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Chain pickerel
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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.
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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. A common nickname in the southeastern United States is the southern pike.
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.
Angling
The chain pickerel is a popular sport fish. It is an energetic fighter when hooked. Anglers have success with live minnows, spinnerbaits, spoons, plugs, and other lures, usually with some kind of feather or bucktail material.
If the angler intends to release a fish, it is advisable use pliers to flatten the barbs on the lure's hooks. Chain pickerel can swallow an entire lure, so it will be much easier to free a deeply-hooked fish and get back in the water as soon as possible.
Practically any bass lure can be effective for pickerel, although like most pikes they seem to be particularly susceptible to flashy lures which imitate small forage fish. Dragging a plastic worm, lizard, frog, or other soft imitation can also be extremely effective.
A steel leader is necessary for sharp-toothed and active fish sizing two to three pounds. The angler would also do well to use 12 to 17-lb. test line on an open-face spinning reel.
Methods are similar to those for bass such as dragging a lure through weeds in shallow water and jerking it side-to-side to give it the look of injured prey. Chain pickerel are voracious and opportunisitic feeders and will attack most any fodder that moves into their range of vision. Thus the angler should try to make the lure look like dying or escaping prey.
Edibility
Like all pike, the chain is edible, but for the table the angler must clean them properly to remove the many small bones. First, clean them as any other fish, then carefully remove the backbone. Fillet the meat in three- to four-inch segments. Carefully cut small incisions on the meat up and across. Deep-fry the fillets until brown. This should eliminate all bones.
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