1st Pickerel

[Further North]

3 hours ago, guidoStow said:

I think I need a bigger boat...

That net folds down pretty small.

[PressuredFishing]

On 9/22/2021 at 6:39 PM, newbiedmv said:

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.

 

Are pike any good eating?

[MN Fisher]

1 minute ago, PressuredFishing said:

Are pike any good eating?

I've had it...it's fairly tasty in the middlin sizes (3-5lbs) - but filleting them is problematic as you have to remove the 'Y' bones that run down the center of the meatiest part of the fillet.

 

So I just toss them back - never really got the hang of getting rid of the 'Y' bones.

[Further North]

16 minutes ago, PressuredFishing said:

Are pike any good eating?

Yes.

...but like any species, pay attention to what it takes to keep a solid population of good-sized fish going.

Small ones suffer from the Y-bone problem.

...and anything over about 30" can get mushy and fishy.

[newbiedmv]

Only one might fit....

Crap I saw one at Walmart awhile back that was perfect, about 12" folded and I didn't get it.

My only long storage is my rod compartment. I really don't want to put a net in there.

I have a 4' storage on the other side but it's full of all the take out stuff(life jacket, TM pedal, fish finder,boat hook, bow line) along with anchor, some tools. It's easy to get to before launching.

I'll have to look at it. I have compartments I don't use, one because it directly under the bow seat and the hatch is so big you have to get up then on you knees to get anything. Standard crestliner 17' now 18' layout. 

I can more stuff into the "cooler" which I very rarely use even 1/8 of it.

Ideally it would be a net I can grab with my foot on the rod and get it assembled. I very very rarely go out with another person....they talk to much ??

 

 

[Further North]

6 hours ago, guidoStow said:

I think I need a bigger boat...

Been there.

Done that.

I have the t-shirt, the hat, and numerous scars...

...and two boats...

An 18 1/2 foot Crestliner for lakes and deep rivers, and a drift boat for shallow rivers...there's very little I can't fish...haven't found it yet...

[newbiedmv]

Ok..where so you stow it. I have a 2005 17' ?

Can only think of the two big velcro straps on the rod lid.

[newbiedmv]

Thanks, yall have given me a idea that should work.

Stow the net part it in one of those folding chair bags(which I have one). Put it in the rod locker.

Before launch take it out assemble it and tie it down with the velcro.

Never occurred to me until now.

[newbiedmv]

Just have to wait until spring to get one at BPS.

I need a few large 3" inline spinners or whatever else they're called.

Gold with speckled watermelon and red with a large sliver spinner. Caught about 10 fish off it in two months.

So I'll get 3 or 4.

My boats been winterized mostly now. Don't feel like pulling all the drain plugs out again and blowing out the lines and pumps.

[Further North]

41 minutes ago, newbiedmv said:

Ok..where so you stow it. I have a 2005 17' ?

Can only think of the two big velcro straps on the rod lid.

I haven't seen your set up, but I tuck it to the right of the rower's seat in the drift boat.  Easy grab, and it's ready to go as soon as it's open.

 

26 minutes ago, newbiedmv said:

Thanks, yall have given me a idea that should work.

Stow the net part it in one of those folding chair bags(which I have one). Put it in the rod locker.

Before launch take it out assemble it and tie it down with the velcro.

Never occurred to me until now.

The net self-opens and sets up, all the person on the net has to is pull the handle out.  2 seconds, tops, even if you're all thumbs, like I am.

[newbiedmv]

Thanks.

I have a cx1754 2005. I might post a pic one day. It's a crappie/bass boat.

It's nothing like the ones I see on there web site.

A guy offered me 18k for it last July. Glad I didn't take it(I paid 14k). New anything now is 25k

Crap now I want to go out again but the rivers to high and fast.

[guidoStow]

6 hours ago, Further North said:

I haven't seen your set up, but I tuck it to the right of the rower's seat in the drift boat.  Easy grab, and it's ready to go as soon as it's open.

 

The net self-opens and sets up, all the person on the net has to is pull the handle out.  2 seconds, tops, even if you're all thumbs, like I am.

That still sounds like a two handed operation. In the kayak it needs to be one handed.

[TnRiver46]

11 hours ago, newbiedmv said:

Just have to wait until spring to get one at BPS.

I need a few large 3" inline spinners or whatever else they're called.

Gold with speckled watermelon and red with a large sliver spinner. Caught about 10 fish off it in two months.

So I'll get 3 or 4.

My boats been winterized mostly now. Don't feel like pulling all the drain plugs out again and blowing out the lines and pumps.

Winterized??? My brother said it’s in the mid sixties in Philly today 

[newbiedmv]

Yep...where I live it goes from 60 to 30 overnight in October or November. Rarely do you have a hint it's coming other than the wind. Forty miles east is the bay, it doesn't freeze until January. 

I think they've had flurries above 2500 ft.(where I caught the Pickerel)

We winterize everything in the middle of October. Much easier than at 3 am 30 degrees and 30mph wind.

Kinda stinks I was going to go down to southern MD again.(from the pictures even they get snow).

[Further North]

13 hours ago, guidoStow said:

That still sounds like a two handed operation. In the kayak it needs to be one handed.

I can, and have, done it with one hand when I have a fish on.

I don't open the net unless I need it...there's no room for it in the boat, open.

19 hours ago, newbiedmv said:

Thanks.

I have a cx1754 2005. I might post a pic one day. It's a crappie/bass boat.

It's nothing like the ones I see on there web site.

A guy offered me 18k for it last July. Glad I didn't take it(I paid 14k). New anything now is 25k

Crap now I want to go out again but the rivers to high and fast.

I found pictures on-line.  That's a cool rig, I like it.

My "lake boat" is a Crestliner CMV 1850, the same age as yours.  Unless something stupid happens, it'll be my last boat.  It suits what I do very, very well.

[gim]

On 10/16/2021 at 8:54 PM, PressuredFishing said:

Are pike any good eating?

As @MN Fisher and @Further North stated, pike are pretty good eating if you choose a smaller one and know how to remove the y bones. I also am not very proficient at it and would like to get better because they are a very abundant resource here and they are easy to catch. Plus the bag limit is 10 daily here too.

 

I will also add that generally, as with most fish, they taste better out of colder water. 
 

I rarely net them. And yes the snotty slime they have stinks too. It’s awful in the warmer summer months. Like a bad sinus infection. I caught a 35 incher last week which was the biggest one I’ve caught all season, and I have caught probably 75 pike this season.

[newbiedmv]

I've seen YouTube videos on fileting them. The people doing it have a lot of practice and a very very very sharp knife.

Thanks for the comment about opening the net. That's a big concern. 

I bought that boat (old one was a 13' aluminum) due to lak of storage space and constantly stepping on stuff. It has a ton of storage but really can't use the front. It just hit me. Maybe I can flip the lid around or screw down some milk crates inside. It only has an extra life preserver, throw ring, and 4 bumpers in it. You can still fit a 10 year old in it with ease ( the kid did it not me). I'll have to contact crestliner.

[newbiedmv]

I found the pictures...man I need to clean it.

Oh it's my last boat, it's good but came with absolute junk accessories. 

All of them that can go has gone . mainly the MG TM and stupid console stuff. Also some age related stuff. It's running quite nicely now.

I like the CMV. That would be perfect on the Chesapeake and lower Potomac. Lot's of room. I'm 40 miles from the bay, I had to go to central PA show to even see bass boats other than BPS and ranger.

Oh my neighbor showed up today, since his work truck is down he wanted to go get snowed on at Deep Creek ?

[Further North]

18 hours ago, newbiedmv said:

I like the CMV. That would be perfect on the Chesapeake and lower Potomac. Lot's of room.

Strorage was the biggest reason for getting it.

All my "stuff" goes below deck - the front of the boat is a floating tackle store.  There's more than 20 rods in the rod locker...

The folded musky net goes on the floor in the back, starboard side, up against the transom.

[BassinCNY]

I think chain pickerel are the best tasting fish there are. They're also the toughest to fillet. This guy's a pro though 

 

[newbiedmv]

5 hours ago, Further North said:

Strorage was the biggest reason for getting it.

All my "stuff" goes below deck - the front of the boat is a floating tackle store.  There's more than 20 rods in the rod locker...

The folded musky net goes on the floor in the back, starboard side, up against the transom.

I was kinda considering that size as there are a thousand dealers near Annapolis MD. Many on the water and I got take them out. Mostly center console fiberglass (man they handled like a freight train). I wanted something real shallow that would fit in my garage but bigger and more stable than a Jon boat. First choice was a roughneck with the channel and turboprop, but 0 storage space. Came down to crestliner, Bass tracker, and ranger.

Found out in 2015 my crestliner is the same as the ranger  that year with a different paint job, engine, and interior. Saw one at Guntersville and the guy let me look it over. Then I read something to that effect they were all made by maybe brunswick? Not sure anymore.

 

I looked it over today, I'll move a bunch of stuff forward (small tool box,anchor then it will fit in the right forward compartment and I'll stow it between the console and gunwale while out. I'll move the boat hook/paddle to the left side. I'll have a usable net and still setup without climbing up on the boat.

 

[Further North]

21 minutes ago, newbiedmv said:

I was kinda considering that size as there are a thousand dealers near Annapolis MD. Many on the water and I got take them out. Mostly center console fiberglass (man they handled like a freight train). I wanted something real shallow that would fit in my garage but bigger and more stable than a Jon boat. First choice was a roughneck with the channel and turboprop, but 0 storage space. Came down to crestliner, Bass tracker, and ranger.

Found out in 2015 my crestliner is the same as the ranger  that year with a different paint job, engine, and interior. Saw one at Guntersville and the guy let me look it over. Then I read something to that effect they were all made by maybe brunswick? Not sure anymore.

 

I looked it over today, I'll move a bunch of stuff forward (small tool box,anchor then it will fit in the right forward compartment and I'll stow it between the console and gunwale while out. I'll move the boat hook/paddle to the left side. I'll have a usable net and still setup without climbing up on the boat.

 

You have a great boat, and a good plan for adapting it.

The CMV is a lot wider - 8 ft. - and might draft deeper than would be good for a lot of your water.

There's a solid reason why I use the CMV for lakes and my drift boat for the shallow rivers...it all comes down to how shallow the water is.  The CMV can get down to about 12" if I raise the motor up...the drift boat can deal with 4".

 

[newbiedmv]

Ahh 8 ft. I think mine is 6. That makes a difference. 

I put on a used minn kota 80lb 24v that everyone in the forum said don't buy so I can get into 6" water with the bow.

Everyone was right the pedal crapped out but I got it fixed, figure it will last a long time the way I use it. If not I can fix it with a jelly lid and some solder. 

[newbiedmv]

Huh, yeah I can stow it back in center transom. Thanks

[Further North]

1 hour ago, newbiedmv said:

Ahh 8 ft. I think mine is 6. That makes a difference. 

I put on a used minn kota 80lb 24v that everyone in the forum said don't buy so I can get into 6" water with the bow.

Everyone was right the pedal crapped out but I got it fixed, figure it will last a long time the way I use it. If not I can fix it with a jelly lid and some solder. 

I run a 36 volt, 112 lb. thrust Minn Kota Ulterra...I've put it through every kind of hell imaginable and the only issued are user induced.

Ain't no such thing as an over-powered trolling motor...