It's a lean, mean and aggressive eating machine. We're referring to the Chain Pickerel (Esox niger) with a wide mouth filled with recurved, needle-sharp teeth capable of inflicting nasty scars upon both fishing plugs and human fingers.

Throughout Florida, chain pickerel are found in heavily vegetated lakes, rivers, swamps and backwaters, in or near grass beds, lily pads, stumps and underwater snags, usually in quiet areas with slow or no water flow.

Not to be confused with its smaller cousins, the Redfin Pickerel (Esox americanus americanus) and the grass pickerel (Esox americanus vermiculatus), either of which seldom measure more than 12 inches in length and usually weigh less than a pound, the chain pickerel has a greenish upper body and brown or yellowish sides with overall chain-like markings, except for its belly.

Nor should the chain pickerel be mistaken for its larger relatives, the Pike (Esox lucius), commonly referred to as a Northern Pike or Great Northern, or the Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy). The popular "Great Northern" and "Muskie" are treated like royalty by anglers who live in states and countries where water temperatures are much colder than those found in Florida.

Perhaps we're short-changing ourselves by slighting this exciting acrobat that'll attack lures with savage fury.  Frequently, when hooked, this torpedo-shaped gamester makes pulse-quickening jumps and deep dives aimed at burying itself in weeds.

Raps against the pickerel usually center on its lack of stamina. But, this may be explained by the tackle it's taken on rather than the fish being short on endurance. In most cases, it's caught by fishermen using 20- to 30-pound test lines on short, stiff baitcasting rigs.

If you hook a 2- or 3-pounder on light spinning tackle or a lissome fly rod, your opinion of a pickerel's combat qualities might change, since it'll out-fight and out-endure a largemouth bass of equal size. What's more, it'll do it with greater verve.

More often than not, however, our bass-oriented Waltonians likely will utter a few "explicative deleted" when accidently catching a chain pickerel. Most won't even afford it the dignity of using its correct name since, down here, the fish is usually referred to as a "Jack" or "Jackfish."

Feeding primarily on other fishes, a pickerel is opportunistic and will also grab frogs, tadpoles, salamanders, mice, crayfish and a wide variety of insects. Heck, it'll even nab another pickerel when the mood strikes.

According to biologists with Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), spawning occurs in late winter and early spring when sticky eggs are deposited in (and adhere to) grasses. The roe remains unattended until hatching in 7 to 10 days when fry enter life completely on their own.

Pickerel are basically loners. which lie practically montionless in grassy lairs for long periods patiently waiting to ambush a shiner or other easy marks that stray too close.

Since chain pickerel often share habitats with bass and are tempted by the same lures and live baitfish, it should come as no surprise when one shows up at the end of a line.

Particularly effective artificials include wobbling spoons, plugs, spinnerbaits and most minnow-looking lures. Fly fishermen frequently seduce a pickerel when using a popping bug or small streamer fly, while still fishermen often connect with live or dead shiners.

A curious fish, the pickerel may repeatedly follow a lure before making a move. Should you see one do this, keep casting and increase the speed of each retrieve, which often agitates it into striking.

Although chain pickerel will average between 1 and 3 pounds in size, they can ... and do ... grow larger. The official Florida record is 5.75 pounder caught from Wrights Creek in Holmes County by Clifton Hathaway in 1995. However, an uncertified 8 pounder was taken from Lake Talquin in 1971 by Jimmy James.  The all-tackle IGFA world record is a 9 pound, 6 ouncer taken at Homerville, Georgia, back in 1961.

As tablefare, this fish gets mixed reviews. Most will agree that it tastes fine, but is simply too bony.

Realistically, a chain pickerel probably will never replace a bass in popularity. Yet it's still a gallant scrapper deserving of our respect and consideration.

Next time out, why not give this fish a try and see if you don't agree.