tilly Posted June 11, 2009 Report Posted June 11, 2009 Alright, so here it is. For the second time in my life I found myself fishing pickerel on the Ottawa River (definitely the most powerful and beautiful Canadian river I've fished) with two good friends of mine...we caught numerous pickerel, most were over the slot (15" until june 15 if my memory isn't too polluted ) but those within the legal limit were most delilcious... Fast forward a week or so, tonight I'm reading about pickerel/walleye which led me to the wiki pages relating to both fish (walleye and pickerel)........so (according to wikipedia) pickerel is a species of fish within the genus of esox fish (northern pike and pickerel), but walleye, according to the wiki article, "also known as the colored pike, yellow pike or pickerel (esp. in English-speaking Canada" are not actually related to the species pickerel nor pike...so - excuse my language - what the frig is the difference between pickerel and walleye? Reading through that "walleye" article will also lead to this sentence: "The walleye is sometimes also called the yellow walleye to distinguish it from the Blue walleye, which is now extinct." Alright, if the 'blue walleye" is different from the 'blue pickerel' I'll believe it...but that same weekend on the Ottawa yielded my first two 'blue pickerel', absolutely beautiful fish, and genuinely distinct from the other pickerel i've caught in my life.... arg.... right now if i could shrug my shoulders and show a most confused face through the internet i would...alas i can't, so just answer the damn questions!
holdfast Posted June 11, 2009 Report Posted June 11, 2009 (edited) A Pickerel actually looks like a small pike.. As far as I know there is the Chain and Grass Pickerel and probably other species. I used to catch them all the time in Lake Champlain Vermont. A 5lber would be considered a monster. A Walleye ( Perch Family) is what Canadians ie Ontarians and Albertans are calling a Pickerel. Its wrong but we know what they mean. Without going into too much detail, hopefully it clears things. Why do we call Walleye a pickerel. I HAVE NO IDEA. My dad who grew up in Quebec called them a Dore. Edited June 11, 2009 by holdfast
Greencoachdog Posted June 11, 2009 Report Posted June 11, 2009 (edited) Yeah, my Canadian wife is pretty vehement about Walleye being Pickeral. ... a Canadian pickeral looks just like a Walleye, only smaller! It's a regional/local thing, for instance... in Canada a Speck is a Brook Trout, here in Alabama it is the Saltwater Speckled Trout, and in Florida it's what they call Crappie. It can sound pretty ignorant at times, even to some of the locals... for instance, just a little north of me, around the Gadsden/Guntersville area they go fishing in the winter for Jack SaLmon (they pronounce the "L" in Salmon) which is actually a Sauger or Walleye ... that one takes the cake in my book!!! Edited June 11, 2009 by GCD
lunkerbasshunter Posted June 11, 2009 Report Posted June 11, 2009 i find it to be more of a northern thing then a canadian thing. most who fish southern ontario like erie for example call them walleye but the northeners call them pickeral. There is also a generation thing as well. They are pickeral to most older generations but they are walleye to most younger generations. You can blame the knowledge of the interenet for that one. either way they taste great and I call them whatever the person i am fishing with calls them lol cheers!
Billy Bob Posted June 11, 2009 Report Posted June 11, 2009 Old timers in the Buffalo area ALWAYS called walleye "Yellow Pike" and years ago MANY (just a couple now) taverns have "Yellow Pike" on their Friday fish fries. Most are now serving Haddock...:<( LONG ago when there were TRUE "Blue Pike" in Lake Erie ALL the taverns in the Buffalo are served both Blue Pike and Yellow Pike. Blue Pike were always a little more money on the menu.......Oh, the good ole days...:<)
Musky or Specks Posted June 11, 2009 Report Posted June 11, 2009 And now to confuse things a walleye is neither a pickeral or a walleye anymore but has been designated a zander. It use to be a member of the perch family but the scientific community got together and changed it. Just like they did a few years back when they made the rainbow trout a member of the pacific salmon family
holdfast Posted June 11, 2009 Report Posted June 11, 2009 And now to confuse things a walleye is neither a pickeral or a walleye anymore but has been designated a zander. It use to be a member of the perch family but the scientific community got together and changed it. Just like they did a few years back when they made the rainbow trout a member of the pacific salmon family LOL And Situps and Pushups are no good for you according to the latest Carleton University study. I guess us old (over University Age) timers were all stupid so they had to change things.
Fang Posted June 11, 2009 Report Posted June 11, 2009 This is always a fun discussion around the campfire in temagami. We'd have a fair number of US guests and always joke with them that there is no pieckeral season there and if they got caught calling them a pickerel the CO would be able to write up a ticket for using the wrong name. The joking would go on for days about walleye vs pickerel. I use both terms and sometimes in the same sentence Bottom line I call em good eating!!!
archie_james_c Posted June 11, 2009 Report Posted June 11, 2009 I call them both names whenever I feel like it. Same with Brook/speck...wether its wrong or not I do not care .
Beans Posted June 11, 2009 Report Posted June 11, 2009 Loblaws advertises "pickerel fillets" and from the skin they are definetely pickerel (walleye)...
Zubris21 Posted June 11, 2009 Report Posted June 11, 2009 I call them walleye, because, well, that what they are. I know I'm fairly young, so maybe it is a generational thing like others have mentioned. My parents both call them pickeral, and most people I know who fish around the St. Lawrence also call them pickeral. Anyways, I'm not sure any of this is helping the original poster, does someone have pictures of each species? I only have walleye to post. I think he likely has never seen a chain pickeral, because I was like that until joining this board, would probably clear up a lot of confusion on his part.
Spiel Posted June 11, 2009 Report Posted June 11, 2009 Grass Pickerel Chain Pickerel Yellow Walleye Blue Walleye
Guest gbfisher Posted June 11, 2009 Report Posted June 11, 2009 (edited) You forgot Yellow Pickerel......... http://www.borealforest.org/fish/walleye.htm Stizostedion vitreum Walleye "Yellow Pickerel" Description Distinguishing Features - The largest member of the Perch family, the walleye generally has an olive-green back, with color gradually fading to a cream-color belly. The sides usually have some darker banding. The forward dorsal fin is adorned with sharp spines and the mouth has many sharp teeth; it has large, milky eyes, specially adapted for seeing in the dark. Size - Average Weight - 1.5 kg (3 lb) but walleye over 5 kg (10 lb) are not uncommon. Habitat Found throughout NW Ontario around deeper shoals during the Summer and in the shallows during the spring and fall. Spawning occurs in the shallows of gravelly bays or river mouths in spring after ice break-up. Notes The walleye is the most popular of NW Ontario game fish, known for its delicious meat. It's diet consists mainly of minnows, leaches, insects and small crustaceans. Return to Top of Page -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Edited June 11, 2009 by gbfisher
duckdog Posted June 11, 2009 Report Posted June 11, 2009 Pickerel and walleye two totally different species but yes I call walleye, pickerel lol
JohnF Posted June 11, 2009 Report Posted June 11, 2009 Pickerel and walleye two totally different species but yes I call walleye, pickerel lol I remember my Dad always called 'em pickerel back in the 50's and 60's. I never heard of Walleye until I stayed at a spot on Lake Erie (Pt.Clinton) that called itself the Walleye capital of the world, or somesuch. Their walleye looked a whole bunch like my Dad's pickerel. JF
Guest gbfisher Posted June 11, 2009 Report Posted June 11, 2009 (edited) Everyone knows that this years Walleye 2009 derby out of Nappanee was all about who caught the biggest Pickerel...... doesnt seem to be a this years..... Edited June 11, 2009 by gbfisher
Raf Posted June 11, 2009 Report Posted June 11, 2009 hows about we just call 'em "dinner fish" eh Andy?
Guest gbfisher Posted June 11, 2009 Report Posted June 11, 2009 Now that's coming from a Man who knows...............
Billy Bob Posted June 11, 2009 Report Posted June 11, 2009 Here's some "walleye", "pickerel" and "perch"...............YOU make the call.... BTW they were all caught this year on opening day of walleye...
John Bacon Posted June 11, 2009 Report Posted June 11, 2009 And now to confuse things a walleye is neither a pickeral or a walleye anymore but has been designated a zander. It use to be a member of the perch family but the scientific community got together and changed it. Just like they did a few years back when they made the rainbow trout a member of the pacific salmon family Walleye, zander, and suager are all members of the perch family. The walleye and sauger used to be considered to be a different genus than zander. They have now been re-classified as a member of the same genus as zander. Walleye are still a seperate species from zander; but they are in the same genus.
douG Posted June 11, 2009 Report Posted June 11, 2009 I was once in a restaurant in Minneapolis that had 'Pike Pickerel' on the menu. They were walleye, and tasty too.
Tybo Posted June 11, 2009 Report Posted June 11, 2009 The Spanish call them Zanders and the Poles call it them Zandacz the Czech call them Candat.
Terry Posted June 11, 2009 Report Posted June 11, 2009 in ontario they are pickerel till the hit 6 pounds then they are walleye at 15 pounds they are called freaking hogs
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