PIKE

[breakwallbill]

Hi guys

does anybody know much about pike
Ive been catching heaps on berkley 2" power grubs recently and im not sure of their edibility
ive read in one book that they are a bit soft in flesh but nice to eat.
I ve sent 5 down to my family in sydney cause they will eat anything that is fish dont ask me why even tailor that have been in the freezer for like 3 mths.
They are good fun on light line, and they smash the grubs when they are worked the right way

[Panda]

I presume you are talking about yellow tail pike?
If so, they are OK to eat. Quite tasty actually, and good sport on light gear. They will even jump when hooked in shallow water.

[thumps]

alot of people eat them in Tassie...infact target them specifically


supposed to have a strong flavour

personally i hear their better for live bait

[fish2eat]

They are not bad to eat, a bit like tailor flesh, so good when eaten fresh

Next time I get a big version I'm going to try it in the smoker

[DICER]

They are a little on the strong side, but they are not a dry flesh. I also vouch for fresh pike - never tried sashimi or fresh yet, but someday. Quite edible - but I use them mainly for live bait. They love paternoster bait jigs with fluro beads and fish skin flies.

[Rainbowrunner]

oh yeh they go straight back out live to catch the fish that is better eating................................good strip or flesh bait too.
I sometimes target them for livies over many other live bait species

[roz]

I know there a few different types, the pike we catch when I am down in southern NSW fishing with my Dad, are extremely good table fish, but only fresh, never after being frozen.

They are good fun to catch on small slugs, and in turn, make very good trolling baits for spanish mackeral.

cheers roz

[bignick]

Don't worry about trying to eat them; use them for bait. They are absolutely deadly when trolled for Spaniards and they are the best Squire/Snapper bait in the Bay in winter bar none. On a couple of occasions, I've dropped in at the local seafood place and noticed they had Yellowtail Pike for sale and I promptly cleaned them out both times; fairly cheap too. Better than Pillies on their day I reckon.

Cheers,
NICK.

[Fishin_Dan]

Pike make one of the best Jewie baits going as well.... ;)

[fishsmith]

Top eating fresh but bleed em and throw em on ice strait away,same as you would a tailor the omega type oils they contain make em pretty healthy as well...Having a more oily flesh makes them a top fish to smoked....

[breakwallbill]

thanks guys


im fishing off the swansea bridge at lake maquarie for them

the current is very strong and im not sure of any live bait rigs for whole pike that are ranging in size from 25 - 40 cm

[wetnwild11]

Try them live for yellowtail kings, they LOVE them.

[Panda]

We used to catch them using a couple of long shank 1/0 hooks linked together.
Use the silver belly flap off a mullet as bait. Cut it into a long thin strip and leave a bit dangling after the hook. Jig it thru the water in short sharp bursts and you will get yellowtail pike. Fishing from a bridge you are probably going to need some lead. Put it well up the line, at least a meter and preferably about 3 meters so as not to put them off. Though they do have sharp teeth, you wont need a trace using 1/0 linked longshank hooks. 12 pound line is more than adequate. Its been decades since I fished for them but I imagine lures would probably work well now too. Most of the time they were just a by-catch when we were fishing for the chopper tailor inshore in Moreton bay.