NW FL freshwater pike/pickerel

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screwballl
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Location: FL panhandle

NW FL freshwater pike/pickerel

Post by screwballl »

sorry no pics, but my father in law picked up 3 nice 16" southern pike in a small creek about 20 minutes from our house. He said they caught a few more smaller ones but let them go.

For those who like looking at maps, this was the location:
30.701112, -86.332879

Personally, with some of the fun I had with Northern pike growing up, I hope these pike start spreading into more of the streams and lakes in this area. Especially since the fish management is very poor on these Eglin Reservation ponds (minimum 8" panfish, max 10; 24" for bass, max 1). If we get some pike in these ponds they will help thin out some of the massive tiny panfish populations and also some of the massive small bass populations. There is one pond where they have already started working their way in and made for much healthier bream and bass.
I know if I catch any, I plan to release them in the pond above.
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DaveR
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Re: NW FL freshwater pike/pickerel

Post by DaveR »

Pike? Northern pike in Fl?
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screwballl
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Re: NW FL freshwater pike/pickerel

Post by screwballl »

No it is actually a freshwater southern pike, or more commonly called a pickerel down here. As some streams got blocked with a dam, they never got the chance to move back downsstream to the saltwater so some just live in the middle of nowhere until they get close to a sand/clay road and happen to get caught... I plan to take my canoe down that same creek in the next few months to see if I can get anymore (with pictures).
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DaveR
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Re: NW FL freshwater pike/pickerel

Post by DaveR »

There are a couple species of pickerel if I remember. Grass and chain. The grass doesn't get very large but we used to catch some pretty good sized chain pickerel up in the ne. A big one was about 30"s. Same genus I think, (Esox) as northerns but get no where near as large.
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Pirogue
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Re: NW FL freshwater pike/pickerel

Post by Pirogue »

Actually caught pickerel in the Kissimmee River oxbows on rattle traps.

Shocked I was!! :shock:
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Gibby3474
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Re: NW FL freshwater pike/pickerel

Post by Gibby3474 »

Chain pickerel are common throughout Florida. I have caught them in the Everglades.
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