Pike (Esox lucius) are highly specialized, prehistoric-looking ambush predators renowned for their explosive speed, massive size, and aggressive fighting, making them a premier freshwater game fish. They possess a torpedo-shaped body, sharp teeth for gripping prey, and excellent camouflage, often lying in wait among weeds before striking at speeds up to 10 mph.
The phalangite (i.e., pikeman) was more vulnerable to archers than the armoured Roman infantryman - a large shield helps keep those arrows out. Roman soldiers do not appear to have been overly vulnerable to cavalry.
A 20lb pike is typically a mature, older fish, often around 10 years or more, with some reaching that size in as little as a decade in good conditions, while in colder climates, it might take longer, potentially 13-14 years or more, as growth slows significantly, with larger specimens potentially living 15-25 years but few reaching extreme old age.
Pike as Table Fare. Northern Pike are an excellent food fish. They have white, flaky meat. While they're considered “bony” you can get five nice fillets off a 24+ inch long pike.
The unhealthiest fish to eat are typically large, predatory species high in mercury like Shark, Swordfish, King Mackerel, Tilefish (from the Gulf of Mexico), and Marlin, which are harmful to developing brains and nervous systems, especially for pregnant women, children, and the elderly, while others like Farmed Tilapia or imported Catfish raise concerns about contaminants and antibiotics, and some popular options like certain Tuna and Chilean Sea Bass also have high mercury or sustainability issues.
During and after they have spawned they go into what American anglers call 'the post-spawn funk'. They tend to be very moody, often in very poor body condition from spawning stresses, and generally not feeding properly, swiping at baits and hook up ratios can be very poor.
Traditionally, fishing for pike has pretty much always been a winter pursuit. In general terms, the pike 'season' begins 1 October and runs until the close of the river coarse fishing season on 14 March.
They used silphium as perfume, as medicine, as an aphrodisiac and turned it into a condiment, called laser, that they poured on to almost every dish. It was so valuable that Julius Caesar stashed more than half a tonne in his treasury.
Although very long spears had been used since the dawn of organized warfare (notably illustrated in art showing Sumerian and Minoan warriors and hunters), the earliest recorded use of a pike-like weapon in the tactical method described above involved the Macedonian sarissa, used by the troops of Alexander the Great's ...
Romans cleaned themselves after using the toilet with a tool called a tersorium or xylospongium—a sea sponge on a stick—which was rinsed in a channel of running water (often salty or vinegary) and reused by others in communal latrines, although some also used smooth pottery shards or their hands.
Making the “do not eat” list are King Mackerel, Shark, Swordfish and Tilefish. All fish advisories due to increased mercury levels should be taken seriously. This is especially important for vulnerable populations such as young children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and older adults.
as unclean (verse 27). He tells us that salt- and freshwater fish with fins and scales may be eaten (verses 9-12), but water creatures without those characteristics (catfish, lobsters, oysters, shrimp, crabs, clams, mussels, squid, frogs, octopi, etc.) should not be eaten.
Whilst plastic corn has been used to outwit many a carp, it is also being banned from numerous waters due to the fact it's always fishing. With the increased use of plastic baits, the chances of live rigs in the water from crack offs is also raised.
47lb 5oz🐊🎣 It's a historic morning for all UK predator anglers this morning! The new UK Pike record has been set, An incredible fish of 47lb 5oz was captured by a very lucky angler, A huge congratulations goes to him!
These apex freshwater predators can reach swimming speeds of 12kmh – 16kmh (8mph-10mph)! Considerably quicker than majority of the fish they share waters with, contributing to their title of being apex predators.
Their average length is about 40–55 cm (16–22 in), with maximum recorded lengths of up to 150 cm (59 in) and maximum weights of 28.4 kg (63 lb). The IGFA currently recognises a 25 kg (55 lb) pike caught by Lothar Louis on Greffern Lake, Germany, on 16 October 1986, as the all-tackle world-record holding northern pike.
