Hi Guys

I was out fly fishing for pike yesterday on the canal, my wee buddy nailed a cracking 26" pike (measured) on a yellow bunny bug. It was one mean mother ! That and the fact it was very deep bodied i reckon it was a hen fish in the 5.5lb -6lb mark.

However it had a slash down each side from a Cormorant

There have been tons of cormorants on the ice free sections if they tried to eat a 26" pike they MUST have cleaned out all the 12"-14" Jacks of which it is polluted with .......possible blessing

Any way whats the biggest pike you have seen with cormorant damage ??

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Englander

"Barbless since 2008"

Vision GT Four catapult 9' 6#
Vision GT Four SW 9' 9#
Vision 3 Zone 9' 5#
Vision Cult 9' 3#
Shakespeare Trion 9' 5/6#
Cortland Endurance 9' 6#
Shakespeare Expedition float tube
Vosseler DC3 reel
Okuma Helios 8/9 reel
Greys G series 3/4 reel
Snowbee Geo 3/4 reel

Reminds me of a picture I saw, I think in AT, of a cormorant with a size-able pike half hanging out of it's mouth, struggling to swallow it.Although I think I would rather catch little pike than nothing.

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"Water is peculiar stuff. It circulates mysteriously, rising invisibly from the sea as vapour, forming clouds, falling as rain, creating streams and rivers that return again to the sea. You can swallow it in sips, but it can swallow you whole if you fall into a deep place. You can't catch hold of it, but it can catch hold of you, even if you just look at it."

During my work I encounter lots of pike with damage on their bodies. This is most likely caused by their mothers who quite happily eat their kids, or possibly by their wives who fancy a post-spawning snack once the boy has done the business! Pike can eat another fish up to 50% of their own body weight so a 5lb fish could easily be chomped by a 12-15lb hen fish. Also, pike are early spawners which gives the juveniles a good start when the rest of the coarse fish fry are hatching out in July. So, a 5lb male who goes wandering into the wrong place in search of a bit of early "leg-over" is taking a big risk.

8 pounder slashed to ribbons, but managed to escape........i was shocked

not really.

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I HATE BUNGS.........

It wasn't a pike but a few years ago whilst fishing a lake my brother and I witnessed a cormorant dive and a few seconds later surface with a carp (we estimated about 5 lb) by the head. The cormorant then extended its neck / head to vertical and tried to balance and swallow the carp which was flapping its tail. The fish (I think) was just too large and too heavy and after about 30 seconds of this it dropped the fish.

We were amazed at the strength of the cormorant, the fact that it could actually hold a fish of this size in a vertical position and still remain afloat with all that weight directly over its head.

Having seen that I have no doubt that a jack pike would not be a problem...relatively slim and streamlined (compared to a deep bodied carp) so a lot easier to swallow !!!!!!

Nigel

Hi Guys

The fish was attacked by a cormorant not another pike, my reason for posting was im curious as to how over optimistic cormorants are ??

I was really wanting to hear from guys who catch alot of pike ..........whats the biggest pike you have seen "cormorant" damge on ??

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Englander

"Barbless since 2008"

Vision GT Four catapult 9' 6#
Vision GT Four SW 9' 9#
Vision 3 Zone 9' 5#
Vision Cult 9' 3#
Shakespeare Trion 9' 5/6#
Cortland Endurance 9' 6#
Shakespeare Expedition float tube
Vosseler DC3 reel
Okuma Helios 8/9 reel
Greys G series 3/4 reel
Snowbee Geo 3/4 reel

Biggest (pike with cormorant damage) I have seen myself was one of 5 (ish) pounds taken on a fly in Wales. I say "ish" as I only "guestimate" small ones, preffering to return them all without weighing.

This link might prove enlightning

Snapped! The moment a fearsome pike is swallowed whole by a ravenous cormorant | Mail Online

Cheers ..... Tony

Biggest fish ever retrieved from a ( Legally Shot ) Cormorant at Blithfield a 3lb 10oz Rainbow - the thing also contained a 3lb 2oz one - combined weight made it unable to fly so it got chased with the boat and dosed with No2's .

Have never caught a Pike with definite Cormorant Damage - every example of damage I've ever seen was other Pike !

Maybe I should fish more for little ones

Steve Parton

ive seen cormorants handle 4Ib overwintere blues and rainbows, pike are easily swallowed and less likely to struggle due to them being extremely lethargic in the winter. Cormorants will eat ANYTHING they can nail down including big roach and bream. eels to 3Ib plus are also swallowed with ease.

They need destroyed, they have no place in the food chain.

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I HATE BUNGS.........

Once watched a Cormorant wrestling with a large eel about 5 feet down in Rothsey harbour, fascinating.
The fight lasted a good few minutes, the Cormorant finally gave up presumably to come up for air.
I didn't fish at the time so wasn't rooting for eel...........