Pickerel Handling

[Tyfisher]

What is the best way to handle a pickerel and release it with the least amount of damage to the fish?

[J Francho]

Use a Fish Grip or Boga Grip.

[clayton86]

Dont catch it in the first place lol I release some northerns in the water I fish out of a canoe so I just get em along side me and use my pliers never touching them I hate the dang snot rockets

[J Francho]

I usually just jam the pliers into their brains. Too many pickerels in the lakes I fish. Big northerns, now that's another story. Treat them with respect - takes a long time to grow a 40" pike.

[deaknh03]

I usually just jam the pliers into their brains. Too many pickerels in the lakes I fish. Big northerns, now that's another story. Treat them with respect - takes a long time to grow a 40" pike.

Is that technique similar to catch and release?

[J Francho]

Yes, if you mean release the meat from the bone for pike casserole.

[clayton86]

Yeah I forgot you told me you guys keep alot of the pickerel because there's to many.

[J Francho]

Oneida is the worst. 10:1 pickerel to bass, and that's on a good day.

[clayton86]

Its like that in my 1 spot but its northerns to bass its actually really annoying

[J Francho]

Once it's post spawn, they settle down and occupy different niches. I don't know what it is about Oneida, though. It's ten times worse there than anywhere else - even the City Dump where there's too many axe handle northerns.

[clayton86]

The spot im talking about on Johnsons creek above the dam early spring nothing but bass with the occasional pike then the bass spawn and disappear and its northern like ever other cast doesn't matter if your shallow or deep cranking or dragging the bottom with a jig or t rig your gonna catch a pike anywhere from 20"-36" is my biggest but iv hooked and lost bigger there my dad has a 48" on his wall from 86 when I was born that came from there.

[J Francho]

That's a big pike.

Anyway, a fish grip and long pliers, and like Clayton said, work the hook out boat side. It's all the flopping around, and squeezing them too hard, along with lack of oxygen, that does them in. If it's a long fight, hold them upright until catch their breath and they swim away.

[clayton86]

Also holding vertical is a big no no i heard especially on bigger fish because there long slender bodies they cant handle it or something. idk how true it is i see alot of pics of pros holding them by the gills straight up and down with no support on there belly

[J Francho]

Probably not an issue for a pick. Pike over 30" though...yeah.

[GrundleLove]

Whats with all the pick hate?

Its a sport fish is it not? I find them great to fish and always put up a good fight. Also they are pretty good looking fish too.

[NateFollmer]

Was going to say the same thing GrundleLove... I enjoy catching Pickerel, in fact, I usually target them if I know they are in a body of water (which isn't hard at all).

Grips are the best way, but if you can't get them, I usually hold them behind the eyes (pinch about an inch behind their eyes) and they usually don't thrash that much. If they are bigger, usually over 18", I'll do the hold 'em under the mouth/gill slit thing.

[J Francho]

They are displacing bass in several local lakes, one of which happens to be Oneida. Populations are so out of check, that their size has been diminished as well. Yes, you can catch a few 24-30" fish, but for the most part, it's snot rockets. This is BassResource after all, and I generally target bass, not pickerel. Yeah they're fun, but not when catches outnumber bass 10:1 on a lake that is supposed to be a trophy bass fishery. We're not talking about some little pond - Oneida Lake.

[Fishing Rhino]

Pickerel belly makes incredible bait. An old gent showed me how to do it years ago. Get an in line spinner rig like this.

http://www.cabelas.c...%3Bcat104400180

You can use a treble or a single hook, which ever you prefer. Catch a pickerel. Slit it open from the vent to the neck. The flexible belly skin, away from the ribs, is the preferred part to use. Cut tear drop shaped pieces from the soft belly meat. Try various lengths to see what works best. Hook it through the broad end so the point trails. I've caught some of my biggest fish, smallmouth, pickerel (36 inch) and crappie (16.5 inch) on this simple rig.

It works much better than pork rinds. A small pickerel, ten inches or so should yield four to six baits, depending on size. I made them about an inch and a half long, back in the 1960s.

I've been meaning to try this again since I resumed fishing in 2008. Maybe this year.

[J Francho]

back in the 1060s.

LOL, they were still using cut bait in the 11th century?

[Fishing Rhino]

LOL, they were still using cut bait in the 11th century?

You were quick. I saw the error and edited it within a couple of minutes.

[NMarotta28]

I HATE pickeral with a bleeding passion. Caught one last night and had to rip it out with pliers like i was pulling out wisdom teeth.. they suck.

[robdob]

pickeral don't take handling very well at all.. keep them out of the water for more than maybe 20 to 30 seconds and its going to die for sure

[flyeaglesfly5186]

Whats with all the pick hate?

Its a sport fish is it not? I find them great to fish and always put up a good fight. Also they are pretty good looking fish too.

I'll throw my support towards this. I love catching them because they give a fight.

[webertime]

They rank VERY low in the cost:catch ratio... Brand new Rage Shad (cast)... Pickerel... put on new Rage Shad... repeat... Mendit stays in business thanks to Pickerel!!!

Big ones are fun but every pond/lake around Champlain has more Pickerel than water it seems and very few are over 18"...

Boca Grips are perfect for them.

[alext]

I usually slide my hand up under the gills and use needle nose pliers for the hook unless I'm using a spinner bait and I can get the hook out without getting to close to the teeth.

I did have a bad incident with a pickeral about two weeks ago. Last cast of the day and I hooked a pickerel on a Tiny Torpedo. The fish was probably no longer than 14 inches...I usually use a net, but for a fish this size I didn't bother. I slid my right hand down the line to grab the back of the lure and when I did the fish thrashed. I got the hook right up underneath my fingernail. It went in deep enough that it actually came up through the nail and split it in half. To add insult to injury, a second hook went right into another figher. My fault for not having a solid grip on the fish, but I've caught hundreds of these fish and I guess I took for granted how nasty they can be.

Anyway I throw the fish out of the boat with the lure still in its mouth in disgust while I'm bleeding all over the place. My hand is throbbing and I still don't have my lure back yet. Got my pliers and took the lure out...had no first aid kit and had to load up my canoe and gear while I was still bleeding all over. Glad I didn't have my five year old with me. He would have had the crap scared out of him!

My feeling on catching Pickerel is that its better than catching nothing, but its frustrating when every piece of gear you have is for bass, and then you end up catching these guys. I pulled in some giants earlier this season and I actually find them easier to handle than the midsize ones. I also don't use the torpedo lure very often anymore because those two treble hooks are a real pain when you catch a pickerel. Thats too bad because I've probably caught more fish on that lure than any other. I agree with much of what I've read here in that the pickerel population seems to have exploded over the last few years in all of the waters I fish.