THE CASTER'S QUARRY 129 



mouth bass we know of weighed ten and one-fourth 

 pounds. 



The habits of the black bass vary greatly under dif- 

 ferent circumstances, local conditions exerting a great- 

 er influence than is generally supposed. The general 

 habits of different fishes and their relation to fisher- 

 man's luck will be discussed in a later chapter. 



PIKE AND PICKEREL 



The terms pike and pickerel are used so indiscrim- 

 inately that there is considerable confusion regarding 

 the classification of these fishes among anglers, al- 

 though not among ichthyologists. 



The pickerel of the Middle West (Esox Indus) is 

 the true pike, large specimens of which are sometimes 

 given the high-sounding name of Great Northern Pike 

 although this title is also bestowed on certain species, 

 or probably sub-species, of the muskellunge. The only 

 true pickerel native to the waters west of the Alle- 

 ghenies is the western pickerel (Esox vermiculatur); 

 he is generally known as "grass pike" and seldom 

 exceeds a foot in length. 



The pike is found in this country from the Ohio 

 river northward, in Alaska, in nearly all parts of 

 Canada, where it is called jack-fish, and is especially 

 abundant in the Great Lakes region and in the small 

 lakes of the upper Mississippi valley. It is also com- 

 mon in Europe and Asia. 



In color the pike is a bluish or greenish-gray on the 



