NATURE'S BALANCER

There are some who don't give the great northern its due. One of its great attributes is that it has an excellent flavor, although the flesh is somewhat bony. With a little knowledge and practice it is possible to remove the extra bony ribs from the fish and have a great meal. Tips for filleting and cooking are provided in the "Fish Preparation" section at the back of this handbook. Remember to carefully skin the fish instead of scaling it to remove the slime or mucous which can impart a strong, fishy flavor to the pike. Years ago, people considered pike as rough fish because of their slimy skin and voracious appetite. Some of them went so far as to try to remove pike from local waters. It has taken years of good publicity to bring the fish the gaming status it deserves.

The northern pike is one of our important and valuable game and food fish. Commercial fishing is still practised in many areas, mainly because the fish's flesh is white, firm, and flaky, and excellent when cooked. The species seems to withstand increased pressure, making it unnecessary to restock it in most areas. However, some areas do designate closed season on pike during spawning season to maintain natural reproduction.

The pike's most valuable attribute, however, is its position in nature's scheme of checks and balances. Northern pike is one of the best natural balancers of fish populations. In other units of this book you've learned about the problems encountered by management people in lakes where fish like perch and crappie live. These fish are such prolific breeders that they can take over a lake and cause problems for preferred sport fish. Without the efficient and voracious northern pike or similar species, many waters would be overcrowded with undesirable, stunted fish. Surveys have shown that in lakes where northerns are present in good numbers, surplus pan fish, rough fish, and the like are thinned out sufficiently to give remaining populations room to roam, feed adequately, and grow to normal size.

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