Pickerel vs walleye pictures

My father and I have had a friendly debate going for a number of years regarding the name of a particular sport fish.

Well, the answer is yes. A few years ago after I wrote about pickerel fishing on Lake Winnipeg with commercial fishermen, a retired fish biologist contacted me to say that I had actually been fishing for walleye not pickerel. He said that the walleye and pickerel are two unrelated fish, do not even look similar and belong to two different fish families. He was right. Who knew that all these years, we Canadians have been erroneously calling a walleye by the wrong name of pickerel? To many of us Canadians, the walleye is still our pickerel.

Pickerel vs walleye pictures

Walleye vs Pickerel. A walleye is sometimes called a pickerel, particularly in English-speaking parts of Canada, but in fact, the walleye and the pickerel are not at all related. However, both are members of the same family, the pike family or Esocidae. Walleyes are freshwater perciform fishes. These fishes are native to Canada, and also to the northern United States. Blue walleyes are now extinct in the Great Lakes, and are bordering on complete extinction everywhere else in the world. Walleyes are named in this way because their eyes reflect light, just like those of cats. The fish are able to see well in low-light conditions, and even in turbid waters, because of the light-gathering attributes of its eyes. They are often found in deeper water, especially when the climate is warm. The color of walleye is primarily olive and gold. Walleyes can reach lengths of about 75 cm, or 30 inches, and can weigh up to 7 kg or 15 lbs. Walleyes are very popular with anglers, therefore catching them is regulated by natural resource agencies. They are easier to catch when its dark, around dusk and dawn, because they extensively feed during those times.

Search for: Search. Traditions, however, take time to change, so for the next while, expect us Canadians to still call the walleye, our pickerel. Walleye are often called pickerel, especially in English-speaking parts of Canada, while in the United States of America, they pickerel vs walleye pictures the same species Sander vitreus a walleye.

To address this issue, every 10 years or so, a small group of North American fish scientists produce a book entitled, Common and Scientific Names of Fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Walleye Sander vitreus are the largest members of the perch family, widespread throughout the province. Pike Esox lucius , northern pike, or just plain northerns are so common throughout the province that most Ontario anglers have no problem differentiating a pike from a walleye. However, the average person could not easily differentiate a pickerel from a small pike. In Ontario, for instance, grass pickerel have a very similar body shape and colouration to juvenile pike, and they only reach about 30 centimetres long fully grown.

Walleye vs Pickerel. A walleye is sometimes called a pickerel, particularly in English-speaking parts of Canada, but in fact, the walleye and the pickerel are not at all related. However, both are members of the same family, the pike family or Esocidae. Walleyes are freshwater perciform fishes. These fishes are native to Canada, and also to the northern United States.

Pickerel vs walleye pictures

You like tomato, I like tomahto. Potato, potahto, tomato, tomahto, Let's call the whole thing off! It just depends on which side of the border you're on," said Garey Murray, a Windsor-Essex resident and leisure fisherman. Based on the opinions of many local residents, the name depends on whether you are Canadian or American.

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This goes for other fishermen i often frequent our nortyhern waters with! Author Recent Posts. RF and RM. Smallmouth bass fishing from float tubes. Search for:. People do still reel in the odd one. Great article though, highlighting more than just the misnamed fish. The spiny, forward, dorsal fin is a dead giveaway of it being a walleye. The patterning on the side of an adult chain pickerel is distinct enough for most anglers to differentiate it from an adult pike. In some parts of the southern states they were traditionally called a Wally Eyed Pikes. Walleye are often called pickerel, especially in English speaking parts of Canada, while in the United States of America, they call the same species Sander vitreus a walleye. Walleye and Perch have the same skeletal structure although Perch are much smaller only up to 2 lbs in size. I used to fish in lake St Clair, while in practice in the Detroit are in the 70th th and also for Musky.

Well, some of them, anyway.

I grew up in northern Ontario. Click here to cancel reply. Want to know the difference between a Walleye and Pickerel? I say the same thing. They are aggressive grow extremely large over 40 lbs have a much larger mouth than the Walleye. Ian F. Article resources: King, Lonnie. Commmon Pickerel fish engraving Most popular. I loved the article. The spiny, forward, dorsal fin is a dead giveaway of it being a walleye.