What is this?

[nailman_83]

My buddy caught this fish near Nashville. Any ideas what it is?

[TNtransplant08]

Looks like a Pickeral to me. Never caught one myself personally but I know they are a smaller relative of Northern Pike and Musky.

[navydocivan]

Looks like a regular old PIKE.... Pickerel have a differet spot pattern.... what lake he catch it in? i bet he caught it on a spinner bait or crankbait

[middleTNsmallies]

Chain Pickerel. The stripe going straight down below the eye is the defining characteristic here.

[deezelteck]

I will have to agree... Thats a chain pickerel.

[Travis C.]

http://www.tnfish.org/PhotoGalleryFi...indbom_jpg.htm

http://www.tnfish.org/PhotoGalleryFi...indbom_jpg.htm

http://www.tnfish.org/PhotoGalleryFi...indbom_jpg.htm


Where did your buddy catch it at? Did he return it? There is no statewide reg on them but could be one for the body of water if they are in it.

I'd love to catch one...that is for sure.

[bd-]

Looks like a grass pickerel rather than a chain pickerel. The markings are different. Your fish doesn't have the "chain" markings that the chain pickerel has.

Compare:

Grass pickerel:



Chain Pickerel:



bd

[fishermandan]

Chain Pickerel, Kentucky Lake is full of them. I caught 4 last year in April fishing for shellcracker. Lots of fun on UL.

[eb795]

Looks like a northern pike. Im from Wisconsin and used to catch them all the time.

[bd-]

Like I said, it's a grass pickerel, not a chain pickerel. The chain pickerel has a light body with thin markings that look like interlocked links of a chain. The grass pickerel has thick dark markings like the fish in the photo.

Northern pike have a dark background with light spots in a more consistent pattern than pickerel have. Plus, there just aren't many northern pike in Tennessee. It's my understanding there are some in South Holston lake, but I think that's about it.

bd

[Travis C.]

If it was a grass pickerel (which I agree with bd it sure does look like one) there is no record on the books for the whole state. Your buddy could have had an easy state record. Also, another thing to support the grass pickerel ID is on the state books next to the name it has (red fin). On your photo check out his/her tail.

[bd-]

Oh, I didn't even think about that! State record fish right there!

I'm still curious about what body of water it was caught in.

bd

[Travis C.]

Originally Posted by bd-

I'm still curious about what body of water it was caught in.

bd

That is what I would like to know as well but if they released the fish now knowing it is a state record. They may become a little tight lipped.