# rare catch



## mistermogin (Jan 19, 2008)

Today i caught a fish that appeared to be a pike. Looked it up in the fishing encyclopedia and it said that the chain pickeral can be caught in florida. I allways thought they were northern fish. It was pretty cool. I mostly do saltwater fishing, so i am really not sure if there are many of those fish around here, has anyone else run across any this species?


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## slanddeerhunter (Jun 11, 2008)

i caught a fish in the mobile delta that looked like a pike ,i ask some folks at the dock and they said it was a jack fish. dont know if this was just a local name for the fish but it looked like all the pictures ive seen of a pike. i do know it destoyed a white spinner bait.


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## furrburger (Oct 27, 2007)

I hear they are good to eat also. Sweet meat.


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## Baitcaster (Oct 4, 2007)

jackfish is what a old-timer told me that they were called around here.

plentiful in blackwater river and fun to catch


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## naclh2oDave (Apr 8, 2008)

You found one of these? Around here? Odd.


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## specslayer (Oct 9, 2007)

my dad caught one in a lake in chipley fl a couple yrs ago and i caught one on a creek up in eglin like a yr ago


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## ScullsMcNasty (Oct 4, 2007)

i have caught tons of small oneswade fishingthecreeks around my house growing up. they hang out, completely still, under overhangin limbs and attack almost anything that comes across. i used to have a bunch of them in my aquarium. in the summer time when the creeks get low we would dip them out of the holes with nets. my biggest was prolly around a pound.

about 10 years, or so, i caught one in Wicker Lake bass fishing with my dad that was around 2 lbs on a yellow sally. mydad called it a jack fish too..


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## pogypumper (Mar 24, 2008)

They are in all the rivers and lakes around here. Great in the Winter using topwaters.


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## RiverGulfFshr (Oct 2, 2007)

I catch Chain Pickeral (jackfish) in the Chipola River over in Marianna, FL all the time. They are good eating but have small bones you have to work around. Most all southern rivers hold the Jack.


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

I've never caught them around here but have seen them in several lakes and rivers in the southeast. I know that there are two species in the area; chain pickeral and redfin pickeral.

We used to catch them in the northeast and they are good eating but very bony.


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## usaf medic (May 29, 2008)

i fish with hub city bass masters (crestview) but live in fwb. and there has not been a single freshwater lake pond or river around here that someone has not pulled a (jack) chain pickrell. in opp al, frank jackson state park is full of them up to 4 lbs they love action baits. ie. traps,cb's. topwater anything. i even caught one on a 10 1\2 inch worm. visit the club at hubcitybassmasters.com


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## Fuhrer48 (Oct 2, 2007)

You guys are right they are pickeral. There are a few different species there is the chain pickeral and redfin pickeral both of which are found in southern waters. Between the two species the chain pickeral are the larger species on avereage. Im not sure what the record is but they can get over 5 pounds. They will smash spinnerbaits, roostertails and other hard bodied plugs. They are a pretty cool fish, like their larger counter parts they sit motionless like a log or a branch. They are basically freshwater cudas!


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## Ithaca37 (Nov 23, 2007)

Jackfish is an old time name for Chain Pickerel. They are common around here. Never tried to eat one though.


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Purty common.....I use to catch them alot at a local pond where I grew up in P'cola...Use to put out a live bream w/ a bobber and wait! I caught 1 that was about 2.5-3 ft long, his tail drug the ground when I carried him home on my bike...Ole man up the road ate them, and said they were good...just real boney....


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## Capt. Mickey Locke (Oct 4, 2007)

Yup gash them like a sucker and there good as gold.


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## reelthrill (Oct 3, 2007)

I have caught lots of them around here over the years. They bite better in the colder months and will eat any live bait or something shiney. They are delicious to eat but you have to chop the tiny little bones in a criss cross manner and then fry the filet.


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## countryjwh (Nov 20, 2007)

i have caught tons of jack fish in the streams rivers and creeks in lower Alabama. they are a pickeral like stated already and they love to tear up a brand new spinner bait or sally, along with anything else they want to hit. when we use to cook them we would pressure cook them so that the bones would not be a problem. after pressure cooking them we make patties out of them like eating a hamburger. em em good.


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## SeminoleSpearer (Oct 29, 2007)

They are actually fairly common in smaller creeks and rivers. I've seen caught juveniles in puddles on trails after flooding has occurred.


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## joe bag o donuts (Oct 23, 2007)

First fish I ever caught on a jig believe it or not. Got him in a little creek on the golfcourse.


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