Pike in winter

[oneillbox]

most of the pike ive been catching over the last month or so (any over 4lb anyway) have had multiple 'leeches' attached to them, all over. up to 10-15 per fish in some cases.

 

are these things leeches?

 

and are they on the pike only in winter because the pike seem to 'lay up' a lot more than they do in the summer?

 

why do small 'jack' pike not have these leeches, is it because the smaller pike tend to be a bit more mobile in the winter months than the larger ones are?

[Dick Dastardly]

Yes,yes,and yes!

[oneillbox]

http://www.fotothing.com/photos/6f2/6f29d7...7ec142324d4.jpg

 

just one of the pike ive had this season, well, beginning of december to be exact, this was 22lb7oz, on live roach with a fixed float fished at 4ft depth in about 6 ft of water at 2pm. its from what was formerlly a trout fly fishing lake near my home town, the trout are long gone, the rudd, roach, tench, eels, perch and pike remain !!

Edited January 6, 2007 by oneillbox

[YorkieT]

Not sure why jacks don't have the leeches but it could be as you say that they are more active than the larger pike which tend to get leeches in winter due to lying up on the bottom.

 

must learn to type quicker!!!! lol

 

Alan.

Edited January 6, 2007 by YorkieT

[Brian Carragher]

Those leech's attach themselves to the fish when they're lying in the silt in a torpid state. They seem to do the fish no real harm and when they become more mobile and active the leech's fall off. My thoughts are that leech's prefer darker water and when the pike are more active in the water and in the reach of ultra violet, the leech's drop off and return to the silt