Author Topic: Pickeral? (Read 4128 times)

fishinboy · « **on:** Jan 06, 2006, 10:10 AM »

Are there really pickeral in Michigan? I have never caught one or seen/heard of someone catching one. This website lists them as a species in many lakes in southwest Michigan. http://mi.lake-link.com/lakes/ What do you guys think?

Freezeout · « **Reply #1 on:** Jan 06, 2006, 10:26 AM »

Aren't Pickeral just another name for Northern Pike? That's what I always thought.

icejunky · « **Reply #2 on:** Jan 06, 2006, 10:36 AM »

They are in the Pike family if I recall but they are not Northern Pike..these are seperate fish and are actually called grass pickeral

here is a cool link for fish species

http://www.wiscfish.org/fishid/frames.aspx

Webguy · « **Reply #3 on:** Jan 06, 2006, 10:50 AM »

Also in the esox family is the chain pickerel which is very common in the east. They don't get as big as pike. Here's some pictures:

Kziceman · « **Reply #4 on:** Jan 06, 2006, 11:28 AM »

...do they have "y" bones like a pike?

fishinboy · « **Reply #5 on:** Jan 06, 2006, 03:16 PM »

Has anybody ever caught one in Michigan, or heard of them being caught?

icejunky · « **Reply #6 on:** Jan 06, 2006, 03:53 PM »

It sounds as if they are a rare catch in that area...I have surfed thru a pile of sites on Pickerel and michigan and have found little to no info...There is a lake in Michigan called "Pickerel lake" that would be the place to start.

Watch for us crazy Canadians as well because our pickerel is not your pickerel...If that makes sense

Kziceman · « **Reply #7 on:** Jan 06, 2006, 04:07 PM »

yeah that lake is up near Kalkaska...http://www.fishweb.com/maps/kalkaska/pickerel_lake

No mention of Pickerel though.

There is an annual Pickerel tournament/ festival in Algonac, MI on the East side of the state. A lot of people there incorrectly call walleye..Pickerel. There is even Pickerel on some local menus there...but it is Walleye.

The Walleye fishing is great there in the St. Clair River..but no Pickerel.

spoonfed · « **Reply #8 on:** Jan 06, 2006, 04:33 PM »

i seem to remember my great granddad telling about the pickerel they used to catch as commercial fisherman out the caseville area. not sure if he was referring to a walleye though.have heard eastern Michigan folks call wallys them before.not sure why.

Spirit of the Wild · « **Reply #9 on:** Jan 06, 2006, 05:25 PM »

Hey everyone,

Im a former Michigander, grew up on Lake St Clair and have fished that...geez, 25+ years??....anyway, There are no pickeral in Michigan that I know of. Here in NH however, They are everywhere. They are nothing but a small pike. Same Y bones, Fight the same, Hit the same stuff...Bombers, Rapalas...etc.

From what Ive heard growing up, Pickeral was fished to extinction in Michigan than was replaced with Walleye. Its what I heard. Nothing fact. I have tasted them and they are a sweet meat.

bignate · « **Reply #10 on:** Jan 06, 2006, 05:54 PM »

Pickeral lake, by Kalkaska, has no actual pickeral in it, that I know of. I have fished it a bit, just a small lake gets fairly deep though. Has a few walleye, a few PIKE, big ones if your get hold of them saw one that was 40+ caught threw the ice, but the lake is full of stunted perch most of which are four or five inches long.

Nate

donmac · « **Reply #11 on:** Jan 06, 2006, 06:18 PM »

While the eastern chain pickerel is very similar the larger northern pike, if you saw them side by side you could easily tell them apart from the markings.

On my local pond I sometimes have to move my tip-ups away from the pickerel or my bait will be gone in no time.

If I recall correctly, like hornpout, pickerel can 'breath' to some degree through their skin and survive in conditions that will cause a winterkill for many other species. When this happens the ponds can become overrun with pickerel. According to fish and game this apparently happened to the pond that I fish when it was drawn down in the winter for a dam rebuild a number of years ago.

Swift · « **Reply #12 on:** Jan 06, 2006, 07:00 PM »

Haven't caught one, in any way for over 10 years. Same bodies of water, which are usually small, they just seemed to have vanished and have no idea why. They were never really all that plentiful, seemed to like to lay in/along shallow, thick weeds and fought pretty good for their size. Loved to hit slow, flashy, weedless baits like a Johnsons Silver Minnow. Never really caught many with a tip-up.

Spirit of the Wild · « **Reply #13 on:** Jan 07, 2006, 05:46 AM »

Hummmmm, interesting Don

BCice · « **Reply #14 on:** Jan 07, 2006, 11:34 AM »

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/1,1607,7-153-10371_14793-30538--,00.html

Here's a fun link. It's Michigan Fish Atlas Map. Shows every species of fish sampled in Michigan. Scroll down to Esocidae then click on Grass Pickerel. It'll show it's historical home range. Years ago we caught alot over on McGinnis Lake, near Climax, but I don't have access there anymore, so i don't know if they're still there. There's also another Pickerel Lake a few miles west of there. Caught one in Nottawa Lake several years ago, also.

It's a pretty informative link. Amazing how many different species of fish are listed & some I never knew were native here.

Reel Wet Ride · « **Reply #15 on:** Jan 07, 2006, 12:10 PM »

Some of you guys are crazy. Growing up I used to fish this place called the Duck Pond that was nothing really more than a collection of field runoff. I bet I caught 20 of those dinky little things one day. None of them were more than about 1 1/2' long, but they were there.

fishinboy · « **Reply #16 on:** Jan 07, 2006, 09:05 PM »

Sounds like they are or were present in Michigan then. The map showing their locations is pretty interesting. I wonder why they aren't listed in the master angler/state record log? http://michigan.gov/documents/master-angler-awards_119636_7.pdf

BCice · « **Reply #17 on:** Jan 08, 2006, 06:03 AM »

Forgot to mention & you probably already noticed about the index, if you click on the scientific name (Esox Americanus) you get a description & picture ID too.

Like ReelWetRide said, they don't get very big. We always thought of the little "snakes" as a nuisance when we were ice fishing. Maybe why the DNR doesn't keep records.

Rufus · « **Reply #18 on:** Jan 09, 2006, 08:24 AM »

Howdy, I am from the extreme NE corner of Indiana I live about 10 miles from the MI state line pretty close to Lake George on the MI/IN border. We have a couple of lakes here that have what we call Pickeral in them. One, is Pleasant Lake in Steuben County which is about 12 miles south of the Michigan border, there is another small lake I have caught them in about 8 miles south of the border, so I am assuming that you guys probably do have a few lakes with them in it. The ones I have caught are while ice fishing for bluegill. They are very dark green and are colored quite a bit different than a pike. The ones I catch are usually 10-12 inches long, but I did catch a couple that were about 18. I have probably caught 20 of them and used to think they were small pike until informed differently by a DNR employee who works at a hatchery. I think they are grass pickerel, but I am not 100% sure.

fisher50 · « **Reply #19 on:** Jan 09, 2006, 08:42 AM »

Don't a lot of our Canadian friends call the Walleye a Pickeral? I have a friend in the Canadian Soo, and he does.

Kziceman · « **Reply #20 on:** Jan 09, 2006, 09:31 AM »

I grew up on the East side of the state near Lake Huron/St.Clair River. A lot of (us) people there incorrectly called the Walleye a Pickerel. Not so much anymore though.

There is even an annual Pickerel tournament/ festival each summer in Algonac, MI just North of Detroit. And Pickerel is on some local menus ...but it is really Walleye.

The Walleye fishing is great in the St. Clair River and lower Lk Huron...but I've never caught Pickerel there.

Spirit of the Wild · « **Reply #21 on:** Jan 10, 2006, 07:51 AM »

Hey KZ,

I grew up on Lake St Clair/ Detroit River...accross from Peche Island. I have quite a few Hrs up your way. Spent plenty of time Smelt Drinkin/Dippin under that Blue Water Bridge. Fished that Pickeral Tourny too. Anyhow, as my last post said Pickeral was fished to extinction and replaced with Walleye. Thats what Ive heard, nothing fact. It always boggled my mind as why they call it Pickeral.

Anyhow, Ive fished from East side to out your way. Kzoo and BC and down to Coldwater and NEVER heard or seen a Eastern Chain Pickeral. Here in NH tho they get bigger it seems. You catch those little "snakes" but ya also hook into some 25"ers. They are like a pike just smaller. Coloration is different but same body.

Kziceman · « **Reply #22 on:** Jan 10, 2006, 08:29 AM »

I have never seen one in MI either...have never figured out why we called Walleye a Pickerel...many people still do. Anyway the Walleye fishing has really picked up in St. Clair River and should be a banner year coming up. Since we don't have ice in SW MI I might "go home" and try it this weekend. I caught 5 casting off shore the day before Thanksgiving which is pretty rare. Salmon are pretty much gone...IMHO thats why the Walleye fishing is better.

Spirit of the Wild · « **Reply #23 on:** Jan 10, 2006, 09:23 AM »

WOW, That is pretty rare! Last time I fished St Clair was 6-7 years ago?!! Always did good in summer. Under the bridge, Nighttime in the North, south Channels, just drifting. always seemed like they just "dissappeared" around Nov. Good luck and Tightlines

Kziceman · « **Reply #24 on:** Jan 10, 2006, 10:16 AM »

There were still a lot of bait fish in the river at Thanksgiving...also rare. It's gotta be due to the low salmon numbers...there was even a decent smelt run last year..looking for a better one this year.

They expanded the Coast Guard Station just North of the bridge a while back...best fishing in the river is now permanently off limits.

Spirit of the Wild · « **Reply #25 on:** Jan 10, 2006, 06:18 PM »

That has nothing to do with the Smelt there. Construct a basket out of 1/4 inch stock. Square yet tapered at the end. Wrap it in 1/2 hardware cloth. Spray it black. Go down Pine grove half to the bridge and to the Coast gaurd station, (I forgot the street) and lower it into water. Right on top. Let it sit there and check it every 20 min. Im sure you will see the "bait"

Spirit of the Wild · « **Reply #26 on:** Jan 10, 2006, 06:23 PM »

PS,
In the spring I KNOW! 7 gal pails full!

Spirit of the Wild · « **Reply #27 on:** Jan 11, 2006, 07:18 AM »

Whoops, I read your post wrong. Sorry KZ

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Author Topic: Pickeral? (Read 4128 times)