Good thoughts, but please make sure that what you are killing and keeping is a Pike. Juvenile Muskies and Hybrids look a lot like a Pike.
A lot of casual anglers still don't know what they are looking for to distinguish a Muskie from a Pike, let alone at the juvenile stage.
Seasoned anglers like yourself and other tournament anglers, have a much better idea regarding fin shape, patterns and submandibular pore count.
Myself, I fish mainly for Muskies except in the hot dog days of summer when the water temps get above77-80 deg., then I will go after walleye and bass.