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Thread: Help Identify this fish please

  1. #1
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    Default Help Identify this fish please


    Hey everyone. I caught this pickeral in Falls lake in North Carolina while crappie fishing from shore. I posted a picture of it on the N.C. board and here is the link:

    http://www.crappie.com/gr8vb3/showthread.php?t=55126

    The question is what kind of Pickeral is this. I know it isnt a northern pike. We dont have them here as far as I know. Is it a chain pickeral or a red fin pickeral or a grass pickeral. or musky? The redfin pickeral is said to be small and only will get to about 12 inches. This fish was 25 inches long. Notice the Red fins. Is this typical of chain pickeral to have this color fin? One reason I ask is if this is a red fin I just fillet a world record fish. lol Thanks for any opinions.

  2. #2
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    We call them Jacks in GA. But im sure there is another name for them
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  3. #3
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    i would say its a jack
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  4. #4
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    CrappiePappy is offline Super Moderator - 2013 Man Of The Year * Crappie.com Supporter
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    Lightbulb Well ....

    it isn't a Musky, and it doesn't look much like a Chain Pickerel (from the photo and it's coloration). It also doesn't look like a Grass pickerel, even though the Redfin and Grass Pickerel are "species cousins".
    From the red fins and dark bar that runs backwards from under the eye ... it would sure seem like it "should be" a Redfin Pickerel. Only having a biologist check it, would you really be for sure. But, that's going to be just a tad bit difficult, now .... isn't it :p

    Your DNR or F&W guys may be able to identify it from the picture, and you may even get a citation/award (if you can get proper ID and provide them with suitable evidence of size) ... but, I don't think I'd hold out much hope for "Record" status.

    On a positive note : you know where you caught that one ... and where there's one, there may be more (hopefully of the same size or larger )

    .... luck2ya ... cp

  5. #5
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    Barnacle Bill is offline Super Mod and 2014 Crappie.com Man of the Year * Crappie.com Supporter
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    I would have to say Musky. Here is his big brother.
    http://www.musky.com/Gal/Baughman45.jpg

    BTW, thats not me.
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    Bill H. PTC USN Ret
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  6. #6
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    The patterns on the sides look like chain pickerel, but the dark "tear" under the eye is missing and the bottom fins are awfully red. You might just have a chain-redfin hybrid. Stranger things have happened.

  7. #7
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    I had the North Carolina fisheries biologist take a look at the picture and he leaned toward the chain pickeral but said the red fins on the fish were quite unusual but the hybred thing he was not sure if that was possible or not. His key did not say that the red fins were an identifying mark of the fish. That seemed strange since someone decided to name it a red fin pickeral. Anyway he said that a count of the spines would tell the story. If there were 11 to 12 dorsal spines then it would be a red fin and more would be a chain. Ineresting stuff though.

  8. #8
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    Looks like a chain pickerel to me. Thay are known as "jacks" around here.

  9. #9
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    Beyond the shadow of a doubt that is a red finned pickeral
    This only my opinion, but nothing you can say will change my mind. That makes it a FACT.

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  10. #10
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    I'm puttin all my money on it being a Red-Finned Pickerel. The markings on its side do not look like those of the chain pickerels I've ever caught (see the pic of my Va Citation Chain Pickerel in my VBigPics Gallery) and the fins appear to be red as well but the only way is the number of rays 11-13 for Red-Finned vs 14-16 in the Chain...Sorry don't have a link to there from this reply.
    Last edited by IceWarriorGill; 01-30-2008 at 02:11 AM.


    IF YOU'RE FISHIN ON CREDIT, YOU'D BETTER SWITCH TO DEBIT!!!

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