Pike is one of the first to spawn, so the zhor occurs in late February and lasts only until early March.
After winter, the fish is depleted, during the winter it loses all fat reserves, therefore, in search of food, it goes to the mouths of rivers, into small rivers, in search of opportunities to profit from prey.
During this period, the predator eagerly swallows any fish that it manages to catch. Its victim may be roach, bleak, crucian carp, even a goby and gudgeon, which she ignores in the summer.
Pike spawning occurs in small rivers or streams, where there are necessary conditions for the life of young animals. In some cases, fish spawns in bays with a quiet course. The main thing is that the place has a suitable depth for laying eggs.
This predator spawns in the third year of its life. At this time, it already reaches thirty centimeters in length and weighs up to 350 grams. Males are ready to take part in breeding from the age of two, although some of them mature in a year.
The time for laying eggs is related to the geographical position of the reservoir where spawning of pike should occur. The more north it is, the later spawning begins.
The optimal depth at which the laying of eggs usually occurs is one and a half meters. For breeding, this predator prefers sites that have a solid, covered with the remains of vegetation, a bottom with stagnant water or a very weak course.
Pike spawning usually begins in late March or early April.
Very often this happens as a coastal edge in narrow open water, while in most of the reservoir there is still loose ice. And in closed reservoirs, it can come a little later, after 2-3 weeks, depending on the degree of ice thawing.
Early spawning of pike is due to the fact that during this period the remaining predators are either inactive or not yet present. This provides protection for the development of eggs and juveniles.
In addition, this makes it possible for young animals to have food in the form of fry of other fish that spawn later. By the time of their appearance, small predators already have significant sizes and are switching to this type of food.
The pike spawns in small flocks, usually three or four, of which only one is a female. Often between males there are brawls. Once at the place of spawning, the smallest fish begin to lay eggs, then medium, and only then comes the turn of the largest pike.
Predators approach spawning places in the dead of night. The most active time for laying eggs is noon, as by the evening pikes are already exhausted. All night they rest in the nearest floodplain and resume spawning in the morning with renewed vigor.
Pike spawning is the only time when she eats nothing. It is usually believed that after the laying of eggs for several weeks, she is sick and does not eat anything. In fact, the female may well “bite” the male immediately after mating, although this is not a very common phenomenon.
The number of caviar in pikes is approximately twenty percent of their weight. For the development of young fish, the water should warm up to 8-10 degrees. Caviar matures a week and a half, although in shallow water, where the sun falls, small fish can appear in 8 days.
To ensure normal reproduction, by the end of March, a ban on pike fishing was introduced in all reservoirs.
After spawning, the zhor begins at the predator of the pike. The fish stays close to the place of spawning, where there is a weak current. Individuals who have reached a weight of just over a pound are the first to fatten.
As the water warms up, the pike is activated. Trying to satisfy her hunger, she loses caution and rushes to almost all the baits.
Fishing for pike in the spring is short-lived: “fishing happiness” lasts about two weeks. During this period, the spinner is not so important, the main thing is the spinning player’s skills to get the bait into the field of vision of a predator.