Tiger Yes/No ?

[BASSQUATCH]

So after Paul aka Tafts asked if he heard me say I caught a tiger from across the pond ! I laughed and said no we were singing along with the radio, The eye of the tiger  Lol ! Then we caught a few small fish that looked to me like Tigers !? Can someone confirm this for me ?
#1 Caught this one on Sunday

#2 Caught today

#3 Caught today

[ebour]

All look like pike to me, and among the smallest I've ever seen, good news for the lake, they have been breeding!

[Loudmouth879]

i think they are pike... the look nothing like this... they don't have the defined solid vertical bands


compared to the spots/horizontal bands

[Joser06]

Those are Juvi pike. Good to see them breeding

[BASSQUATCH]

I can see a big difference in larger pike / tiger . But the tiny ones I've caught this week are real different from each other , one had distinct spots . But these 3 look like the spots are more like lines ? I'm not as familiar as most with pike or tiger so thanks for helping
Keith 

[troutncrappie]

I think they are small pike,however last year i did catch and release a Redfin pickeral out of Cheshire ,it was verified by mdw. They look like tiger Muskie....... If I knew how to post a pic I would lolplease just check. Them out though

[Loudmouth879]

juvenile pike



juvenile tiger



the pike has more horizontal lines in the face area than the tiger

[jtk]

gut instinct is pike but they definately look different. and troutandcrappie put the pic on photobucket and copy and paste the img code

[piker8]

Juve Pike for sure!!

[tomb raider]

It's a good sign.................. ...................... ...................... ........juv.pike

[BASSQUATCH]

This was another little one caught on Saturday I think ? Looks more like a pike than the above 3 pictures I posted .

[lowaccord66]

All pike.

[ICEHOLE]

i dont know alot about pike but i do know enought about fish. I keep alot of different species of fish as a hobbie, mostly african chiclids, and most of my fish will breed, and as there off sping grow they look very different from the adults....but eventually when they are full size they get the proper colors and markings

[lowaccord66]

Any tigers that Mass stocked were sterile and unable to reproduce.

[ebour]

Seriously, I am wondering which pond that is because it maybe one of the few where they are reproducing, and in years if they continue not to stock then it will be one of the best places for pike

[Tuna Meltdown]

Definitely a pike.  Tigers can't reproduce in the wild, they are sterile, and they haven't been stocked anywhere since 2008 so those fish would be considerably larger at this point.
Here is a small pike I got in ME last year on Great pond.

[lowaccord66]

Seriously, I am wondering which pond that is because it maybe one of the few where they are reproducing, and in years if they continue not to stock then it will be one of the best places for pike
[/quote

Cheshire res.

[big bite]

we are very fortunate to have this lake in our back yard It has become very popular!!!!! but please practice catch and release!!!!!!  thats partialy why its happening !!!!!!!!

[erikphillips]

not going to burn your spot but there are no tigers in that lake. only pike, they've been reproducing there for years

[BASSQUATCH]

Any tigers that Mass stocked were sterile and unable to reproduce.

I could be wrong but I thought ma. Pike were not supposed to reproduce ? That's what I've been told . Vermont pike will reproduce is also what I'm told ,is that true ? 

[BASSQUATCH]

I thought I read someone speak of a grass pickerel ? As I've never heard of one , this is what they look like.
 

[Tuna Meltdown]

I could be wrong but I thought ma. Pike were not supposed to reproduce ? That's what I've been told . Vermont pike will reproduce is also what I'm told ,is that true ?

Stocked pike can reproduce in the wild, as evidence of the small ones you're catching.  Tiger Muskies are hybrid's that are made in a lab and cannot reproduce in the wild. Tiger muskellunge are sterile hybrids created
by crossing muskellunge, Esox masquinongy, largest of all the esocids, with northern pike.

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/fisheries/publications/tiger_pike_history.pdf

[BASSQUATCH]

Stocked pike can reproduce in the wild, as evidence of the small ones you're catching.  Tiger Muskies are hybrid's that are made in a lab and cannot reproduce in the wild. Tiger muskellunge are sterile hybrids created
by crossing muskellunge, Esox masquinongy, largest of all the esocids, with northern pike.

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/fisheries/publications/tiger_pike_history.pdf

Thank you tuna ! That explains it . One question I have is , I've fished many pike ponds but never saw a juvenile pike in any pond but Cheshire ?? Has anyone caught them in other pike ponds ?

[Tuna Meltdown]

Yes, we caught 2 fish this weekend that were between 12-16 inches long at another undisclosed spot in Western MA.

[BASSQUATCH]

Yes, we caught 2 fish this weekend that were between 12-16 inches long at another undisclosed spot in Western MA.

Great to hear ! Thanks again ! Maybe I will see you out on the ice someday ? We probably have crossed paths ? I lived in Northbridge for a few years and summer fish ALL our local ponds frequently . If you ever need to split the Cost of driving out west let me know . I know what its like to have partners cancel last minute . Not that its gonna happen all the time but it does sometimes . Just a back up idea .
Keith 

[tafts ta]

I could be wrong but I thought ma. Pike were not supposed to reproduce ? That's what I've been told . Vermont pike will reproduce is also what I'm told ,is that true ?

Pike reproduce regularly. And damn boy, your singing sucks!

[big bite]

"  THE EYE OF THE TIGER"   with gills!!!!!!!!

[tafts ta]

Thank you tuna ! That explains it . One question I have is , I've fished many pike ponds but never saw a juvenile pike in any pond but Cheshire ?? Has anyone caught them in other pike ponds ?

Cheshire was just stocked with 12-15" pike in 2007. I am sure that there are still a lot of small ones in there from that stocking.

[drfhaha123]

This was another little one caught on Saturday I think ? Looks more like a pike than the above 3 pictures I posted .
(Image removed from quote.)

  What ever it is ,it's blind now!

[frankuls]

I read the in-in fisherman march/april 2012 page 12  they are finding pike-pickeral hybridsin vermont . they are a result of mating between a female pickerel and a male pike ! maybe thats what it is ,it kinda  looks like the picture they show ya!