1st Pickerel

[newbiedmv]

I went to a cold water lake Monday and Tuesday. I knew there were pike in there and I'd heard they'll attack anything when hungry. I bought some hemostats just in case.

Yep...a baby pike 19"long hit my spinning rig with 6lb monofilament.  At first I thought I snaged a log with the large inline spinner. Then it moved.

It had that medium rod bent in half a few times. Took a half hour to get in the boat. At which time she sliced the line.

It didn't register any weight on my expensive $5.00 scale. I dropped it into the livewell until I could figure out what to do. That took another 30 min (mountains, very very bad internet).

I never found the lure. 

I guess I'll have to get steel leaders if I go out to that lake again.

It was great fighting it. Had to use the trolling motor to keep him/her out of the parked boats and docks.

I have a pic but it's to big maybe.

I'll try a screen shot.

 

[TnRiver46]

Nice job! Expensive scale…….. hahahah. I’ve actually got that same one and it’s “dead” accurate with 5 lb and 10 lb weights believe it or not.

[newbiedmv]

I caught it using my "fish finder rig". I put a trout hook with a worm weight and bobber and troll about 40 feet back.

I had just switched over to it as I haven't got my one handed baitcaster casts any good at all. Put the large inline spinner (watermelon and red with a silver spinner) on.

Man that pike went ballistic as soon as you got it near the boat. Like trying to hold on to a ticked off Rottweiler.  Of course I had no net. 

I'm amazed something so light had that much power. It was pulling that 17' around like a toy. 80 lb thrust motor on 70% to tow it out into more open water.

Made my whole trip...so far the year.

[moguy1973]

I wasn't impressed with how pike fought after a couple runs from the boat.  I caught some in the mid 30" range in Canada a couple years ago and they were more heavy than anything.  When they saw the boat they'd take off like a bat out of heck, but after a couple of those they were pretty easy to just drag back to the boat.  Of course I was using 40lb braid and I was using med-heavy rods, so that makes a difference.

[Bluebasser86]

That's a chain pickerel. 

 

Half hour fight?? I landed my PB flathead catfish, 68.5lbs, on 15lb fluorocarbon in a little over 10 minutes. 

[newbiedmv]

Really thanks. Then it's my first ?

[Bluebasser86]

Just now, newbiedmv said:

Really thanks. Then it's my first ?

Never caught one myself, but I'm positive that's what it is. 

[newbiedmv]

Yep...I just looked it up. To be honest I didn't know what I had until it was in the boat. But the state says 14" is the legal minimum so a 19" isn't bad. First time I've seen one of the pike family. Cool.

So the title is "1st Chain Pickerel"

12 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

That's a chain pickerel. 

 

Half hour fight?? I landed my PB flathead catfish, 68.5lbs, on 15lb fluorocarbon in a little over 10 minutes. 

It really hated getting near the boat ??.

[Further North]

Half hour fight?  From a 19" fish?

Even a 19" bass - which would have close to twice the mass - wouldn't take 3 minutes.

[newbiedmv]

Yeah I took it slow.  But it didn't cut the line until it was in the boat ???

I marked the point if I ever go back again.

[Further North]

10 hours ago, newbiedmv said:

Yeah I took it slow.  But it didn't cut the line until it was in the boat ???

I marked the point if I ever go back again.

If you're going to pursue pike specifically, I'd recommend braided line, and a wire leader. 

I tie my wire directly to the braid, with a Mustad FasTach swivel clip at the business end so I don't have to be concerned about the upper leader connection running into, and damaging the tip line guide.

Here's two examples - the first is single strand Knot-2-Kinky Nickle Titanium wire, the second is 7 x 7 Tyger Leader (no longer availabe, AFW makes a great substitute).  THe swivels are tied in with a perfection loop to maximize action.

...yeah, the 2nd one is on a fly, but I do the same on my gear rods.

 

 

Here's two other examples for when I don't want, or need to allow for, the lure (or fly) spinning:

Same rig, but just either tied directly to the hook:

 

...ore to the Mustad FasTach clip:



I hope that's useful!

[gim]

I was gonna say...a 19 inch pike is quite small but if its a pickerel then its decent sized.

[newbiedmv]

Thanks. I never fished for anything I'd need a steel leader on. I have some 30lb braid and it's very very hard to cut.

If I go back, I'll stay an hour away. Hotel was terrible, gave me a massive headache. 

Thanks for the compliment it's officially my biggest ratio catch from min size to it's size. It's not a bass so not a PB ?.

[newbiedmv]

Just FYI:

That expensive wally world Ozark scale doesn't work at all below 3 lbs.

4lbs show 3 lbs. A 5 lb dumbell shows 4.75lbs.

I figure it was 2.5 to 3 lbs.

Whatta expect Fer 5.00. ?

[rtwvumtneer6]

On 9/23/2021 at 12:06 AM, Bluebasser86 said:

That's a chain pickerel. 

 

Half hour fight??

Agreed.  We catch quite a few here by accident.  They hunt in the same places a bass would and seem to like anything black and blue (especially bladed jigs).  

 

The ones we catch hit like a ton of bricks, and after a few handle cranks they feel like you're reeling in a wet shoe.  They also stink.  We do what we can to keep them off the carpet in the boat.  

 

Either way, fun to catch a new species! 

[guidoStow]

I rather like Chain Pickerel. They are a lot of fun on a fly rod. I have never had one fight like a wet shoe. One of the lip grip type tools lets you safely control the pickerel without taking it out of the water, a hemostat or long nosed pliers let you remove the hook easily.  19 incher is a nice fish.

[Further North]

49 minutes ago, guidoStow said:

One of the lip grip type tools lets you safely control the pickerel without taking it out of the water

Those tools break jaws if not handled properly...and few people handle them properly.

An appropriately sized net is the best way to deal with any Esox.

[guidoStow]

I agree. But I simply use them to immobilize the fish at boat side, remove the hook and release without injury to fish or fisherman... Used properly, the fish never leaves the water.

[Further North]

1 hour ago, guidoStow said:

I agree. But I simply use them to immobilize the fish at boat side, remove the hook and release without injury to fish or fisherman... Used properly, the fish never leaves the water.

I do the same, with a net.  Virtually zero risk.

[guidoStow]

In a kayak a net big enough to deal with fish this size or bigger is a real challenge. But your point is taken. The fish is too important to waste...

[Further North]

5 minutes ago, guidoStow said:

In a kayak a net big enough to deal with fish this size or bigger is a real challenge. But your point is taken. The fish is too important to waste...

I'd missed the part about a kayak.

I use a Frabil folding net in both my big boat and drift boat; they make a big difference.

[guidoStow]

Probably because I didn't bring up the kayak part earlier... 8-)

 

Frabil has a one hand 14x18 that is the biggest they offer in that configuration. It might do the job but I wonder how it would handle a really big Pike if it didn't want to curl up nicely...

[newbiedmv]

I'm looking for a folding net. Are there any others.

I have nowhere to stow a regular net.

[Further North]

3 hours ago, guidoStow said:

Probably because I didn't bring up the kayak part earlier... 8-)

 

Frabil has a one hand 14x18 that is the biggest they offer in that configuration. It might do the job but I wonder how it would handle a really big Pike if it didn't want to curl up nicely...

Not terribly well...

Frabill's website looks like it's down, but I found them elsewhere...this is the net most of us use in drift boats.

https://www.norsemenoutdoors.com/product/ts116y-muskie-net-116/

 

I've had had 48" muskies in it.

14 minutes ago, newbiedmv said:

I'm looking for a folding net. Are there any others.

I have nowhere to stow a regular net.

See above - Frabill Stowmaster 116 is what I use in my smaller boat.

[guidoStow]

I think I need a bigger boat...