PICKEREL
REDFIN PICKEREL
(Esox americanus)
Common Names - Little pickerel, mud pickerel, grass
pickerel, banded pickerel, redfinned pike.
Description - Redfin pickerels have 15 to 36 dark, wavy
vertical bars and reddish-orange lower fins. Otherwise the coloration
is much the same as that of chain pickerels. There is a dark,
backward slanting bar below the eye. The snout is shorter and broader
than that of a chain pickerel. Normally there are 11 to 13
branchiosstegal rays on the underside of the lower jaw. The cheek and
gill covers are completely scaled.
Subspecies - Two are recognized: the redfin pickerel (Esox
americanus americanus), and the grass pickerel (Esox
americanus vermiculatus). Both subspecies hybridize
with chain pickerels in the Florida Panhandle. Most of the redfin
pickerels in Florida are intergrades between (Esox americanus
americanus) and (Esox americanus vermiculatus).
(Esox americanus americanus) occurs in extreme
northeast Florida.
Range - They are widely distributed in Florida but
diminishes in numbers south of Lake Okeechobee.
Habitat - Usually found in among heavy growths of aquatic
plants in sluggish streams, in shallow coves of lakes or in ponds.
They prefer water from 75 to 80 degrees. Redfin pickerels may be the
dominant predator fish in small creeks.
Spawning Habits - Spawning occurs in the spring in
shallow, weedy waters. Eggs are adhesive and are scattered freely
among submerged vegetation. They become sexually mature by at least
age two. No parental care is given to the eggs or fry.
Feeding Habits - Small fish make up most of their diet,
but they also eat aquatic insects and various other invertebrates.
Age and Growth - This species grows much more slowly than
other members of the pike family. The maximum age is about eight
years, but the usual life span is seven to eight years. There is
little difference in growth between males and females, although
females live longer. Redfin pickerels rarely exceed 12 inches long.
Sporting Quality - These pickerel are scrappy fighters,
but its small size limits their popularity as sport fish. They can be
caught on minnows, streamers, small spinners, spoons and plugs.
Redfin pickerel are a lot of fun to catch on light spinning tackle.
Eating Quality - White, flaky, sweet-tasting meat, but
quite bony.
World Record - 1.50 pounds, caught in Bluff Lake, South
Carolina, in 1984.
State Record - 1.05 pounds,
caught in Jr. Walton Pond, Okaloosa County, in 1986. (Please check
link for updates)
CHAIN PICKEREL
(Esox niger)
Common Names - Pike, river pike, grass pike, jack,
jackfish, eastern pickerel, chainsides, mud pickerel, black chain
pike, duck-billed pike.
Description - Chain pickerels are deep olive-green on the
back, shading to a creamy yellow on the belly. Olive green blotches
are present within distinct black chain-like or interwoven markings
on the sides. There is a distinct dark, vertical bar below the eye.
The cheek and gill covers are completely covered by scales. The
underside of the lower jaw has 14-17 branchiostegal rays.
Subspecies - There are no recognized subspecies. However,
they hybridize readily with redfin pickerels.
Range - They are found statewide.
Habitat - Normally found in vegetated lakes, swamps and
backwaters, and small to large rivers. They prefer water temperatures
from 75 to 80 degrees.
Spawning Habits - Chain pickerels are random spawners
rather than nest builders. Spawning occurs in late winter to spring
among heavy aquatic weed growth or flooded grasses, in water from a
few inches deep to several feet deep. Large number of adhesive eggs
are scattered over vegetation. No nest is constructed and no parental
care is given to the eggs or fry. About three to four weeks after
hatching, they begin cannibalizing other fry.
Feeding Habits - The chain pickerels diet is mainly fish.
They also eat insects, frogs, mice, crayfish and a wide variety of
other foods.
Age and Growth - Sexes are similar. Sexual maturity is
reached in first to fourth year, and maximum life span probably eight
to nine years. Females grow faster than males. In Florida, chain
pickerels can reach lengths of up to 30 inches long.
Sporting Quality - Although not so common as the black
bass, chain pickerels are often encountered by bass anglers,
especially while plug casting. They are good fighters, especially on
light tackle. Productive lures include spinner baits, weedless
spoons, surface plugs, crankbaits and jigs. Minnows are a reliable
year-round bait.
Eating Quality - The white, flaky meat is good tasting,
but quite bony.
World Record - 9.38 pounds, caught in Guest Millpond,
Georgia, in 1961.
State Record - 8.00 pounds,
caught in Lake Talquin, Gadsden County, in 1971. (Please check link
for updates)
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Redfin
Pickerel
