A photo of what might be the fish Schanken caught is shown here — a northern pike that many people say could not weigh 45-12, mainly because it's too skinny. This doesn't mean Schanken didn't ...

Northern pike can attain lengths up to 4.5 feet and weigh up to 62.5 pounds, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A female northern pike removed from Kenney Reservoir. (credit: CPW) ...

The Northern pike is a large, carnivorous species of pike fish found in lakes and rivers. In North America, they range in the northern half of the country, extending up into Canada and Alaska.

Bruce Caruso with a nice northern pike from southern Lake Michigan; but it was about to be surpassed. Provided Share ”Hey Dale, what’s better than a 31.5-inch northern [pike]?” Bruce Caruso ...

Brad Lila, of Hudson, Minnesota, caught and released a record northern pike from Mille Lacs Lake, which measured 46.25 inches in length and tied with the state's already established record.

For comparison, the world record for northern pike is 55 pounds, 1 ounce. That fish was caught at Germany’s Lake of Grefeern in 1986.

Once a pike is about 8 inches long, it primarily feeds on other fish which it grasps in its wide mouth. Pike are also highly fecund; for each pound body weight, a female can lay 10,000 eggs.

In a news release, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game described the pike as "a true monster of a fish." The catch breaks the previous record of 40.13 pounds, set at Lower Twin Lake in 2010.

But don’t give up yet — just a few hours northwest of Helena there are big fish just waiting for a meal. Northern pike are the equivalent of a fresh water shark.

"Lots of fish today, moving in and out of the wetlands. I think we recorded somewhere on the order of 40 northern pike," said Patrick Forsythe, UW-Green Bay Professor.

Additional fish were later discovered during a time when northern pike are known to spawn. "Northern pike are a voracious predator that cannot be managed in Mack Mesa," explained Ben Felt, CPW's ...

Onata Lake in Pittsfield often coughs-up trophy-size pike over 20 pounds and a 24-pound, 14-ounce fish took the Gold Pin in 2016 for the heaviest pike caught in the state last year.