TheSwearingAngler Posted January 5, 2023 Posted January 5, 2023 I’ve only been back to fishing since July so it’s basically like I’m completely new. I started catching a lot of pickerel as the water cooled down but never targeted them specifically. I just ended a nearly 2 month catch drought with one at lunch and decided if I can’t beat them join them. I caught some on topwater mid fall, what temps will the topwater bite stop.. something jumped out of the water today I’m thinking it was pickerel since here in Boston-ish the bass are shut down. I welcome any tips for targeting these toothy critters. Quote
Super User Further North Posted January 5, 2023 Super User Posted January 5, 2023 If they are anything like pike, flashy works. I'm a Mepps fan, but there are other options. 1 Quote
TheSwearingAngler Posted January 5, 2023 Author Posted January 5, 2023 7 minutes ago, Further North said: If they are anything like pike, flashy works. I'm a Mepps fan, but there are other options. I should have added todays Pick was on a yellow perch Rapala ripstop jerkbait. My pond is loaded with yellow perch so my lure selection leans heavily on that color. Quote
Super User Deleted account Posted January 5, 2023 Super User Posted January 5, 2023 Step into the SCIF... 3 Quote
Super User Jar11591 Posted January 5, 2023 Super User Posted January 5, 2023 Something fast moving and with a lot of flash should get you more pickerel than you want. 1 1 Quote
TheSwearingAngler Posted January 5, 2023 Author Posted January 5, 2023 21 minutes ago, Jar11591 said: Something fast moving and with a lot of flash should get you more pickerel than you want. So stick with the jerkbait and keep it moving fast? 47 minutes ago, Deleted account said: Step into the SCIF... SCIF ??? Quote
Super User Jar11591 Posted January 5, 2023 Super User Posted January 5, 2023 2 minutes ago, TheSwearingAngler said: So stick with the jerkbait and keep it moving fast? Jerkbaits, small spinnerbaits, in-line spinners and the faster the better. I’ve found the slower the retrieve the less interest pickerel have. Which is helpful when bass fishing because pickerel can become a nuisance very fast. 1 1 Quote
Dogface Posted January 5, 2023 Posted January 5, 2023 4 minutes ago, Jar11591 said: Jerkbaits, small spinnerbaits, in-line spinners and the faster the better. I don't target them but if I did I would start with Jar's suggestion. I do catch a few on those baits while fishing for other species. I did catch a little one yesterday on a Duo Spinbait 80. It was most welcomed. It kept the skunk away. 2 Quote
TheSwearingAngler Posted January 5, 2023 Author Posted January 5, 2023 20 minutes ago, Jar11591 said: Jerkbaits, small spinnerbaits, in-line spinners and the faster the better. I’ve found the slower the retrieve the less interest pickerel have. Which is helpful when bass fishing because pickerel can become a nuisance very fast. 2 months ago I would have found them annoying, but since I’m having so much trouble with the bass bite I’ve acquired an open mind. 2 Quote
Super User Deleted account Posted January 6, 2023 Super User Posted January 6, 2023 1 hour ago, TheSwearingAngler said: SCIF ??? Like the Get Smart cone of silence... 1 Quote
TheSwearingAngler Posted January 6, 2023 Author Posted January 6, 2023 1 hour ago, Deleted account said: Like the Get Smart cone of silence... Yeah, I googled it.. that said I see a jerkbait in this picture. I just bought a bunch of perch colored jerkbaits so that’s gonna be my go to for now. Quote
Super User Deleted account Posted January 6, 2023 Super User Posted January 6, 2023 51 minutes ago, TheSwearingAngler said: Yeah, I googled it.. that said I see a jerkbait in this picture. I just bought a bunch of perch colored jerkbaits so that’s gonna be my go to for now. That will work. I make a mini Cowgirl double #4 french blade thing that they really seem to be liking, but in really cold water a minnow JB is hard to beat. 1 Quote
desmobob Posted January 6, 2023 Posted January 6, 2023 The local pickerel can't seem to resist small spinnerbaits. I love fishing the old Beetle Spin on BFS gear for panfish. I buy them by the carton because they get eaten by pickerel regularly. 1 Quote
Super User Deleted account Posted January 6, 2023 Super User Posted January 6, 2023 12 hours ago, desmobob said: The local pickerel can't seem to resist small spinnerbaits. I love fishing the old Beetle Spin on BFS gear for panfish. I buy them by the carton because they get eaten by pickerel regularly. Yes, most of the time a spinnerbait is hard to beat, it's flashy, you can fish it fast or slow, and it has a built in wire leader, but in really cold water, I find most days you need to have a bait that you can work fast to get their attention and have it hold (or even back up) to get them to commit. I'm also not a fan of small lures for pickerel, sure they will hit them, but it increases the chance of getting bit off and you get bit more often by the little guys. I find pickerel behave almost exactly like pike 99% of the time. Quote
Super User casts_by_fly Posted January 6, 2023 Super User Posted January 6, 2023 across the year, my best producer for pickerel has been crankbaits but that's probably because I've been fishing them for bass and pickerel are a bycatch. I've caught them on buzzbaits, crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, spinnerbaits, swimjigs, paddletails, and probably a few other things I'm forgetting. If its a baitfish and looks like its getting away, pickeral are going to snatch it. I had one grab a bomber A last year as I was pulling it out at the end of the cast. I think the bill was out of the water and the rear hook was still in the water when the fish inhaled it. I set the hook and boat flipped it at the same time. talk about a mad slimy mess in a kayak... If I were going to target them, I'd have two rods rigged. Both would have a 6" steel leader. One would have a jerkbait or crankbait depending on water temp and how active they are that day. The other would be a ~3" inline spinner. Quote
TheSwearingAngler Posted January 6, 2023 Author Posted January 6, 2023 I appreciate all the input so far everybody… so far all my pickerel have been bycatches. I just realized I should lean into it. I caught several accidentally on topwater while targeting bass.. I missed a lot too, or rather they can’t strike a barn door. Does anybody know what temp is too low to even try topwater? I honestly wouldn’t care if I didn’t land any if I could just get blowups all day. Quote
Captain Phil Posted January 6, 2023 Posted January 6, 2023 Chain Pickerel are the only pike we have here in Florida. The best places to find them are lakes with clear water and lots of aquatic weeds. The best lures are spinnerbaits. The largest I have seen are 3-4 pounds. Most are caught as a bycatch when bass fishing. 1 Quote
Super User Deleted account Posted January 6, 2023 Super User Posted January 6, 2023 29 minutes ago, TheSwearingAngler said: I appreciate all the input so far everybody… so far all my pickerel have been bycatches. I just realized I should lean into it. I caught several accidentally on topwater while targeting bass.. I missed a lot too, or rather they can’t strike a barn door. Does anybody know what temp is too low to even try topwater? I honestly wouldn’t care if I didn’t land any if I could just get blowups all day. A lot of folks are of a mind that pickerel are easy to catch, and they will bite anything in a suicidal way, and while this can be true at times,(particularly when most start fishing for bass each year) if one wants to catch big ones consistently, there is certainly a methodology. As far as topwater, they will hit them as long as there is open water, but the effectiveness certainly diminishes in really cold water, one that can be worked quickly and aggressively, and then stopped on the surface will work best in the cold. As someone mentioned, pickerel (and pike) will often hit a lure as you lift it out of the water, this is due to the change in speed or action, so stopping a topwater, then starting it again several times per retrieve is a good idea. 3 Quote
KSanford33 Posted January 6, 2023 Posted January 6, 2023 I've caught a ton of pickerel recently on bigger paddletail swimbaits. Like Deleted was saying, if it's something you can vary the speed of the retrieve with fairly easily, pickerel will be interested. 2 Quote
TheSwearingAngler Posted January 21, 2023 Author Posted January 21, 2023 2 picks on inline spinners today. 2 Quote
Super User Further North Posted January 21, 2023 Super User Posted January 21, 2023 In-line spinners for the win! 2 Quote
TheSwearingAngler Posted January 22, 2023 Author Posted January 22, 2023 1 hour ago, Further North said: In-line spinners for the win! Seriously… I’m going to crush the barbs though, they were both very hard to unhook. 1 Quote
Super User Further North Posted January 22, 2023 Super User Posted January 22, 2023 1 hour ago, TheSwearingAngler said: Seriously… I’m going to crush the barbs though, they were both very hard to unhook. Yes, I do that on all mine. Makes them way easier to unhook, I can do it over the side of the boat 9 times out of 10. Quote
Super User Bird Posted January 22, 2023 Super User Posted January 22, 2023 This one particular lake I occasionally fish is well populated with Pickerel. If I'm trying to avoid them then I must avoid Jerkbaits. What's crazy is every single toothy predator " pike, musky and pickerel" that I've caught have all been on a Jerkbait. Quote
Super User Further North Posted January 22, 2023 Super User Posted January 22, 2023 3 hours ago, Bird said: This one particular lake I occasionally fish is well populated with Pickerel. If I'm trying to avoid them then I must avoid Jerkbaits. What's crazy is every single toothy predator " pike, musky and pickerel" that I've caught have all been on a Jerkbait. Wire leaders...tied into the main line so they don't kill the action... 1 Quote
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