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Sunday, February 3. 2013

Is this a Walleye, a Pickerel, or a Pike? (Photo below the fold)

I am looking forward to Opening Day.

I am not a skier and I do not play paddle, so this season between the end of my hunting season and freshwater Opening Day is lacking in outdoor fun. I can think about, and prep for, Opening Day for trout, which is in April. Regarding the photo, I have been soaked but happy fishing too.

I have never caught a mermaid yet. What's the best mermaid bait, Capt. Tom? OK, never mind.

Posted by Gwynnie at 12:00 | Comments (17) | Trackbacks (0)

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It is a North America fresh water Areola.

#1 Potsie (Link) on 2013-02-03 12:10 (Reply)

Is there a fish in the picture?

#2 Jack Rackim on 2013-02-03 12:33 (Reply)

Pike catches mermaid! Cool!

#3 Bird Dog on 2013-02-03 12:37 (Reply)

None of the above - it's a small muskie - probably a year or so old.

#4 Tom Francis on 2013-02-03 14:19 (Reply)

TF,

I agree, by looking at the snout. And the other one is a fish.

#4.1 Garry on 2013-02-03 14:49 (Reply)

The best mermaid bait is a Chippendale stripper on a 6/0 hook trolled.

#5 Tom Francis on 2013-02-03 14:20 (Reply)

It took a while to find the fish, but I'm going with Pike.

Tom, I think Muskies have bars instead of the chain mail look.

#6 Mike (Link) on 2013-02-03 14:57 (Reply)

Now, if this was a serious question:

Esox, the genus of fish commonly known as the pickerels which includes pike and muskellunge as well as other pickerel

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esox

I have heard the term "Walleyed Pike" when I've met our southern neighbours fishing in our northern territories. Missinaibi Lake and the Magnetawan River are 2 of my favourite "Pickerel" sites.

The Canuck

#7 Garry on 2013-02-03 14:59 (Reply)

The poor fish looks stunned. I thought boob fishing was illegal.

#8 chuck on 2013-02-03 15:04 (Reply)

What fish?

#9 Jephnol (Link) on 2013-02-03 15:48 (Reply)

Respectfully disagree with the muskie ndetermination.
Easy way to tell the difference betwen pike & muskies:-
Pike have WHITE bean shaped markings running generally horizontally sort of in rows.
Muskies NEVER have the white spots...in general, if there are both pike and muskies in a lake/river, a large fish that has the white bean spots it is a pike...any other colouration on a large fish and it is a muskie....(there are a few varieties of muskies).
Telling the difference between small pike & pickerel is a mystery to me.
Recognizing impressive anglers is not a mystery.

#10 Rich on 2013-02-03 16:54 (Reply)

@Rich - no sir, that is a juvenile muskellunge. The shape of the head is a dead giveaway - it is flatter than a pike or pickerel and there is a very distinctive "lip" that pike don't have. The markings also indicate a muskie rather than a pike. There are three variations in the markings of a muskellunge - clear (meaning no markings at all), spotted and barred. They are all the same fish, they are just colored and marked differently due to water conditions. That is a juvenile spotted muskie for sure.

Pike only come in one marking variation that that does not include striped. The spots on a pike are a lighter color that can vary from off white to tan depending on the color and condition of the water. The marks are also larger and represent a good 1/3 of the over all body markings.

#11 Tom Francis on 2013-02-03 19:00 (Reply)

Good Grief people, READ THE MANUFACTURER'S DATA PLATE! Really, how hard was that?

#12 SCOTTtheBADGER on 2013-02-04 07:03 (Reply)

Everybody has boobies - because of gender, some are larger. Seen one seen 'em all.

It's not often you see a juvenile muskie on the end of a fly rod. :>)

#12.1 Tom Francis on 2013-02-04 11:02 (Reply)

There is also the tiger muskie...pike-muskie cross recognized as a muskie by every DNR ai am aware of.
We agfree on the pike....my statement that that white bean shaped spots tended to run horizontally was meant as in very roughly left to right....not any sort of line.
I'l state the easy rule for pike vs muskie again...white bean shaped spots...pike; anything else in large mature fish ...you have a muskie of some sort.
I have never seen a pike with tan spots however.
Young muskies can be coloured in many different ways.
Jaw shape isn't a feature used to discriminate among esox members anywhere that I am aware of.
We will have to just disagree on the photo... not a muskie 100% though IMHO. Scaling on pike vs muskies does differentiate but in large fish...why bother.....colour patterns are easier.
You might like this.
http://www.muskiescanada.ca/images/ktd/ktd_sign_large.jpg

#13 Rich on 2013-02-04 11:41 (Reply)

Its name is "Nice One!".

#14 Sam L. on 2013-02-04 14:31 (Reply)

The only Muskie I have ever caught was about 8 inches long, and I caught it while bluegilling with a cane pole and a worm.

#15 SCOTTtheBADGER on 2013-02-05 01:59 (Reply)

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Sunday, February 3. 2013

Name the fish