Wall-eyed Pike ; Pike-perch 



certain colour are known as blue pike, which commercial fishermen 

 believe to be a wholly distinct species from the yellow pike. So firmly 

 fixed is this belief that they have little patience with the naturalist who 

 tells them otherwise. They all admit, however, that they have never 

 found any blue pike with roe, and are unable to point out any differ- 

 ences except that of colour. And not all of them agree regarding that 

 character. We have been shown fish which some fishermen said were 

 blue pike which others as stoutly maintained were yellow pike. It 

 may be stated that no structural differences of value are known, and 

 everything points to their identity. Formerly no distinction was made 

 in the price of blue pike and yellow pike, but for many years the deal- 

 ers have made a difference, and now the blue pike is classed as " soft." 

 But this is principally on account of their abundance rather than to any 

 real inferiority of flavour or keeping qualities. A book-name used by 

 the United States Fish Commission is pike-perch, and a very appro- 

 priate name it is, showing at once its relationship with the Percidcv and 

 at the same time calling attention to its slender, pike-like body. 



The wall-eyed pike prefers clear water, with rock, gravel, sand, or 

 hard clay bottom, and is rarely found in muddy streams or lakes. It 

 is a voracious fish, feeding largely upon various minnows, but not to 

 any great extent upon the young of the whitefish or other important 

 food-fishes. It also feeds freely upon crawfishes during the season 

 when in shallow water. 



This fish ordinarily inhabits water of moderate depth, deeper than 

 that frequented by the black bass, but more shallow than that sought 

 by the whitefish and cisco. it varies greatly in size, the maximum 

 length being about 3 feet and the maximum weight about 25 pounds. 

 But examples of this size are very rare. Specimens weighing even 15 

 pounds are not common. It is doubtful if those taken in the Great 

 Lakes average heavier than 10 pounds. Those taken in Lake Maxin- 

 kuckee run from 3 to 7 pounds. The so-called blue pike average 

 less than 2 pounds. 



The spawning-time of the wall-eyed pike is in the early spring, and 

 begins even before the ice goes off. The spawning-place is in shoal 

 water, usually on the edges of the bars, on hard or gravel bottom. The 

 eggs are very small, only about -^ inch in diameter, and average about 

 150,000 to the quart. The spawning fish at Put-in Bay average about 

 2 pounds in weight, and produce about 90,000 eggs each. Larger fish 

 produce proportionally a greater number; and a 20-pound fish would 

 yield about 900,000 eggs. 



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