Northern Pike In Stockon?

[yummysmokedham]

I was browsing the Missouri Dept of Conservation website looking through the list of state record fish. I noticed that they had listed the state record for Nothern Pike 18-9 caught on stockton lake in 1975. Did they use to stock pike up there? I have never heard of any pike up there, anyone know any details about what happened to them? Are there any left?

[gonefishin]

Yes. They used to stock them a long time back. I am not sure why the quit perhaps because walleye did better.

[Dutch]

After a few years they all died out. You could see them swimming along the top. It looked like a floundering swimmer gasping for air. Later they tried tiger muskie but the also didn't make it.

[yummysmokedham]

anyone know what it was about the water that they did not like?

[catman70]

Water is too warm - less dissolved oxygen. Muskie can tolerate water 10-15 degrees higher than pike, but pike grow more quickly. That's why they stock Tiger Muskie. They get the rapid growth of a pike but the higher temperature tolerance of a Muskie. Don't know why it is they flourish in Pomme and Fellows but can't in Stockton. Might have been an administrative decision.