A Pickerel Saved The Day.

[JD96]

Well I used to hate the toothy fish in my private community lake, and my dad raised me to kill them, I know it's wrong after being corrected by people who know more than I about how the marine ecosystem works.

 

I was fishing my little lake on a windy day in my Pelican Bass raider, wind was blowing me everywhere so I couldn't flip or pitch docks, which is my strength in fishing.

 

I found a cove where the wind wasn't moving me around and started throwing a popper and making long slow retrieves trying to entice a bass, when all of the sudden an explosion occurs when I wasn't looking and my lure disappears, I set the hook pretty hard expecting a larger bass on the line, but when I got the fish to the boat it was a 14-16" pickerel looking meaner than hell with a mouthful of treble hooks. I was pretty frustrated at first, but realized that he was fun to catch, and saved me from a no fish day since I lost the only bass I hooked into at the boat.

 

So I guess the toothy fish can be our friends sometimes, now only if I could target them.

 

What do Pickerels like to bite?

 

Hopefully it won't be my spro frogs because they're expensive haha.

[Darren.]

Hey, a catch is a catch and eliminates the skunk, no matter what it is!! Pickerel have saved my day before, too.

 

My experience -- they bite anything.

[RAMBLER]

Like DarrenM says, they like anything, but, if I am targeting them I like to use spinner baits.  While bass fishing I catch more pike on spinner baits than anything else. 

[Snakehead Whisperer]

x2 on spinnerbaits.

I've also caught lots on poppers and pencil baits. They're also active throughout the winter, which is nice up here.

[JD96]

I'm gonna have to target them this winter. I missed one on a craw jig which was pretty cool, he picked it up but the hook set pulled it out of his mouth.

[AK-Jax86]

In my experience fishing NJ they eat anything! My favorite pickerel spot was this one pond by NJ Natural Gas. You would throw a hook in there and catch a pickerel no lie. It was pretty funny, only thing is we were fishing for bass so it was annoying having to waste soft plastics and other lures on pickerel since they ruin them.

[flyfisher]

Easiest way to catch a pickerel is to tie on your most expensive bait and fish it fast....they like the expensive ones the most  Also if you are targeting them investing in a bite leader or some heavy mono will help prevent some bite offs.  I know they can bite through braid like it isn't even there.

[CayMar]

Glad to see you had a change of heart JD.

[tomustang]

Whatever bass go after the pickerel will like too. You can always sit-fish with live shiners

[MIbassin]

Will pickerel hit large lures such as big swimbaits?

[flyfisher]

Will pickerel hit large lures such as big swimbaits?

 

Yes,  Pickerel will hit pretty much anything you throw but if you are using one of the fancy expensive ones be sure to use a bite leader of some sort or you just might cry as you watch a 16" pickerel swim away with your high dollar swimbait in his mouth

[Marty]

 

What do Pickerels like to bite?

 

Like others have said, they'll readily take anything. I might give a very slight edge to spinnerbaits, but like I said, it's slight.

 

I've always thought that equivalent-size pickerel fight better than largemouth.

[grizzly1654]

I have always wanted to catch a pike. Funny though I felt the same way about bowfin till I ruined a few good spinnerbaits on them.

[tomustang]

Like others have said, they'll readily take anything. I might give a very slight edge to spinnerbaits, but like I said, it's slight.

 

I've always thought that equivalent-size pickerel fight better than largemouth.

I agree, once they hit 3.5lb they are contenders

[flyfisher]

Bowfin are one of the most highly underrated game fish out there.....still trying to get one on the fly rod

[JD96]

I caught a 3-4lb pickerel on an ultralight with 4lb mono once. It was interesting.

Sad to say that was back when I hated pickerel and I killed him. Feel bad now.

[Tuckahoe Joe]

I love catching pickerel.  A buddy of mine caught one a couple days ago that looked like a freaking baseball bat.  I'd rather catch bass but a big pickerel will put up a heck of a fight.  Like others have said they'll bite everything and anything but I catch them most on spinnerbaits, crankbaits (lipless and squarebills), and soft plastics.

[DelcoSol]

I think those Pike and Pickerel are employed by Siebert outdoors. I lost many new jigs to them. They will follow it all the way to the boat. One solid thunk and not even enough reaction time to set the hook and the jig is gone 

[NEjitterbugger]

Biggest one I have caught was on a frog and was pushing 3.5 or 4lbs... 

[SirSnookalot]

Where I originally come from and being raised in the fish business walleye were referred to as pickerel. Commercially caught mainly from Canada on Lake Erie.  As far as my recreational fishing went don't recall too many chain pickerel but pike every where.

Bowfin are one of the most highly underrated game fish out there.....still trying to get one on the fly rod

I always wonder who classifies fish as game or non game, I don't believe bowfish are a true game fish.  IMO any fish caught on hook and line is a game fish.  Some of the so called "trash fish" are harder to catch, give a better fight and make a better meal, what's trashy about that.

[flyfisher]

Where I originally come from and being raised in the fish business walleye were referred to as pickerel. Commercially caught mainly from Canada on Lake Erie.  As far as my recreational fishing went don't recall too many chain pickerel but pike every where.

I always wonder who classifies fish as game or non game, I don't believe bowfish are a true game fish.  IMO any fish caught on hook and line is a game fish.  Some of the so called "trash fish" are harder to catch, give a better fight and make a better meal, what's trashy about that.

So i looked it up and I couldn't find a standard definition but the gist of it all was basically if they are targeted for sport then they are a game fish.  So i would think bowfin have enough of a following to be labeled a game fish.

[SirSnookalot]

So i looked it up and I couldn't find a standard definition but the gist of it all was basically if they are targeted for sport then they are a game fish.  So i would think bowfin have enough of a following to be labeled a game fish.

Maybe it's the IGFA, but let me give you 2 examples of what we have here.  Barracuda are not game fish, yet people target them all the time.  They are very wary and not easy to catch, give a wonderful fight and sporting as any game fish, not too mention they are absolutely delicious.  Jack Crevalles also are not a game fish, pound for pound they will give a fight that won't be forgotten easily, we target them.  Not the best on the plate but popular table fare none the less.

I don't feel too many fish are trash, if they give a great fight that's sport to me.  There are just so many non game fish that will pull the insides out of some of the more popular competitive gamefish.  I'll let someone else catch those gamers, I'll take the thrill everytime.........

[flyfisher]

Good points.  I caught one Jack on a charter trip down in Florida a few years ago and have been wanting to tangle with them ever since.

 

Never had a fish fight so hard other than a tuna i caught once.

[bigbill]

For chain pickerel I use the same bass lures. They seem to like chartreuse colors too.

Mepps inline spinners, joesfly's, spinnerbaits, crankbaits in citrus, chartreuse colors. I've caught some bigger ones here too what an awesome fight. We do have the larger lakes that have the great northern pike in them too. I did purchase all the lures for pike and the rod setups too. I just haven't found the time to go yet. If the fight from the pickerel is awesome I wonder what the fight from the pike and Muskies feels like. I

don't mind catching a pickerel every now and then.

The best fighting fish for me is the blue fish down at our shoreline.

We also have striped bass in our saltwater too.

[bigbill]

I think those Pike and Pickerel are employed by Siebert outdoors. I lost many new jigs to them. They will follow it all the way to the boat. One solid thunk and not even enough reaction time to set the hook and the jig is gone 

I know the feeling one pass at my newly tweaked spinner bait and it was gone I had no time to do anything. I need to use the 12" steel leaders at that spot. I don't think there is a more aggressive predator than these.