Pickerel in Syracuse Lake?

[jjlosee32]

Have never caught a single pickerel before in my life and today seemed to have caught 3 of the llittle buggers.  Im almost 100 % positive these are Grass Pickerel and not the larger chain pickerel.  Anyway here are the pics..

[ZRWHAT]

I've caught a few out of Wawasee channels, they were all about 8" long.

[LPiceFishn]

those are deff. grass pike....millions of those nasty suckers in LaPorte lakes

[Raquettedacker]

I didnt know there was such a thing...
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-especes/species-especes/grasspickerel-brochetvermicule-eng.htm 

[asselin24]

you throw them back or you gonna try n eat them? Curious to how they taste?

[jjlosee32]

I threw to of them back but one of them was 14 inches and from what ive heard the state/ world record for them is one pound.  going to get it weighed on certified scales this morning.

[Edge]

No state record for grass pike, you could be the first

[Loufeesh247]

I threw to of them back but one of them was 14 inches and from what ive heard the state/ world record for them is one pound.  going to get it weighed on certified scales this morning.

I know they get much bigger than that... I've caught one over 4lb from a lake on the east coast, when I lived out there back in the 80's.

[blueultra2]

The world record was caught here locally....

Grass Pickerel - 1lbs - Mike Berg - Dewart Lake, IN - June 9, 1990

[ZRWHAT]

According to Raquettedacker link a grass pickerel has a max length of 15" and max weight of 0.87lb.  You may have caught a young musky.

[abishop]

Anyone know the difference between a grass pickerel and a plain old pickerel/ Used to catch them in New England states and quite sure the ones 1 caught were around 20 inches>

[LPiceFishn]

Caught many grass pike around 20" and deft mor than a pound

[jjlosee32]

I highly doubt any fish you caught over 20 inches was a grass pickerel.  There are three seperate species of pickerel;  Chain Pickerel being most common and the largest of the family (which is what most if not all of you are thinking of), Redfin Pickerel, and Grass Pickerel which is the smallest member of the pike family rarely reaching over 12 inches.  Chain Pickerel are by far the most common species and avereage 18 - 24 inches. 

Chain Pickerel


Grass Pickerel


Im not calling anyone a liar but if you have caught not only one but many GRASS PICKEREL over 20 inches and more than a pound, than you have caught many world records.  The current world record grass pickerel is 1 pound even and happened to be caught two miles from my house on dewart lake in 1990.  Unfortunately the 14 incher i caught only weighed in at 14.5 ounces just shy of the record.