[Pikebreath]

Pike are certainly visual feeders which explains why the day time hours tend to produce better than night time. That said they do have other senses such as smell and hearing (lateral line) which enable them to find prey in low light and turbid water as well.

Pike feeding activity is also very much controlled by body metabolism where water temp plays a huge roll in determining pike activity. During the open water season, the pleasant time of day theory seems to fit,,, that is whatever time of day is most comfortable for the angler tends to have water temps most conducive to active pike feeding. That is why in the heat of the summer, early mornings and late afternoons often produce best,,,, and in springtime and autumn, sees the hottest bite occurring in the afternoons.

Hard water season of course throws most of the above out the window as the ice keeps a rather sealed environment below the ice not subject to a wide daily fluctuations in temp.