Pickerel Advice

[Chaz Hickcox]

I have never seriously fished for pickerel, heck I have only caught one and that was a fluke when I was fishing for bass.  I am looking for a winter game fish and haven't a clue about how to go about fishing for them.  My real question is what are the mechanics (presentation, location, etc...)?  Should I think of the same mechanics as LM Bass or more like the musky where they are in less specific regions and constantly on the prowl?

[Marty]

I have fished in pickerel waters for 40 years, but never targeted them or fished in the winter. From spring through fall in these waters they could be caught from any spot where a bass might be caught and vice versa. They also will readily hit any lure you own, from topwaters to bottom crawlers and everything in between.

Good luck. They can be a pain in the butt, especially when biting off lures, but they're fun to catch and fight better than largemouth in my opinion. I have no idea as to their winter behavior.

[Chaz Hickcox]

Thanks Marty. I'm going to guess they're called 'Grass Pike' for a reason. Funny story - I was fishing for bass on a lillipad flat when behind my frog a very large (I'm guessing 24in or so but I can't be certain) arrow-shaped fish exploded about 3 ft out of the water just behind the frog. The guys at the ramp said it was probably a bowfin but I've cought a lot of those and this thing was sharply pointed whereas bowfin have blunt noses. I am going to guess it was a large pickerel and start targeting that sort of place. Thanks again for the input.

[Paul Roberts]

Go flashy. Retrieve straight.

Three favorites:

Mepps #2

Johnson's Silver Minnow

Floating Rapala

[RoLo]

When living in New Jersey, I frequently targeted chain pickerel

and did a lot of ice-fishing for them using tip-ups.

My favorite artificial lure for pickerel is a 1/2oz Johnson spoon (in silver)

dressed with a 3.5" Zoom Fat-Albert grub (chartreuse pearl)

During the fall and winter, my favorite method by far is a "jig & dead minnow".

My jig preference used to be a 1/8oz Denny Brauer Weed Sneek, but that jig was discontinued.

Another very weedless swim jig is the 1/8oz Outkast Swim Jig (chartreuse/white).

Although dead bait is used, live minnows are purchased to assure the bait is fresh.

Shiners are preferred but any 3" minnow will do, we've even used killifish.

I hook the minnow through the top of the skull (out the bottom jaw) so it rides upside-down

Not only does this facilitate a dead-centered hookup, but offers reverse countershading.

Similar to a northern pike, the chain pickerel also eats fresh-dead winterkills off the bottom,

and are accustomed to seeing dead, dying and inverted baitfish.

Once on bottom, just flick the jig & minnow periodically. Between twitches,

mend the slack line as the lure settles in place (the key is S-L-O-W).

On a jig & minnow, the hit from a pickerel feels like a Sharp Jab, but it's best to twitch the lure

a few times before setting the hook. Unlike bass, which swallow their prey whole,

pickerel kill their prey first, and during the process the hook is usually outside the mouth.

[Chaz Hickcox]

That makes sense thanks for the advice.

[microman]

use spinners ( rooster tail)

but i catch most a a small rat l trap

[J Francho]

The best way to catch trophy pickerel is to enter a bass tournament on a lake that has pickerel.

;D

[J. M. Richardson]

I fish mostly for Northern Pickerel up here in wisconsin. Most luck has come on:

Extra flashy spoons (traditional red/white daredevils are great)

Single Colorado Blade spinner baits (3/4oz to 1 oz)

Chatterbaits (the heavier versions)

They will hit most bass baits too (I've caught them on Weightless Trick Sticks).

Best tip, use a non-shiny metallic leader at the end of your line to prevent bite offs

[RoLo]

The best way to catch trophy pickerel is to enter a bass tournament on a lake that has pickerel.

;D

Why didn't I think of that, would've been a lot less typing

John, do you know where I might find a pickerel tournament, I'm due for a trophy bass ;D

Roger

[ABLE2DISABLE1]

Is any one still using a ROoster Tail for the toothy critters.And I am being serious, Rooster Tails was one of the go to baits when I was younger, if not forgotten.