3 Species of Pickerel

[John Sheehan]

Any one got photos of Grass Pickerel and Red Fin Pickerel to post here? All I see is Chain Pickerel.

[chris]

i don't think we have grass and red fins up here in ct...but i ever catch one ill post it here

[Howard Webster]

This is a Northen does it count

[John Sheehan]

Nice Northern thru the ice!!  I wanna do that. What it hit Howard?

[John Sheehan]

Redfin photos:

 

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/wms/bfbm/master_fish_pics/tagged%20fish%...

http://www.pinebarrensanimals.com/web_images/pix1/RedfinPickerel1.jpg

http://www.pinebarrensanimals.com/web_images/pix1/RedfinPickerel2.jpg

[John Sheehan]

A very niceRed Fin Pickerel. I didnt catch it but wish I did . Believe it hit a Mepps lure dont know which one.

 Grass Pickerel are small :

 http://www.identicards.com/allaboutfreshwaterfish/species.asp?fish=...

[Howard Webster]

It took me awhile

[Howard Webster]

It took me a while to find this picture but this is a small grass pickrel my daughter caught over 20 years ago they will hit small poppers in some of the small lakes up norththey never get over a foot long that i know of .

[John Sheehan]

Muskellunge=Esox Masquinongy

Northern Pike=Esox Lucius

Chain Pickerel=Esox Niger

Grass Pickerel= Esox Americanus Vermiculatus

Red Fin Pickerel= Americanus Americanus...other names Mud Pickerel ,Banded Pickerel

http://myfwc.com/WILDLIFEHABITATS/Freshwaterfish_RedfinPickerel.htm

[JC]

I think part of the reason that we find a lack of information about these 2 species is that they are seldom encountered or identified correctly. As a boy I was always exploring every possible ditch, stream, waterhole, pond or creek and would encounter these fish often, but did not know what they were.

 

I think they are sometimes caught by anglers and mistaken for young chain pickerel.

 

One of the most interesting traits of these fish is their tendency to move upstream as far as possible. Last summer I saw a heron capture one from a ditch that was miles and miles from the nearest river.

 

When I was a kid I kept an aquarium with local fish species and would often catch pickerel that were 2-4 inches in length. Again, these fish were often far up ditches or very small streams that connected to tidal creeks. They adapted to aquarium life well but required considerable work to feed.

 

Even at 2-4 inches, these fish were vicious hunters and watching them feed left a lasting impression on me.

 

When I got older, a local angler showed me a trick. He would stop at very small bridges along country roads and fish for only a minute or 2. On many stops, he would get an immediate strike from a redfin or grass pickerel. I cannot recall what he used but it was probably a small live minnow. These waterways were only 10-20 feet wide.

 

 

[John Sheehan]

Very interesting JC .Thank you !

[John Sheehan]

I never caught a Grass Pickerel before today .On landing  I questioned  ,beside the small size , whether I had something other than a Chain Pickerel . I noticed the different vertical side markings , short snout and black lines from the top of the head to end of snout . Any one caught one of these besides Howard Webster's daughter? This was a lower NY state lake catch .Hit a frog colored 'Baby Zara Spook' 5/26/15 .