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Feisty African Pike are often caught in the lagoons off the Okavango Delta.
The dentition is probably the most striking character. The upper jaw teeth are sharp pointed, with large canines evident. Two rows of teeth are present in the lower jaw, the outer with canines interspersed with pointed smaller teeth. Colour The distinctive overall brown body colour with three brown streaks radiating posteriorly from the eye, the irregular transverse bands across the body and the spotted dorsal, anal and caudal fins unmistakenly separate this fish from any other characin in the areas its found. Size Maximum known weight is just over 2 kg. Habitat Normally an open water species but due to its small size is forced to occupy swampy environments, lagoons and backwaters as it is unable to exist in the open waters in the presence of the larger tigerfish. Distribution Upper Zambezi, Okavango, Kafue rivers. Angling Like the tigerfish the african pike invariably jumps out of the water when hooked. It is a pity that they do not attain a reasonable weight as they have admirable sporting qualities. Small spoons, rapalas and flies all work well. Live bait, using barbs or topminnows, give good results and provides a different challenge to the angler. |