A Yellowknife angler was in for a surprise this weekend when he landed a ‘neon pike’ on Great Slave Lake.
Randy Straker was fishing with a friend in the North Arm when he hooked into a 14-pound northern pike as the two were getting ready to pack it in on Sunday afternoon.
But as the fish approached his boat, he noticed something was a little off.
“We were about to grab the fish,” Straker told Moose FM. “As it flared up its gills and its mouth opened up, you could see this very fluorescent blue and green.”
“It was quite a bit lighter [in colour] with very definitive green fins but probably the most unique colouring was on the lips.
“The bottom lip in particular was very fluorescent green and the tongue, the side and the top of the mouth was a combination of fluorescent blue and green.”
Straker told us parts of the back were also greener than normal. He says he’s caught pike with lighter skin and different patterns in the past but this was unlike any fish he’s ever landed.
“I’ve heard of cases where pickerel take on a blue tint and I’ve heard of silvery pike but nothing with this coloration.
“Of course the first question everyone asked me was if I caught it near the mine,” Straker said with a laugh. “But another theory could be that feeding habits have changed with lower water levels.
“Everything is just speculation at this point.”
Straker released the fish back into the lake after his friend, Craig Thomas, snapped a couple quick photos.
The anglers want to connect with a fish expert to understand why the pike was discoloured. We’ve put in a request to speak with someone as well.
