My cousin from central Michigan calls 'em a Pike.
I am from Eastern Wisconsin and call 'em Northerns.

What is this fish called in your area.. either Pike or Northern only? I want to use the right term when fishing in Minnesota and BWCA.

I’ve heard them called lots of things. Northerns, northern pike, pike, jackfish, dogfish, water wolves, hammer handles, pickerel, snake, great northern pike, and my favorite is Esox Lucius.

Living in Northern Michigan I’m pretty sure most fishermen here would know them by either pike, northerns or northern pike or the skinny little 18-20 inches as hammer handles.

Savage Voyageur: "I’ve heard them called lots of things. Northerns, northern pike, pike, jackfish, hammer handles, pickerel, snake. "

Same here.
And one of my favorites... Snot-rocket :-)

Savage Voyageur: "I’ve heard them called lots of things. Northerns, northern pike, pike, jackfish, dogfish, water wolves, hammer handles, pickerel, snake, great northern pike, and my favorite is Esox Lucius. "

I thought "pickerel" was Canadaspeak for "walleye"

I live in the arrowhead. I know them as Northerns.

sns: "

Savage Voyageur: "I’ve heard them called lots of things. Northerns, northern pike, pike, jackfish, dogfish, water wolves, hammer handles, pickerel, snake, great northern pike, and my favorite is Esox Lucius. "

I thought "Pickerel" was Canadaspeak for "Walleye""

I don’t think so, I’ve never heard a walleye called a pickerel. But who knows up yonder what they call them. I’ve heard Northerns called Chain Pickerel, because if you look at the side of one you see a chain pattern.

Pain in the *<€...

Savage Voyageur: "

sns: "

Savage Voyageur: "I’ve heard them called lots of things. Northerns, northern pike, pike, jackfish, dogfish, water wolves, hammer handles, pickerel, snake, great northern pike, and my favorite is Esox Lucius. "

I thought "Pickerel" was Canadaspeak for "Walleye""

I don’t think so, I’ve never heard a walleye called a pickerel. But who knows up yonder what they call them. I’ve heard Northerns called Chain Pickerel, because if you look at the side of one you see a chain pattern. "

Actually yes, most of us here in Ontario refer to walleye as pickerel, but we also regularly use ‘walleye’ as well. Everyone knows (most people anyway) a pickerel is a completely separate species but we still call em pickerel or ‘pics’, especially when talking fishing with fishermen from country areas a couple hours north of Toronto.

And in regards to the OP question we use all the names listed above but most common is just ‘pike’.

Moonman.

I don't care what you call them as long as they don't come in my boat.

Hey guys. It's an either/or question.

bobbernumber3: "Hey guys. It's an either/or question."

Northern. Relax.

Zwater: "

bobbernumber3: "Hey guys. It's an either/or question."

Northern. Relax."

Read above quote with a humorous tone...

Sometimes I call them northerns; sometimes I call them pike; and sometimes I call them northern pike.

Jackfish works, too. :)

And the reference above about “pickerel”... Canadians have referred to walleyes as yellow pickerel. A pickerel is not a northern pike.

I use either Northern or Pike or Northern Pike or Mr Pike or Johnny Northern or #$%^ Pike! All depends on the moment. Sometimes I love 'em, sometimes otherwise.

Grew up in northern MN and we usually called them "northerns". But my dad and other Finnish uncles called them "hauki" sometime, which is the finnish word for the same fish. I always liked eating pike, but people who don't like them called them snakes, hammer handles, slime buckets......

I can't speak to the voracity of this write-up but it's similar to what I've read elsewhere: Walleye vs Pike vs Pickerel

Slimers

I'm in Minnesota and have always heard Northerns. Out of curiousity, is there such thing as a Southern Pike?

Northern or hammer handle. There are many other types of pike in other regions, my cousins used to live near the ocean so only saying pike wasn't very clear. Now we are just used to it.

As a kid (6 or 7) I remember getting sooo much grief from the neighborhood kids for calling it a Northren, learned then it is a Northern.

Sometimes nowadays they're also known as Nortons.

egknuti: "Sometimes I call them northerns; sometimes I call them pike; and sometimes I call them northern pike."

+1

QueticoMike: "

egknuti: "Sometimes I call them northerns; sometimes I call them pike; and sometimes I call them northern pike."

+1"

True anglers know there are four different names for the fish being discussed: a large NP you are proud to catch and would actually like in a photo is a gator; a medium (24-30in) that is fun, but no photo is a northern; a kinda small one that still bends your rod is a snake; a real small one that is most likely to bite off an expensive lure is a hammer handle. True anglers never have time to say both words of "Northern Pike" as they are busy arguing about fish size and bragging about catches from previous trips.

illini79ps: "

QueticoMike: "

egknuti: "Sometimes I call them northerns; sometimes I call them pike; and sometimes I call them northern pike."

+1"

True anglers know there are 4 different names for the fish being discussed: a large NP you are proud to catch and would actually like in a photo is a gator; a medium (24-30in) that is fun but no photo is a northern; a kinda small one that still bends your rod is a snake; a real small one that is most likely to bite off an expensive lure is a hammer handle. True anglers never have time to say both words of "Northern Pike" as they are busy arguing about fish size and bragging about catches from previous trips."

So what are they called in IL?

I call them Slimers. Usually accompanied by a foul word or disgruntled grunt. I am never purposely fishing for slimers so when I catch one I am a bit annoyed.

years ago i knew this old timer and he always called walleyes a pike , which always confused me , i think he used the term because of the teeth ?

I prefer SNOT-ROCKET_DELIGHT, but to answer your question, over 5 lbs. is a Pike, anything smaller is a Northern. This Pike is eating a Northern.
And no don't give me any crap about the pic. It's mine, taken on Agnus, June 2, 2005. Snakecharmers bothers Mike was the on the hook.

Blue pike were very similar to the walleye in appearance. Native to Lake Erie, blue pike are now believed to be extinct due to over-fishing.

Under approx 24" is a slimer. Above 24" pike and northern are interchangeable unless I'm talking to someone from outside the home range of pike then it's northern pike.

bobbernumber3: "

illini79ps: "

QueticoMike: "

egknuti: "Sometimes I call them northerns; sometimes I call them pike; and sometimes I call them northern pike."

+1"

True anglers know there are 4 different names for the fish being discussed: a large NP you are proud to catch and would actually like in a photo is a gator; a medium (24-30in) that is fun but no photo is a northern; a kinda small one that still bends your rod is a snake; a real small one that is most likely to bite off an expensive lure is a hammer handle. True anglers never have time to say both words of "Northern Pike" as they are busy arguing about fish size and bragging about catches from previous trips."

So what are they called in IL?"

Northern.

A lot of Minnesotans seem to call them Northerns, but I always took issue with that. Northern WHAT? Northern... bass? Northern perch? Northern dace? Northern minnow? These species don't exist, but they COULD! Even though the word "northern" is in the name, it describes a location, and the actual species could vary (even though I obviously know people mean a pike when they say northern). So... I say pike.

KarlBAndersen1: "

bobbernumber3: "

illini79ps: "

QueticoMike: "

egknuti: "Sometimes I call them northerns; sometimes I call them pike; and sometimes I call them northern pike."

+1"

True anglers know there are 4 different names for the fish being discussed: a large NP you are proud to catch and would actually like in a photo is a gator; a medium (24-30in) that is fun but no photo is a northern; a kinda small one that still bends your rod is a snake; a real small one that is most likely to bite off an expensive lure is a hammer handle. True anglers never have time to say both words of "Northern Pike" as they are busy arguing about fish size and bragging about catches from previous trips."

So what are they called in IL?"

Northern."

Karl is correct, as there are no gators in IL

Pickerel and northern pike are different fish.

Well as long as we are at it, how did the term Walleyed Pike or Walleye Pike start?

Norsky

I grew up in MN and we always said northern. Now I say pike, usually, but I'm not sure when or why I switched. You'd be best off saying northern. 2nd best would be pike, and dead last of anything would be "Northern Pike" which makes a person sound very, very green. NOBODY says "Northern Pike." Well, maybe a City Joe would say it...
Catch like an 8 pounder and call it a slimer, pretend you didn't enjoy catching it, and say "we used to pickle 'em" and you'll fit in as well.

Lilduce239: "Pickerel and northern pike are different fish."

That's sort of correct. This link was posted earlier, but Ill throw it in again. https://northernwilds.com/pickerel-vs-walleye-setting-the-record-straight/
Northern Pike and Pickerel are in the same family and extremely closely related, to the extent that I suspect most people would be unable to tell the difference without looking it up.

When I was still a youngster twice a year we used to fish the Berens river out of Red Lake Ontario, To the members of the local Pinkagium Nation they were Jacks, I never did know where that came from...

I have two names for them. If I have to touch them, slimers. If I don’t have to touch them, yummy dinner.

But seriously I call them pike, short simple easy.

nooneuno: " When I was still a youngster twice a year we used to fish the Berens river out of Red Lake Ontario, To the members of the local Pinkagium Nation they were Jacks, I never did know where that came from..."

the term Jack or Jack pike refers to a male pike which also refers to them as a pike being under like 8lbs.
the first time i heard the term Jack was on my first Ontario fly in trip , we had some pike in our live well and another visitor looked in our livewell and said "oh you guys keep Jacks" , i just looked and said yup ,