon as I did that the fish jumped and flipped the lure off and went back in the water.  I regret not having a picture and wish that part had materialized as I would have gotten one for sure.  After the fish ended up back in the water we were all discussing if anyone had heard of pike in the river before which is what led me to posting this.  Either case it was an unexpected catch.

 



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