Freshwater fish the Northeast can come in many shapes and sizes. The Large Mouth Bass get their name from their large mouth, because the hinge of the mouth extends to behind the eye. West Virginia’s state fish is the Rainbow Trout; their names come from bright pink to red band that runs along each side from the operculum to the tail, and weighs up to 7-8 pounds. American Smelt are long; silvery-colored fish with a look alike a similar trout and grow up to nine inches. Golden Shiner fish are mostly yellow, but dark on the dorsal and can grow up to 12 inches in length. Alewife mostly resembles blue back and has a similar, herring-shaped body, with serrations along their ventral ridges; also grow up to about 12 inches. Northern Pike are a length of 16-18 inches, closely resemble their relative, chain pickerel, but do not have the chain pattern on their sides. It is good to know what you get out of the river or pond, because when you catch the fish and you don’t know what you caught, you are in trouble.