very close to the northern and the muskie- they’re all in the pike family. ambush predators like crappie, flounder and tripletail (dorsal and anal fins are posterior and almost the same size as the tail), some of the coolest fish in my opinion. they rely on bursts of speed and well-timed suction to inhale prey.
“jackfish” is the local term for both redfin and chain pickerel, which are all we get in SC. redfins are a subspecies of the american pickerel and don’t get as big as chains.
tons of fun on an ultralight in skinny water, and if you fillet and score them deeply (to cut the Y-bones into small sections) the meat is excellent when deep fried hot.
Don’t want to hijack but yes the pike will eat about anything including their own!! Had my Scouts up in the Boundary Waters a few years back during the week of Memorial Day. Fish were hitting anything that moved! One of my kids was tossing a topwater with double trebles on it-had a “hammer handle” hit it,when he started to reel in it a larger northern came up and tried to eat everything. He ended up bringing both of them into the canoe. Someplace I’ve got a pic of him holding the lure up with the small pike on the front treble and the larger one on the back treble. A few minutes later he landed a 38" northern that had some obvious bite marks mid section on it from where something had tried to eat it!!! We guessed probably muskie-I think the state record muskie for MN at that time had come from the same area we were fishing.
All that being said-I can’t wait to get down there next month and try out some of the Trout Tricks!!!
^ yep. Had one barf out a 20" pike once. They love a red/white daredevil spoon.
That pic was from Lac Evans Quebec after about a week in the bush. Great fly in trip. These days you can drive there I hear. Cree Indians are the Law up there
State Record:
South Carolina 6 lbs 4 oz Lake Marion Randall Spell 1981
World Record:
9lb-6oz Homerville, GA Feb. 17, 1961 Baxley McQuaig Jr.
Growing up in the Ulmer, SC area, the fisherman who were held in the most awe were the ones known as the best jackfisherman.
Several years ago, per my Uncle Pete Sanders’ (RIP a great jackfisherman) advice, I quit gashing them which results in a much moister piece of fish. In my area, they are considered the best tasting freshwater fish, even better than the redbreast.
Peapod - nice pics and post
Bob - Hope you are getting along well and thanks for always posting helpful positive advice.
Dave - um, shor’ nuff is a fro! Doubling up on the glasses were ya?
