Chain Pickerel

From Wikipedia...

Quote:

The chain pickerel, Esox niger (syn. Esox reticulatus), is a species of freshwater fish in the pike family (family Esocidae) of order Esociformes. It is also known as the federation pike or federation pickerel. Its range is along the eastern coast of North America from southern Canada to Florida, and west to Texas. Pickerel is often a name given to walleye, although the true name belongs to the chain pickerel. Common nicknames in the southeastern United States are the southern pike and jack fish.

The chain pickerel has a distinctive dark chainlike pattern on its greenish sides. Its body outline resembles that of the northern pike. It reaches 36 inches in length and a weight of almost ten pounds. The average size for chain pickerel, however, is 24 inches and 3 pounds. The world record is over ten pounds.

The chain pickerel feeds primarily on smaller fish which it ambushes from cover with a rapid lunge and secures with its sharp teeth.

In some regions, anglers regard pickerel as a threat to trout populations and trout restocking efforts. It is sometimes considered an easy-to-bag trash fish and not particularly good eating.

This fish has been around for a very long time. It eats other fish, as well as anything else in the aquatic environment untill all that is left is pickerel. They have been known to attach their spawn to ice floats as well as animals (birds feet/feathers) to move the population to a larger area. Untill recently they have not been a fish on my Island (Cape Breton)

The closest known area infected with these fish was Picto... a few hours drive by car. Now they are being caught in a lake not 5 min from my house. How is this possible? Someone introduced the species illegally and has ruined the lake I learned to fish on.

These fish are known to kill much larger fish than themselves, as well as ducks and other water birds.

About 12 years ago there was a problem in a lake where these fish were introduced. The department of natural resources poisoned the lake killing everything, including the pickerel. Years later the population of trout and salmon has been brought back to where it used to be and there are no pickerel there. To fish there you must use a fly rod only, and the use of live bait, lures, spoons, plugs, or even if you put a boat with an engin in the water you are facing large fins and jail time.

So why not do it to this lake?

This lake is part of a water shed. If you poison the lake, you poison drinking water for the population that uses it.

Within the next two years this lake will be no longer a spot fished for trout, perch, or other freshwater fish. A lot of people will miss it.

In my opinion, livewells should be removed from boats. Livewells are used all too often for situations like this. If you are keeping a fish, put it on ice. Otherwise throw it back. To introduce a fish to a new area is illegal here, but it's a crime that if you don't catch them in the act they get away.

The worst part of this story... My father was hired by the fisheries this year to take large trout and put them in the lake in late May... (after most people move on to other bodies of water for fish) to give the lake some good genetics of fish for years to come. He can not do this based on the fact that they will most likely be killed, so he is moving them to a new location. We both are sad since it would have been a nice spot full of great memories to have a new chance at having large breeding fish.

and that's my rant, thank you for listening.

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When guns become outlawed only outlaws will have guns.

As well here in BC the removal of a type of fish from 1 lake / stream / river to another is illegal ! Mad

There are Bass fish now in lakes here, Bass ? ... Shocked

thats insane.

{ Good post Daffy } Cool

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We have some bass here now too... some say that people were stocking the lakes with them. This I believe. A lot of them started showing up as they followed the smelt in as the waters started getting warmer throughout the year..

I don't know why people take it upon themselves to take fish and illegally introduce them to another location.

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Rules
People to contact if you have a problem

When guns become outlawed only outlaws will have guns.