What do you guys think tried to eat this 14" rainbow?
Doesn't look like a pike bite "shape/pattern" does it?

Looks like a classic pike to me, but without the puncture wounds. Perhaps it's a 'gummy' pike!

Looks to me like a well healed pike bite

Mat

Not sure about a pike bite myself ,unless as Brownie says it had no teeth,you would have expected some puncture wound if it was a pike.
My thoughts are it could be marks from a net in the farm when sometimes they are pressed hard against the netting they do get ring marked from it.
Just another one for thought.Or possible it may be an otter.

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Kevin

If I didn't know better - Catfish !

Where was it from ?

According to Johnny Meese - he nearly had an estimated 40 pounder in the boat at Grafham a couple of years ago except it dropped off at the net - but the truth may not exactly be in him !!!! ( Good story tho' !)

Steve P

Well, I've been actually waiting for a "catfish" comment. That's exactly what I thought. That obvious catfish round shape and no teeth puncture signs confuse me. Pike is so overpopulated in this 2.5 acre pond it's not even funny but I've heard of huge cats being there as well.

Catfish... interesting theory, and id would account for the scarring... just surprised a cat'd take a healthy trout.

Actually what it looks like is someone's rested a cup of tea on the fish before cleaning it.!!

Oh man, how did you guess? I don't think I have a 4" diameter tea cup though.

I agree, pretty hard to picture a cat chasing a 14" rainbow. Like I said, a little bit confusing.

A small trout pond in Prague. The closest (not so great though) fishery to my apartment. They just stocked it about 3 weeks ago. Trout do not last long in that pond from what I heard. Too many pike and most people do not release their catch since they are all "stockies" in there.

[QUOTE=pikechaser;703711]Oh man, how did you guess? I don't think I have a 4" diameter tea cup though.

I agree, pretty hard to picture a cat chasing a 14" brown. Like I said, a little bit confusing.

QUOTE]

It's a rainbow

European catfish would leave such mark as was said before.

Shape and damage do not correspond to pike bite.

BlueOne