I keep catching these fish on small senkos at french creek

i thought they were baby muskys but a park ranger told me chain pickeral, i cant tell by pics online

i dont have a picture of the catch

best i can do is say its the same exact colors as largemouth bass, with stripes that are very mellow in contrast......they are tiny fish, like a .02 lb bass but stretched out

arent muskys more of a brown color, is this a pike?

Generally, pike have light spots on a darker background. Chain pickerel are yellowish and do indeed have dark lines on the sides resembling a chain link pattern. Both are long and thin with long alligator-like snouts and a single soft dorsal fin set far back near the tail.

I'd have to say that in my limited experience, I think it's much more likely a pickeral than a pike or a musky.  small ones have less distint chain markings, and could indeed look like stripes.

Pikes have bean shaped spots, so it's not a pike.   If the ranger said it's a pickeral, he would know best.

this might help

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/dfwpdf/dfw_esocidsposter.pdf

this might help

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/dfwpdf/dfw_esocidsposter.pdf

thanks guys

im guessing its a chain pickeral, especially since it was so tiny

ill get a pic next time, i catch them every couple times i go their....

good link ,TheRedTorpedo 8-)