read up on the muskie. its a much more delicate fish than the pike comparatively speaking. yes it grows to massive size and even exceeds the pike in terms of predation, but there is a reason they dont have a huge range.

the pike acclimates to nearly all water bodies with 4 seasons. nature has kept the balance even as man attempts to throw it off by spreading species from one water to distant lands.

the pike grows large and fast, but dies quickly, stuggles as a predator in terms of success rate and adaptability, and suffers large spawn mortality. it competes with other fish due to size rather than efficiency. its a remarkable bit of information if you have time to research pike lifecycles, and its nearly global distribution. it succeeds for a number of reasons, yet comes with flaws perfectly suited to NOT throw the balance of a lake off.

id challenge anyone to show me a lake where bass or walleye fishing has depreciated due to pike introduction. quite the opposite has been my observation. im currently watching the impact of the snakehead fish do the same in a few large waterbodies in stark contrast to what the fisheries biologists have predicted.

the muskie wasnt here for a reason. even more interesting is that despite all the fish relocations, the muskie NEVER took up residence in ct, mass, or RI for the most part. there are few in vermont, in maine but along the canadian extreeme fringe, and if they are in new hampshire i dont know of them. why?

ima look it up 'n git back to ya!