Pike and Cygnets

[tatsblisters 7,915]

I have seen a topic on social media about pike taking swan cygnets on a large reservoir that's also a country park in Rotherham and the poster demanding the pike being took out of said reservoir . The amount of cygnets being taken i would put it down to fox's or mink though when this was suggested the poster was adamant it was the large pike in the reservoir. Has anyone on this forum known pike to take cygnets.

[Greyman 25,155]

They take a few ducklings around the marina but sea gulls take many more,guess the size of the pike has a bearing,  removing the alpha predator from any environment is bad news and as pike are very canabalistic the outcome of most pike culls is a water over run with jacks usually, Ill informed idiots playing god usually do more damage than good and should be shut down before they get an audience

[tatsblisters 7,915]

25 minutes ago, Greyman said:

They take a few ducklings around the marina but sea gulls take many more,guess the size of the pike has a bearing,  removing the alpha predator from any environment is bad news and as pike are very canabalistic the outcome of most pike culls is a water over run with jacks usually, Ill informed idiots playing god usually do more damage than good and should be shut down before they get an audience

That's the problem mate ill informed idiots who no doubt Rotherham council will no doubt listen to. Their is some monster pike in this water and they give so many tickets out for lure fishing only and only from the bank side a few 40 plus specimens have been caught to my knowledge one on a cheap poundland lure that the lad had put better trebles on after not having much luck with more expensive lures.

[paulus 26]

Newly hatched ducklings are a target for most predators. I have seen pike take them, Carrion crows will eat one or two and kill any others they can get, Herring Gulls will just swallow them one after another. This is the reason ducks lay so many eggs and hatch so many young. As for Cygnets, Swans are far more protective than ducks of there young and due to there larger size tend not to suffer the mortality rate of ducklings, Hence fewer eggs and young hatched, 

[tatsblisters 7,915]

1 hour ago, paulus said:

Newly hatched ducklings are a target for most predators. I have seen pike take them, Carrion crows will eat one or two and kill any others they can get, Herring Gulls will just swallow them one after another. This is the reason ducks lay so many eggs and hatch so many young. As for Cygnets, Swans are far more protective than ducks of there young and due to there larger size tend not to suffer the mortality rate of ducklings, Hence fewer eggs and young hatched, 

The amount of cygnets this person claims the pike have took seems a bit over the top to be honest. Like you say swan's are very protective of their young. I wonder if there's any large Wells catfish in this water that could be taking them as well. 

[EDDIE B 3,120]

How would he have any idea how many are been taken? Not to many would ever witness such a thing happening once, never mind on a regular basis 

[tatsblisters 7,915]

39 minutes ago, EDDIE B said:

How would he have any idea how many are been taken? Not to many would ever witness such a thing happening once, never mind on a regular basis 

Some one has took a picture of a large pike in the margins and I think they are just assuming that pike have taken them without any evidence. 

[comanche 2,799]

Well it wouldn't  take a monster pike to swallow a small cygnet . I reckon any pike that's  mastered the technique  on a regular basis deserves a bit of credit rather than culling though.

Anyway  there  are surely only so many cygnets even  a big pike could eat without having to take a rest for digestion .

It does sound ,as suggested , that someone is making five out of 2+2 .....

But maybe it's  a ruse by a pike Angler hoping to get the fishing rules relaxed and take part in the cull.

Or am l a suspicious cynic?

Edited May 13, 2023 by comanche

[tatsblisters 7,915]

11 hours ago, comanche said:

Well it wouldn't  take a monster pike to swallow a small cygnet . I reckon any pike that's  mastered the technique  on a regular basis deserves a bit of credit rather than culling though.

Anyway  there  are surely only so many cygnets even  a big pike could eat without having to take a rest for digestion .

It does sound ,as suggested , that someone is making five out of 2+2 .....

But maybe it's  a ruse by a pike Angler hoping to get the fishing rules relaxed and take part in the cull.

Or am l a suspicious cynic?

I know the pike anglers are pissed off as they are restricted to only fishing the shallow part of the res from November to March. We used to set lines for trout at this res year's ago before it became a country park and open to the public were it was a trout water. I remember some years ago the agency involved with netting fish out of it netted a large pike only a couple of pounds off the British record sadly it was found dead some months after being released.

[paulus 26]

6 hours ago, tatsblisters said:

I know the pike anglers are pissed off as they are restricted to only fishing the shallow part of the res from November to March. We used to set lines for trout at this res year's ago before it became a country park and open to the public were it was a trout water. I remember some years ago the agency involved with netting fish out of it netted a large pike only a couple of pounds off the British record sadly it was found dead some months after being released.

There was that was 32lb, well just over. that came up when the contractors for the Canal and River Trust were electrofishing the local canal, Sadly it never went back in and was discovered belly up in a lake that just happened to owned by one of the said contractors a few weeks later. 

[Greyman 25,155]

12 minutes ago, paulus said:

There was that was 32lb, well just over. that came up when the contractors for the Canal and River Trust were electrofishing the local canal, Sadly it never went back in and was discovered belly up in a lake that just happened to owned by one of the said contractors a few weeks later. 

Sadly big pike thrive on neglect and despite there appearance they are pretty fragile that’s why these trout reservoirs always produce the goods in the first season they open then seem to tail off over time the pike also spawn early so the big females are vulnerable during the traditional pike season

[foxdropper 17,092]

I’d say you know more about pike than cats Paul ,get in son .

[paulus 26]

19 minutes ago, Greyman said:

Sadly big pike thrive on neglect and despite there appearance they are pretty fragile that’s why these trout reservoirs always produce the goods in the first season they open then seem to tail off over time the pike also spawn early so the big females are vulnerable during the traditional pike season

All the waters i fish don't allow fishing for pike from the 1st March until the 1st of October and then any new members have to be vetted. 

[foxdropper 17,092]

Our local big pike water is open throughout the old coarse season .Summer and winter pike fishing .Not many fish for them in summer with the bream fishing so good but autumn will see every stage taken unless your there crack of dawn .

[mackem 23,679]

Pike lures,just shows the variety of their diet.