Pickerel are Jerks

[PhishLI]

That's all.

 

[J Francho]

Lol, uh huh. 

[Further North]

I'm not laughing at you...but... ?

[VolFan]

Hard to laugh with you if you’re not laughing…that sucks!

[PhishLI]

3 hours ago, VolFan said:

Hard to laugh with you if you’re not laughing…

I'm laughing on the inside?

[Further North]

You're experiencing a lesser version of why almost everything I throw has a wire leader.

Right now Senkos and Ned Rigs are the only thing I fish on regular line.  Everything else gets esox proofed.

[softwateronly]

17 hours ago, PhishLI said:

That's all.

 

 

Pike get my soft bait tails as well, but when they steal my jerk baits or Gantarels...?

 

Makes these catches even better, even if the next cast cost me my favorite jerk bait to her sister.

 

scott

 

 

 

[Further North]

4 minutes ago, softwateronly said:

Pike get my soft bait tails as well, but when they steal my jerk baits or Gantarels...?

That's why I tie in about a foot of tieable wire, and a Mustad Fastach clip on those kinds of baits.

FG knot to the main line, Perfection Loop to the clip at the other end.  It goes through the guides with zero issues, casts like a dream, and if it impacts action the bunches of fish I catch every year don't notice.

[softwateronly]

1 hour ago, Further North said:

That's why I tie in about a foot of tieable wire, and a Mustad Fastach clip on those kinds of baits.

FG knot to the main line, Perfection Loop to the clip at the other end.  It goes through the guides with zero issues, casts like a dream, and if it impacts action the bunches of fish I catch every year don't notice.

 

I use the 7x7 strand afw, with an alberto and flying bowline to the bait.  I didn't like the action last time I did it with jerks, maybe I need to downsize to the 20lb test version or I was just wrong.  I'm gonna check it again, thanks.

 

scott

[gim]

It aint funny when it happens to you.  When it happens to someone else, its kinda funny.  I've been on both ends too many times to even count anymore lol.

[A-Jay]

Somehow I got this bait back doesn't usually go that way.

https://youtu.be/S_Owp6ZVN0U?t=1361

A-Jay

[Further North]

7 hours ago, softwateronly said:

 

I use the 7x7 strand afw, with an alberto and flying bowline to the bait.  I didn't like the action last time I did it with jerks, maybe I need to downsize to the 20lb test version or I was just wrong.  I'm gonna check it again, thanks.

 

scott

I'd try the 20#, see if you like it.  I don't find that heavy wire is needed.

[Dogface]

15 hours ago, Further North said:

I'd try the 20#, see if you like it.  I don't find that heavy wire is needed.

 

Depending on what lures I'm fishing and where I'm fishing I use wire at times. I make my own leaders and usually use a 6 or 8" length of wire. I don't know how many lures the wire has saved but I suspect more than a few. 

[Further North]

10 minutes ago, Dogface said:

 

Depending on what lures I'm fishing and where I'm fishing I use wire at times. I make my own leaders and usually use a 6 or 8" length of wire. I don't know how many lures the wire has saved but I suspect more than a few. 

I go a bit longer than that because of big musky and pike.  A four footer can get past a 6" leader if they hit it sideways, or engulf it from behind, depending on the size of the lure/bait/fly.

[gim]

38 minutes ago, Further North said:

A four footer can get past a 6" leader if they hit it sideways, or engulf it from behind, depending on the size of the lure/bait/fly.

I used 12 inches for the length of mine.

[Further North]

3 hours ago, gimruis said:

I used 12 inches for the length of mine.

That's about where I wind up.  I usually cut the wire at 14" - 15", and by the time I'm done with the FG knot to the main line and the Perfection Loop at the business end, I'm around a foot.

[NYWayfarer]

When the Pickerel are around I put the soft plastics away until I weed them out.

 

For the toothy critters I tie on a Rapala floating minnow, a jerkbait like a Storm Thunderstick or a spoon. 10# mono has handled Pickerel in the 2-3 lb range

 

[PhishLI]

14 hours ago, NYWayfarer said:

When the Pickerel are around I put the soft plastics away until I weed them out.

Pickerel are always around down here.

14 hours ago, NYWayfarer said:

10# mono has handled Pickerel in the 2-3 lb range

Oddly, I've only had my line cut through a handful of times, even with lighter mono. But it's usually nicked enough that not re-tying would lead to a break off on the next fish. Got this one several weeks ago on 12lb copoly.

[Further North]

15 hours ago, NYWayfarer said:

10# mono has handled Pickerel in the 2-3 lb range

10# mono lasts just long enough that you get to feel a slight tug before the line gets cut. ?

Same with almost any leaderless braid.

[NYWayfarer]

2 hours ago, PhishLI said:Pickerel are always around down here., I've only had my line cut through a handful of times, even with lighter mono. But it's usually nicked enough that not re-tying would lead to a break off on the next fish. Got this one several weeks ago on 12lb copoly.

 

Same here with having my line cut. Usually happens on the hookset. It’s been a rare occasion. 
 

Most of the time with a treble hook bait, like a floating minnow or a spoon, I feel the tug and keep reeling keeping steady pressure on the line. The line doesn’t get sliced up that way.

[gim]

10 hours ago, Further North said:

Same with almost any leaderless braid.

I didn't think that pike could slice through 30 or 40 pound braided line.  I was wrong.  They snip that off with ease.

[Further North]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

I didn't think that pike could slice through 30 or 40 pound braided line.  I was wrong.  They snip that off with ease.

Yep.

Even faster than mono/fluoro if it's under tension.

[michaelb]

Why are blaming the pickerel for this? Are u seeing them hit? I would think pickerel usually hit hard and would gobble those up hook and all.  Unless this is what remains after u land it? I thought i lost my tails to perch nibbling. 

[PhishLI]

12 minutes ago, michaelb said:

Why are blaming the pickerel for this?

I don't know how pickerel behave anywhere else because I've only caught them locally. Here they're prone to following your lure practically to the shore or boat then hitting. I've watched them bite the tails off of most of those baits. Besides that I know what a pickerel bite feels like, especially when they only bite the back half of a plastic bait.

[Further North]

10 hours ago, PhishLI said:

I don't know how pickerel behave anywhere else because I've only caught them locally. Here they're prone to following your lure practically to the shore or boat then hitting. I've watched them bite the tails off of most of those baits. Besides that I know what a pickerel bite feels like, especially when they only bite the back half of a plastic bait.

That's an esox thing.  Lots of them are caught boat-side.  It's the reason for the the figure-8 most of us do.