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REDFIN
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Redfin Pickerel
Redfin Pickerel |
Chain Pickerel
Redfin
(Esox americanus)
Common Names
- Little pickerel, mud
pickerel, grass pickerel, banded pickerel, redfinned
pike.
Description
- Redfin pickerels have
15 to 36 dark, wavy vertical bars and reddish-orange
lower fins. Otherwise the coloration is much the same as
that of chain pickerels. There is a dark, backward
slanting bar below the eye. The snout is shorter and
broader than that of a chain pickerel. Normally there
are 11 to 13 branchiosstegal rays on the underside of
the lower jaw. The cheek and gill covers are completely
scaled.
Subspecies
- Two are recognized:
the redfin pickerel (Esox americanus
americanus), and the grass pickerel (Esox
americanus vermiculatus). Both subspecies
hybridize with chain pickerels in the Florida Panhandle.
Most of the redfin pickerels in Florida are intergrades
between (Esox americanus americanus)
and (Esox americanus vermiculatus).
(Esox americanus americanus) occurs
in extreme northeast Florida.
Range
- They are widely
distributed in Florida but diminishes in numbers south
of Lake Okeechobee.
Habitat
- Usually found in
among heavy growths of aquatic plants in sluggish
streams, in shallow coves of lakes or in ponds. They
prefer water from 75 to 80 degrees. Redfin pickerels may
be the dominant predator fish in small creeks.
Spawning Habits
- Spawning occurs in
the spring in shallow, weedy waters. Eggs are adhesive
and are scattered freely among submerged vegetation.
They become sexually mature by at least age two. No
parental care is given to the eggs or fry.
Feeding Habits
- Small fish make up
most of their diet, but they also eat aquatic insects
and various other invertebrates.
Age and Growth
- This species grows
much more slowly than other members of the pike family.
The maximum age is about eight years, but the usual life
span is seven to eight years. There is little difference
in growth between males and females, although females
live longer. Redfin pickerels rarely exceed 12 inches
long.
Sporting Quality
- These pickerel are
scrappy fighters, but its small size limits their
popularity as sport fish. They can be caught on minnows,
streamers, small spinners, spoons and plugs. Redfin
pickerel are a lot of fun to catch on light spinning
tackle.
Eating Quality
- White, flaky,
sweet-tasting meat, but quite bony.
World Record
- 1.50 pounds, caught
in Bluff Lake, South Carolina, in 1984.
State Record
- 1.06 pounds, caught
in New River, Bradford County, in 1993.
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