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Northern Pike? (icefishing catch)

Started by Guest_jase_* , Mar 23 2008 10:11 PM

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7 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_jase_*

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Posted 23 March 2008 - 10:11 PM

Went icefishing yesterday hoping to pick up some perch or crappie. The pond we were at is loaded with pike -- the guy I was with said that he and 2 friends landed 60 of them a couple weeks back! We only got one small one, which I think is a Northern. I'm not very confident in differentiating Northern Pike from Chain Pickerel. Thanks, Jase.

#2 Guest_smbass_*

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Posted 23 March 2008 - 10:16 PM

Yep thats a Northern... The Pickerels (chain, grass, redfins) do not have spotting on the fins, only Northerns and Muskellunge have the markings actually out on the fins.

#3 Guest_BTDarters_*

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Posted 24 March 2008 - 01:58 AM

Jase,

Another definitive characteristic that you can use to tell if it is a Pickerel or Northern or Musky is that only Pickerels will have a black "teardrop" under the eye. Northerns and Musky do not have this.

#4 Guest_Newt_*

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Posted 24 March 2008 - 10:00 AM

I think pickerels also have scaled operculums, and pikes and muskies don't.

#5 Guest_smbass_*

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Posted 25 March 2008 - 10:06 AM

The teardrop is not a definite thing, very small pike do have it as well, I'm not sure about Musky I have not seen any real little ones but I can say that little northerns (under 6") do have a tear drop. It is not as defined as in pickerel but it is there.

#6 Guest_jase_*

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Posted 25 March 2008 - 10:18 AM

The teardrop is not a definite thing, very small pike do have it as well, I'm not sure about Musky I have not seen any real little ones but I can say that little northerns (under 6") do have a tear drop. It is not as defined as in pickerel but it is there.

Brian, so the photo above is a Northern Pike? I thought the one I caught this past weekend had a very faint teardrop (visible in the photo without the hand). That's the mark I knew to distinguish pickerel, and that's what made me curious.

Thanks, Jase

#7 Guest_smbass_*

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Posted 25 March 2008 - 11:02 AM

yes, this was a young one I caught in Ohio hook and line at about 3" long! It is definitely a Northern Pike, and I noticed that slight teardrop on yours too, thats what made me think to respond. The spots or no spots on the fins is much more difinite but that only gets you to split the family into 2 groups N. Pike or Musky as the first group and then the pickerels as the second group. After that if you are not familiar with their over all apearance the position and amount of scales on the opercle can be very useful.