I Didn't Catch a Crappie Mermaid At Pierce Lake

Went out to Pierce Lake at Rock Cut State Park Sunday. My brother had rented a cabin there by the lake, and we all got together and charred meats and hid beers in red cups and threw some fishing lines into the water. None of us was really very serious about fishing that day, but I did take a picture of this fishing chart for the lake.

If anyone has ever pulled a four foot Muskie out of Pierce Lake I'll be a dipsy do. Can't say for sure a fish like that doesn't exist, but I doubt anyone will ever catch one.

It's more likely someone will catch this Black Crappie mermaid before that four foot Muskie

There are two species of Crappie indigenous to North America, black and white. Their favorite habitat is highly vegetated, slightly acidic waters. They are a fish that likes to travel in schools, and will also school with other panfish. They like to congregate in submerged structures, but move out to deeper waters during the day, moving back to shore during dawn or dusk to feed. Crappies don't hibernate during winter, so they are prime targets for ice fishers. The largest crappie ever caught, both black and white, is five pounds. 

See all the Mermaids of North America

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Muskie Mermaid

Muskie Mermaid by Jenny Mathews

I've never fished. Well, I've been a few times, mostly as a child, and I've been invited a few times since then, but up until now I've never found the prospect that appealing. I suppose I should head across the street to Arnold's License Services soon and get my fishing license. I feel like fishing may be part of my future. I've heard the names of all these fishes Jenny transformed into mermaids in the past.

The Muskellunge, usually referred to as the muskie, is a long, slender fish that is often mistaken for the Northern Pike. Muskies are relatively rare in the United States. The largest muskie ever caught was 67 pounds and was caught in Wisconsin in 1949. Those receiving SNAP benefits would not be able to buy it. They have vicious, needle-like teeth, and no predators except humans. 

Muskies are ferocious predators, extremely elusive, and a challenge for even the most skilled angler. They spend most of their time laying in wait at the bottom of bodies of water. Because they strike so swiftly and violently, the sight of a muskie taking a lure is quite impressive. After catching a muskie it is important to use the right tools to avoid their razor sharp teeth. 

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Mermaids of North America

Mermaids of North America

“Freshwater Mermaids are something I started working on when doing a public art project for the city of Beloit, WI. When I painted my first river mermaid, and it occurred to me the mermaids we are all used to seeing are ocean mermaids.  They are often long, and have flowing locks of hair to compliment their beautiful, sparkly and graceful bodies. We have seen them starring in movies and cartoons, and in popular culture all around us.  The famed oceanic mermaids have tails that move up and down like other swimming mammals, but freshwater mermaids live way up north in freshwater lakes and rivers.  I figured they probably do not leave for the winter, they are elusive, well camouflaged and quiet, and so obviously cold- blooded. Cold- blooded swimmers evolved differently, with a side-to-side swim movement, and a vertical tail and gills.  These are the primary differences between freshwater and salt-water mermaids.  Once I realized what I was looking for, it was easy to find what Freshwater Mermaids looked like.  Their elusive figures and faces revealed themselves to me every day, and I could hardly sketch fast enough. Unlike their glamorous saltwater sisters, they are as varied in shape, size and color as the women you see all around you every day.” -Jenny Mathews

Mathews' mermaids challenge stereotypes of female beauty, and societal standards of acceptable body types. These are not the typical depictions of the mythical creatures, instead they draw upon species of fishes indigenous to fresh-water bodies of water, primarily in the Midwest, but throughout all of North America. 

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Largemouth Bass Mermaid

Largemouth Bass Mermaid

The largemouth bass is actually a sunfish. They are found from Southern Canada to Mexico, but have been introduced to waters worldwide. Bass can tell time, or at least they are sensitive to light, so they tend to be the most active early and late in the day. Bass will generally feed on anything smaller than themselves. Frogs, bugs, crayfish. Bass can live up to twenty years in the wild, but do less well in captivity, averaging a life span of about 15 years. The largest bass ever caught was 25 pounds. 

Greek mythology contains stories of the god Triton, the merman messenger of the sea, and several modern religions, including Hinduism and Candomblé (an Afro-Brazilian belief), worship mermaid goddesses to this day. In folklore, mermaids were often associated with bad luck and misfortune. They lured errant sailors off course and even onto rocky shoals, much like their cousins, the sirens  — beautiful, alluring half-bird, half-women who dwelled near rocky cliffs and sung to passing sailors. The sirens would enchant men to steer their ships toward the singing — and the dangerous rocks that were sure to sink them. Homer's "Odyssey," written around 800 B.C., tells tales of the brave Ulysses, whose naked ears were tortured by the sweet sounds of the sirens. In other legends — from Scotland and Wales, for example — mermaids befriended, and even married, humans. -From livescience

See all of jenny Mathews' mermaids

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Blue Channel Catfish Mermaid

The channel catfish is America's most numerous catfish species, and the most fished for catfish species. They can be easily identified because of their distinctive forked tails and dark spots scattered around the body

Channel catfish will inhabit all bodies of fresh water -- streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, and reservoirs – and will thrive in nearly any type of water that provides adequate food, spawning and temperature. 

Freshwater Mermaids of North America

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Alewife Mermaid of Lake Michigan

Biologists spent 66 years trying to eliminate Alewives from Lake Michigan. Thanks to all that effort they have largely succeeded, and unintentionally put several other species of fish that rely on the Alewife as their main food source at risk, too. If the Alewife does not reproduce in large numbers this July, it could be a curtain call for the species, and might very well take the Chinook salmon with it, too. Nice work, Poindexters. Science.

Despite being viewed as a nuisance species by many, the Alewife has its fans. Growing to an average of 10 inches, Alewives most probably got their name because their shape is reminiscent to some of a buxom female tavernkeeper.

The history of Alewives invading the Great Lakes and exploding in population, then becoming a nuisance that required introduction of a salmon species to quell its numbers and the subsequent imbalance in that ecosystem is a lesson and an ongoing referendum on tampering with ecosystems. 

Alewife Sprite Mermaid

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Sauger Mermaid

The Sauger is sometimes referred to as a "sand pike," and is a relative of the Walleye. In fact, it is often mistaken for the Walleye, but a sure way to differentiate the Sauger from the Walleye is by looking at the dorsal fin. The sauger has spots, whereas the walleye does not. 

Saugers are most likely to be found in large rivers with deep pools. As with many species, dams and diversionary techniques have impinged upon sauger's breeding grounds. 

Sauger Mermaid by Jenny Mathews. See all the Freshwater Mermaids of North America in one stunning chart. 

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Alligator Gar Mermaid

Alligator Gar Mermaid by Jenny Mathews

Although their ancestors could be found in waters around the world, the modern gar is found only in North and Central America. The alligator gar is the largest of the seven Gar species, reaching a length of up to ten feet, and can weigh up to 300 pounds. The wide alligator-like mouth, filled with sharp teeth is what give the Alligator Gar its name.

Despite her fearsome presence, no known attacks against humans are reported. A Gar's eggs, however, are poisonous to humans. Gars inhabit mainly the Southeastern portion of the United States, and can be found in  lakes, bayous, and bays. Alligators are their natural predators, as well as sport and commercial fishermen. Gars have become endangered due to overfishing and intrusion into their natural breeding waters.

This depiction of the Alligator Gar Mermaid is by artist Jenny Mathews of Tiny Drawings and Rockford Illustrating. It is from her series Freshwater Mermaids of North America. 

Bluntnose Minnow Mermaid

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Bluntnose Minnow Mermaid

The Bluntnose Minnow is probably the most common freshwater fish in the entire United States east of the Mississippi. They live in rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, and springs. They grow to about 2.5 inches long, and survive on insects, algae, and diatoms. This is the Bluntnose Minnow Gal mermaid by artist Jenny Mathews.

Bluntnose Minnow Mermaid

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Northern Pike Mermaid of Lake of the Woods

Lake of the Woods is known as the Walleye Capitol of the World, but the fact of the matter is, Lake of the Woods has an extremely wide diversity of species covering all the different nooks and crannies of  997,000 acres of water. This is the Northern Pike Mermaid that is the protector of Lake of the Woods. 

This voracious predator is one of the easiest fish to catch because it so willingly bites lures or bait. What's more, Northerns produce chunky white fillets that many anglers say taste as good as walleyes. Most Northerns caught by fishing run 2 to 3 pounds, though trophies over 20 pounds are caught each year. A close cousin to the muskellunge, the northern pike lives in nearly all of Minnesota's lakes and streams.

The quickest way to tell a northern pike from a muskie is to note that the northern has light markings on a dark body background, while muskies generally have dark markings on a light background. A foolproof method is to count the pores on the underside of the jaw: the northern has five or fewer; the muskie has six or more. Northerns also have rounded tail fins, compared to the pointy tail fins of a muskie.

All fish are predators, but northern pike come dressed for the part: needle teeth, vacant eyes, thick slime, serpentine shape. Their primeval morphology has changed little in 60 million years. Pike belong to the northern wilderness, where they remain most common. But stocking has extended their range south. If your state has predictable ice cover, chances are you have a northern pike lake nearby.

May is definitely the best month to target pike in the northern United States and southern Canada. Recuperated from spawning, they prowl the shallows for panfish and baitfish. With little yet in the way of weed growth, the northerns don't have all that many ambushing spots. They haven't seen a lure in six months. In short, spring pike fishing is as good as it gets.

See the Northern Pike Mermaid, and all the Freshwater Mermaids of North America at Rockford Illustrating Company

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The Mississippi Queen Catfish Mermaid

The Mississippi Queen Catfish Mermaid

    Did you know In the year A.D. 1250, the ancient metropolis of Cahokia, Illinois, was home to more people than London. I imagine in that year the Native Americans knew all about the Mississippi Queen Catfish mermaid. She's been there all along, and earned her title as the Queen of All Mermaids. The Mighty Mississippi. You can cross it in St. Louis, Memphis, then again in New Orleans. 

    It takes 90 days for a drop of water to travel the entire length of the Mississippi River. The Mississippi River is home to 360 species of fish, and the Mississippi Queen mermaid presides over all of them. The deepest place on the Mississippi River is 200-feet deep and is located near Algiers Point in New Orleans, and that is where she holds court. But you have an equal chance of seeing her in St. Paul, Davenport, St. Louis, Baton Rouge, or La Crosse, Wisconsin. Almost nothing is more American than that. 

     You can see more mermaids here. 

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Walleye Mermaid of Lake Koshkonong

Walleye Mermaid

I picture all of the mermaids in Jenny Mathews's series Mermaids of North America as being protectors of individual bodies of water. It wouldn't surprise me for this Walleye to be the protector of The Rock River or Lake Koshkonong, Lake of the Woods, Lake Erie, Lake Winnebago, or countless others. 

Walleye can travel up to fifty miles in one night, and have a life span of up to twenty years. Being an enchanted creature, I envision this Walleye mermaid living much longer than that. Walleye have canine teeth, which are slanted back. They use these wickedly sharp teeth to catch/hold and tear their quarry, so I imagine this Walleye Crone is probably not a creature one would want to tangle with. 

Walleye are often unpredictable, are constantly on the move, and will bite like mad one day, then disappear for a week for no apparent reason. And when they decide to quit biting, almost nothing will change their minds. 

Because walleye eyes are so sensitive to light, they don't like bright sunlight. If the water is clear and there is no shade in the shallows, walleye will go as deep as 40 feet to escape the penetrating rays of the sun. You're not going to see this mermaid very often, and if you do a healthy dose of respect is recommended.  Pin It

The Finest Caviar In the World, Right Out of the Wabash River

    Law enforcement officers from Indiana and Illinois have increased their enforcement efforts of domestic caviar regulations since the onset of the 2012-13 Wabash River shovelnose sturgeon season, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources said.

Conservation officers from both states have recently increased its enforcement of the commercial fishing industry, particularly in the commercial harvest of shovelnose sturgeon, a fish sought for its roe, or eggs. Thirteen Indiana and Illinois residents have been arrested, cited, or warned for commercial fishing violations in the last year, the DNR said, while equipment seizures include 35 commercial fishing nets, three trot lines, two wire fish traps, and one boat/motor.

All I have to say about that is before Jenny started researching and drawing mermaids you would find in bodies of water in the Midwest, I had no idea we had sturgeons, and that anyone was even interested in eating caviar that came out of the Wabash River. I had always pictured caviar coming from fish in the Arctic Circle, captured by Russian fisherman, and exported at great expense. Apparently what has happened is supply had dwindled in the Caspian Sea due to deregulation leading to overfishing, leaving Wabash and Mississippi River Shovelnose Sturgeon to be valued at as much as $320/LBS. One fish can produce up to one pound of roe. 

Commercial fishermen in both states are allowed to take shovelnose sturgeon with approved commercial fishing devices on the Wabash River, as long as they possess the required licenses, the DNR said.

Approved commercial fishing devices in either state include, but are not limited to, hoop nets, fyke nets, basket nets, and basket traps, or trap nets made of twine or cord. Gill nets are prohibited in both states for taking sturgeon.

I'd like to think of this Dowager Sturgeon mermaid, one of 18 in a series of mermaids by Illinois artist Jenny Mathews, as a protector of those waters. 

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Trout Fishing In America, Mermaids, and Robert Redford

I was surprised to see Robert Redford in Captain America: The Winter Soldier last week when we went to the SkyVu outdoor theater in Monroe, Wisconsin last week to see Guardians of the Galaxy with the kids. The crown was surprisingly thing, even though it was a cold night for August. We weren't expecting to stay for the Captain America movie, but I thought it was fairly entertaining. 

What happened to Richard Brautigan, author of Trout Fishing In America? I know he committed suicide several decades ago, but I wonder why. One theory is that he was unable to deal with his fame dwindling. Early success must be a bummer that way. I avoid it altogether. I haven't read Trout Fishing In America, but I find a great many of his poems very entertaining, some profound. 

Robert Redford was in a movie about trout fishing, A River Runs Through It. I probably enjoy that movie more than most people, but don't really connect with the fishing motif. We watched Redford in The Candidate a few weeks ago. I really enjoyed that one.

I have no idea what bait you'd use to catch a Trout Mermaid. In A River Runs Through It they seem to use a lot of fly lures. I'm not sure if they use live bait at all, or what you would use to catch this mermaid. The easiest way to catch this Rainbow Trout Dame by artist Jenny Mathews is to visit her shop at Rainbow Trout Mermaid.

I was reading a scientific article about the Discovery Channel show about mermaids, and why they are scientifically unfeasible, and it seemed likely to me if mermaids existed they would be vastly different than the way they are depicted in popular culture. This scientist, for instance, opined that they would either have to be layered in fat, like a walrus, or matted in a coat of fur, like a sea otter, to keep from freezing.

It's entirely possible, according to this scientist, if mermaids existed, they'd look more like the Damsel Carp Mermaid. Look at those scales. But whatever your favorite species to fish for here in the Midwest, jenny has drawn a mermaid for you. Every fisherman needs her chart of mermaids in his man cave, garage, or boat. 

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Mermaids Like You've Never Seen Them

My creative partner Jenny Mathews is a great illustrator. She is also a feminist. When she set her mind to creating a chart of Freshwater Mermaids indigenous to bodies of water in the Midwest, I knew it wouldn't be the same old fairy tale of the mythical creature. 

ABOUT FRESHWATER MERMAIDS OF NORTH AMERICA 


Freshwater Mermaids are something I started working on when doing a public art project for the city of Beloit, WI, when I painted my first river mermaid.  

In thinking about our local waterways, it occurred to me the mermaids we are accustomed to seeing are ocean mermaids. We see them starring in movies, advertisements and in popular culture all around us.  This same pop-culture has taught us mermaids have long flowing locks complimented by beautiful sparkly and graceful bodies, but I looked again at the river I grew up near, the Rock River of Northern Illinois. Some of the largest and deepest fresh water collectives are right here in North America.  I began to wonder what might be lurking right beneath our noses in the heartland, perhaps something a little different from what we have come to expect of a mermaid.

I surmised, if freshwater mermaids live far north in the Great Lakes and the areas deep rivers that obviously, as proven by their elusive nature and given the intrinsic feature of a lake being all enclosed, fresh water mermaids do not migrate in the winter.  Smaller, cold-blooded swimmers, with gills, best tolerate staying in their same habitat during cold and icy months by moving towards the bottom of lakes and rivers. Therefore, while the famed oceanic mermaids have lungs and tails that move up and down like other warm-blooded swimmers, freshwater mermaids have gills, a smaller stature and vertical tails that propel with a side-to-side movement like most cold-blooded swimmers.  In response to the utterly contained habitats that these freshwater mermaids experience, generation after generation in the same lakes, they have become extremely specialized with unique adaptations, spines and extra fins abound much like the evolution of animals on an island.  Some of the smaller lakes are constrictive and the food supply limited causing the species residing there to be surprisingly small as seen in the few specimens we have in museums referred to as Fiji Mermaids.  

Once I realized what I was looking for, it was easy to document what Freshwater Mermaids look like.  Their once illusive figures and faces revealed themselves to me every day and I could hardly sketch fast enough. Unlike their glamorous saltwater sisters, they are as varied in shape, size, and character as the women you see all around you.  

-Jenny Mathews

The Damsel Carp is just one of 17 amazing mermaids you can buy now at Jenny Mathew's Etsy shop, Rockford Illustrating.

Buy Mermaids At Rockford Illustrating

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