Lees Warmwater Gamefish Identifier

Lees Warmwater Gamefish Identifier has a great variety of freshwater fish for anglers to target. Below you will find many of the bass species most common, how to identify them, and the basic info you need to know to catch them.

Lees Warmwater Gamefish Identifier has a great variety of freshwater fish for anglers to target. Below you will find the many of the bass species most common, how to identify them, and the basic info you need to know to catch them.

At Lee Bailey Jr’s website I hope to inspire everyone to find a passion for fishing. I do this by exposing more people to fishing, simplifying the learning process, and helping anglers get the most out of their time on the water.

Lees Warmwater Gamefish Identifier written by Retired Bassmaster Elite Series pro angler, for anglers. Sharing tips and stories on what has been most successful for me, the latest gear, and adventures on the water. Through my mission this website has became the go-to source for those learning to fish.

Chain Pickerel

Common Name: Chain Pickerel

Other Names: southern pike, grass pike, jack, jack fish, eastern pickerel, gunny.

Scientific Name: (Esox niger)

Identification: Chain pickerel are long, slender fish that are known for their chain-like patterning. They are a member of the pike family and have a dark bar below their eyes and fully scaled cheek and gill covers. They can grow to be two feet long and their average weight is 2-4 pounds.
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Largemouth Bass

Common Name: Largemouth Bass

Scientific Name: (Micropterus salmoides)

Other Names: Bigmouth Bass, Bucketmouth, Black Bass, Largie

Identification: Largemouth are dark olive green on the back with light green sides shading to a white belly. A dark mottled band extends along the sides. The upper part of the mouth extends past the eye. Smallmouth bass are similar in appearance, but the upper jaw ends below the eye.
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Muskellunge

Common Name: Muskellunge

Scientific Name: (Esox masquinongy)

Other Names: Bigmouth muskie, musky or lunge

Identification: Musky are the largest fish in the Esox family. They have an elongated cylindrical body with a dark back, grayish-green side profile, and a silvery white belly. Their sides can be marked with spots, stripes, or blotches along the length of the body that fade as the fish ages. Their fins are green or reddish-brown, with dark blotches or stripes. The caudal tail is forked, with the dorsal and anal fins located immediately in front of the tail. The dorsal, anal, pectoral and pelvic fins are relatively soft with pointed edges.
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Northern Pike

Common Name: Northern Pike

Other Names: Pike, Northerns

Scientific Name: Esox lucius

Adult Size: Sexual maturity is generally reached between 3-5 years of age, at which time pike may average between 24-30 inches long and weigh 3.5 to 7.5 pounds. Pike exceeding 30 pounds have been caught in Maine.

Identifications: Scales are present on the upper half of the gill cover, but are absent on the lower half. The cheek area (located just forward of the gill plate), is fully scaled. Pike usually have five pairs of sensory pores along the underside of the lower jaw. The pattern of markings is typically very different on adult and juvenile pike. Juvenile pike possess wavy, white to yellow vertical bars. Adults have shorter markings arranged in a more horizontal configuration.
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Peacock Bass

Common Name: Peacock Bass

Other Names: butterfly peacock bass

Scientific Name: (Cichla ocellaris)

Identification: Peacock bass are similar in size and shape to the largemouth bass but with some unique differences. The peacock bass has a hinged mouth, with the upper mandible being greater than the lower. Their head comes to a point but includes a pronounced forehead. During the spawn, male fish will develop a large bump here. Their eyes are dark red with black pupils. The dorsal fin is joined, has a dark translucence, and will show spots depending on the time of year. Their lower fin sets and the lower half of the tail fin are a red-orange color, which stands out next to their white underbelly.
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Smallmouth Bass

Common Name: Smallmouth Bass

Other Names: Smallie, Smallmouth. Bronze back, Brown Bass

Scientific Name: (Micropterus dolomieu)

Identification: Smallmouth bass can range in color from green to bronze. The coloration often includes a pattern of vertical bars along the sides of the fish. The upper jaw of smallmouth bass does not extend beyond the back of the eye.
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Snakehead

Common Name: Snakehead

Other Names: Frankenfish

Scientific Name: (Channidae)

Identification: Generally tan in appearance, with dark brown mottling; body somewhat elongated; long dorsal and anal fins; jaws contain numerous canine-like teeth (similar to pike or pickerel). Obligate air breather using an air bladder that works as a primitive lung (not found in most fish). Northern snakehead fish have long, narrow bodies with long dorsal and anal fins. They have a large mouth and protruding jaw with canine-like teeth. The fish get their name from the enlarged scales, shape and irregular, blotchy coloration on their head that give a snake-like appearance. Snakehead fish may vary size depending on their age and location, but grow to be up to 4 feet in length. Invasive northern snakehead fish are easily confused with the native bowfin and burbot.
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Spotted Bass

Common Name: Spotted Bass

Other Names: Spot, Spotty, Spots, Kentucky

Scientific Name: (Micropterus punctulatus)

Identification: The key features that separate the spotted bass from the largemouth and other black bass species are the dark scale spots that can be found on the scales below the mid-lateral blotches. These scales appear to create rows of spots and are responsible for the name spotted bass.
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Striped Bass

Common Name: Striped Bass

Other Names: stripers, linesider or rockfish

Scientific Name: (Morone saxatilis)

Identification: They are silvery, shading to olive-green on the back and white on the belly, with seven or eight uninterrupted horizontal stripes on each side of the body. They can live in both freshwater and saltwater environments.
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