sex of a pike

[little fish]

Hi out there,
                Can anyone tell me how to tell the diference between a
  Male and Female pike???

 I have been told I should release the female's and keep only the Male's
 for eating.

         Many thx,
                      Bert.

[hali-man]

Very good question! I've been wondering that myself.
All I know is that females have a "gorged-looking" stomach right now.
But the only way I know to tell the difference for sure is to slice 'em open...
 8)

[KingFisher1]

Step 1: Place pike on ice 3 feet from your ice hole
Step 2: Wait 2 minutes and observe the fish

If the fish flops around aimlessly it is most likely a male
If the fish asks directions back to the hole, nags you about how you never listen and you should be home painting the living room or fixing a broken appliance, it is probably a female.

[Bluefinforme]

Step 1: Place pike on ice 3 feet from your ice hole
Step 2: Wait 2 minutes and observe the fish

If the fish flops around aimlessly it is most likely a male
If the fish asks directions back to the hole, nags you about how you never listen and you should be home painting the living room or fixing a broken appliance, it is probably a female.

[flockshot]

not a sure fire way..but i release any pike over thirty thats fat. usually the leaner the more likely its male..but that also depends on the lake. set an inch marker you are comfortable with ..for me its 30...and anything over goes back in the hole.

[macker13]

Males are generally smaller and slimmer AND they have a larger anal fin.  This may sound like a joke, but it is true.  Just goolgle it. 

[Bob_D]

If you keep smaller pike, you will have a better chance of them being males, but there are also small females. According to all the biologists I have talked to, this is the only way..... http://www.fishingvermont.net/Articles/Pike%20gender.htm

There is no consistant difference in color or other phyisical features between males and females. The above listing is most notable post spawn for obvious reasons.

[GAMBELL]

not a sure fire way..but i release any pike over thirty thats fat. usually the leaner the more likely its male..but that also depends on the lake. set an inch marker you are comfortable with ..for me its 30...and anything over goes back in the hole.

Most of your Pike over 30" are females.  There growth rates are greater than the males.  Like Flockshot, I keep very few pike over 30".  I have kept 4 pike over 30" in the last 5 years (1 for the wall and 3 that were hooked too deep).  I had this conversation with a guy on Conesus lake last winter and he told me he did not care.  Later he was complaining about the numbers of being down in the lake?  I told him to think about what we had talked about earlier in the day. 

[ice dawg]

Step 1: Place pike on ice 3 feet from your ice hole
Step 2: Wait 2 minutes and observe the fish

If the fish flops around aimlessly it is most likely a male
If the fish asks directions back to the hole, nags you about how you never listen and you should be home painting the living room or fixing a broken appliance, it is probably a female.

 

Makes sense to me. I think the females try for your checkbook before heading for the hole too.  

[Mooter]

LIFT THE SKIRT UP?

[Lobes]

Males are generally smaller and slimmer AND they have a larger anal fin.  This may sound like a joke, but it is true.  Just goolgle it. 

Chances are very, very high that you will not live long enough to see me googling a pike's anal fin.

                                               

[Turkeyhunter10ga]

I would think the tube top and mini skirt would be a dead give away   

[madporider]

Chances are very, very high that you will not live long enough to see me googling a pike's anal fin.

                                              

atleast i wouldnt want anyone to walk in and see me googling a pike's anal fin

[Turkeyhunter10ga]

atleast i wouldnt want anyone to walk in and see me googling a pike's anal fin

You can get away with it if you're a practicing Proctologist     LOL

[crappieslayer22]

yea thats a very good question

[Lobes]

You can get away with it if you're a practicing Proctologist     LOL

Proctologists already get away with more than they should. I never even got a Christmas card from mine!
                                           

[hali-man]

What happened to the post with pics?
It was the only helpful post on this thread.
 

[ice dawg]

Considering the ice shortage in some parts of the country, people haven't lost their sense of humor yet. Way to go.   

[ChenBassHead]

What happened to the post with pics?
It was the only helpful post on this thread.
 

It's still there Mike...Bob D posted the link to it.

-Zach