My son caught this on the Chattahoochee River, Lake Harding area in Alabama. What is it?

Pickerel.

Pickerel.

Yep. Don't know which variation of pickerel, but it's one of them

Someone said it might be a Pike, so I thought I would ask here because I knew yall would know.

Definitely a northern pike.

Chain pickerel

I'm not gonna guess. It doesn't look like a conventional pike or pickerel. It does have a dark vertical bar under the eye which is a mark of the pickerel, but the mark isn't as dark as the field guide. Are pike known to exist in Alabama? A call to your DNR or e-mail with the picture attached should clear up the matter.

Send it to your local DNR and I guarantee you'll find out for sure.

I'm not gonna guess. It doesn't look like a conventional pike or pickerel. It does have a dark vertical bar under the eye which is a mark of the pickerel, but the mark isn't as dark as the field guide. Are pike known to exist in Alabama? A call to your DNR or e-mail with the picture attached should clear up the matter.

I was doing a little research and the Chain Pickerel and Redfin Pickerel are common in Alabama. The Alabama fish site leads me to believe it is a Chain Pickerel. I have heard some say it is a junk fish and some say it is good eating.

I have no doubt that's a chain pickerel they're all over here.

I don't believe pike live that far south hence the name "northern pike"

I don't believe pike live that far south hence the name "northern pike"

I agree. But the Pickerel is in the Pike family.

It's a picky!!!!!!! Good move with the pliers. Chomp!!!! LOL

Definitely a chain pickerel. Some call it a jackfish.

There's a little glare under the eye where the black stripe looks to be, but besides that I see pretty much blank fins; any pike I've ever seen has black spots on the fins.

Yup its a pickerel... But around here we all call em jacks