Reptiles and amphibians for Pickerel .Notes on the two Pickerel catches : Imitation snake retrieve ,Floating worm reeled fast over the weeds/Rock . Saw two Brown snakes in the headlamp wading back to the ramp/parking lot after dark. Rod: Berkeley 6',6" medium action Lightning Rod ; Reel: Daiwa Laguna 2500 ;Line :Bass Pro Shops 10# test ;Worm Rig : 24" leader , barrel swivel, Bass Pro Shops Floating Worm Texas rigged .
24" Pickerel from small pond ,Found a few years ago that the pond has reddish brown salamanders so I experimented with a red/brown tube bait ,glued to a Johnson Spoon and found out it attracts Pickerel .Tried it again this year and caught a 2 foot 3#,1oz beauty .ROD :6',Med. action ,Quantum ,'Dance Class' spinning rod ; REEL: Pflueger President' ,LINE :Cabelas, 8#test mono ,LURE: Johnson Spoon/Tube trailer.
This Pickerel took a big package ;a Gold Johnson spoon with a 3.5" trailer. About 5 and 3/4 " of lure . Amazing seductive wide swimming action on this deadly bait . I have caught Pickerel in the same pond before ,in years past ,using this pair.
Some success with Pickerel yesterday 11/25 with small spoons and spinners. 46 degree water . With the boat in 10 ' of water and casting up to a few feet, 5 Pickerel were raised and 4 boated .I was surprised how shallow they were and started out trolling in the 10-20 range then drifting in the 30 - 10 and shallower range over still existing weeds .
One thing I learned from Greg's 1st Pickerel catch that day is ,even in 46 degree water you can still catch a Pickerel on a spinner .They were active in the shallows although slow was still the way to go . I chose spoons over spinners because I thought I could work it more slowly and enticingly but whatever Greg used as a retrieve was effective and I was surprised as well as happy to see that first fish in the net!
Yup, catch 'em through the ice but a spinner ? THAT surprised me . Fast retrieves at other times of the year don't surprise me when you catch one .My guess is Greg was working that spinner at a slow pace though .
"Chain pickerel actually desire water temperatures from 75 to 80˚F (23.9 to 26.6˚C).
Northern pike are a little fussier when it comes to preferred water temperatures. Smaller fish—those under 6 or 7 lb.—like areas in the 65 to 70˚F (18.3 to 21.1˚C) range, while larger pike like it a bit cooler, from 50 to 55˚F (10 to 12.8˚C). Pike can and do survive in almost any type of habitat, from shallow marshes to the shallow bays of large lakes, to small, coldwater rivers and streams. Typically, pike are most abundant in weedy bays and slow, meandering rivers with lots of weed growth. These preferences are one reason why pike are most common in more northern areas, where living conditions are cooler, such as Labrador, while pickerel are more common in southern waters, such as several of the lakes near Comeauville in Digby County, and near Yarmouth, in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia."
- The largest chain pickerel on record was caught in Homerville, Georgia in 1961. It was 29.5 inches long, with a weight of 9 pounds 6 ounces. http://www.dto.com/fwfishing/speciesProfile/302
Going to try to do some Pickerel fishing soon when I can get away. Like others have mentioned, they seem to be inconsistent when it comes to being able to target them. I have only ever caught Pickerel when it is between 30 and 40 degrees F outside.
I have caught them every month of the year except December , February and March .I'm in NJ and you're in VA and David is in SC . I feel it is very attainable to catch a Pickerel in all 12 months for each of us .
Nope, a pickerel on spoons is not unusual here in winter and early Spring.
Ive not kept detailed records over the past seasons, but as you've noted we don't have the northern statins of the breed - just pickerel.
40-50 degree water is in their range, albeit the low end.
Spoons and jigs for Pickerel have been my go to lures in cold water (50 deg or less) Hard to beat a Johnson spoon with a tube trailer for pond Pickerel around here too .
Interesting thing about that Georgia 9# 6 oz. Pickerel record is ,it was caught in February . The Virginia , 7 lb 10 oz record on Dec. 31 .Would like to know what the water temps were then but they sure were catches from the colder end of the Picks temp range . Big fish don't get big by being dormant that's for sure . I can't find month documentation for the record 9#3oz Jersey record . I also wonder how big a bait those record fish took .
I'd like to try Pickeled Pickerel someday .I've never done it .Have any of you guys done this? Here's a recipe I found on how to do it :
Pickled Pickerel 2 tsp pickling spice 2 ½ tbs kosher salt ¼ cup sugar 1 onion white vinegar 1) Cut fillets in to chunks 2) Fill 1 quart Ball jar approximately ¾ full with fish 3) Add, salt, sugar, pickling spice and sliced onion 4) Fill jar with white vinegar 5) Shake until all dry ingredients dissolve 6) Refrigerate 5 days [give it a shake the 3rd day] 7) Eat it right out of the jar or mix with a little sour cream and eat on a cracker as you would pickled herring
Its a love-hate thing, to me. You dont eat it because its better than a tender steak, or pizza.
You eat it because you can make it and, well... What else would you do at that point?
i know people that make i.twell pickeled pike.had some in wisconsin once.not bad .i love pickled herring from the store.made our own dill pickles last fall and were better than expected.i know it takes care of the y bones.
Funny; I've eaten it in MN.
The dip or spread thing is a good idea, John.
While in Germany years ago one of my favorite "fast food" chains were the 'Nordsee' restaurants.
They offered nothing but cold, pickled fish in a dizzying range of choices. You got fish, kraut style salad and pickles and a roll, all washed down with beer.
My favorite was a sour cream-mayonnaise dressed herring.
Another interesting thing was these places had no seats - just tables at which you stood to eat. Such dining was called, "schnell imbiss,"
pike and musky are pretty good eating.the bones are the problem.i expect pickerel are the same.i had 2 in a fish tank and they were cool.they live in a pond near my house but never got 1 more than 10 inches.got a couple about 4 lbs at reelfoot.we do have big pike tho.not considered big until 15 pounds or so.
So the pickling dissipates the bones Jim? BTW ,welcome to this group ,wish Chris ,the guy who started it would come back so I can see how things are going on by him.
Something like that, John.
I think the fish was pickled separately. The fish was then mixed with the dressing... Kinda like we might do with canned tuna.
Coming into Pickerel time .Heres one from the other day . I lost a little Cleo 1/8 oz. spoon to what had to be a Pickerel .Sliced the line .I need to come up with very light wire leaders .Any SUGGESTIONS?
I need to find some light gauge wire leaders or make some up out of used guitar strings or something. I got an 1/8th oz. Little Cleo spoon cut off by a Pickerel last week. I catch Pickerel on 1/6th oz. and lighter spoons but the wire leaders I have are heavier gauge than I need for this light process . Any one know a good source for leaders that would work for light spoons?
These should work well on the Pickerel .Picked up 2 each in Perch and Chrome Trout patterns . I got the 1/6 th oz. size .They resemble the ACME Little Cleo's that have slammed Pickerel through the years for me. http://www.johnsonfishing.com/johnson-bait-hard-bait/1311925.html#s...
Glad to see Dick Tabbert and Carl Hendrix over here ! Hey Carl I found some thin Fireline ,I think I'll make a Pickerel Leader out of some using a barrel swivel and a Duo lock .
John Sheehan
Aug 23, 2014
Ben Seay
Nice monster John!
Aug 24, 2014
John Sheehan
Thanks Ben !Hate to see this group and the pickerel themselves get neglected .
Aug 24, 2014
John Sheehan
Reptiles and amphibians for Pickerel .Notes on the two Pickerel catches : Imitation snake retrieve ,Floating worm reeled fast over the weeds/Rock . Saw two Brown snakes in the headlamp wading back to the ramp/parking lot after dark. Rod: Berkeley 6',6" medium action Lightning Rod ; Reel: Daiwa Laguna 2500 ;Line :Bass Pro Shops 10# test ;Worm Rig : 24" leader , barrel swivel, Bass Pro Shops Floating Worm Texas rigged .
24" Pickerel from small pond ,Found a few years ago that the pond has reddish brown salamanders so I experimented with a red/brown tube bait ,glued to a Johnson Spoon and found out it attracts Pickerel .Tried it again this year and caught a 2 foot 3#,1oz beauty .ROD :6',Med. action ,Quantum ,'Dance Class' spinning rod ; REEL: Pflueger President' ,LINE :Cabelas, 8#test mono ,LURE: Johnson Spoon/Tube trailer.
This Pickerel took a big package ;a Gold Johnson spoon with a 3.5" trailer. About 5 and 3/4 " of lure . Amazing seductive wide swimming action on this deadly bait . I have caught Pickerel in the same pond before ,in years past ,using this pair.
Aug 25, 2014
John Sheehan
Some success with Pickerel yesterday 11/25 with small spoons and spinners. 46 degree water . With the boat in 10 ' of water and casting up to a few feet, 5 Pickerel were raised and 4 boated .I was surprised how shallow they were and started out trolling in the 10-20 range then drifting in the 30 - 10 and shallower range over still existing weeds .
Nov 26, 2014
John Sheehan
Nov 26, 2014
John Sheehan
One thing I learned from Greg's 1st Pickerel catch that day is ,even in 46 degree water you can still catch a Pickerel on a spinner .They were active in the shallows although slow was still the way to go . I chose spoons over spinners because I thought I could work it more slowly and enticingly but whatever Greg used as a retrieve was effective and I was surprised as well as happy to see that first fish in the net!
Dec 5, 2014
David, aka, "McScruff"
Dec 5, 2014
John Sheehan
Yup, catch 'em through the ice but a spinner ? THAT surprised me . Fast retrieves at other times of the year don't surprise me when you catch one .My guess is Greg was working that spinner at a slow pace though .
Dec 5, 2014
David, aka, "McScruff"
Dec 5, 2014
John Sheehan
"Chain pickerel actually desire water temperatures from 75 to 80˚F (23.9 to 26.6˚C).
Northern pike are a little fussier when it comes to preferred water temperatures. Smaller fish—those under 6 or 7 lb.—like areas in the 65 to 70˚F (18.3 to 21.1˚C) range, while larger pike like it a bit cooler, from 50 to 55˚F (10 to 12.8˚C). Pike can and do survive in almost any type of habitat, from shallow marshes to the shallow bays of large lakes, to small, coldwater rivers and streams. Typically, pike are most abundant in weedy bays and slow, meandering rivers with lots of weed growth. These preferences are one reason why pike are most common in more northern areas, where living conditions are cooler, such as Labrador, while pickerel are more common in southern waters, such as several of the lakes near Comeauville in Digby County, and near Yarmouth, in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia."
http://www.easternwoodsandwaters.ca/index.php?option=com_content&am...
Dec 5, 2014
John Sheehan
You may be thinking PIKE David not PICKEREL
- The largest chain pickerel on record was caught in Homerville, Georgia in 1961. It was 29.5 inches long, with a weight of 9 pounds 6 ounces. http://www.dto.com/fwfishing/speciesProfile/302
Dec 5, 2014
Ben Seay
Going to try to do some Pickerel fishing soon when I can get away. Like others have mentioned, they seem to be inconsistent when it comes to being able to target them. I have only ever caught Pickerel when it is between 30 and 40 degrees F outside.
Dec 5, 2014
John Sheehan
I have caught them every month of the year except December , February and March .I'm in NJ and you're in VA and David is in SC . I feel it is very attainable to catch a Pickerel in all 12 months for each of us .
Dec 5, 2014
John Sheehan
Go get 'em Ben!
Dec 5, 2014
John Sheehan
I may have caught Pickerel years ago in Dec,Feb and March .I'm only going back to my archives which started in 2009 .
Dec 5, 2014
David, aka, "McScruff"
Ive not kept detailed records over the past seasons, but as you've noted we don't have the northern statins of the breed - just pickerel.
40-50 degree water is in their range, albeit the low end.
Dec 5, 2014
John Sheehan
Spoons and jigs for Pickerel have been my go to lures in cold water (50 deg or less) Hard to beat a Johnson spoon with a tube trailer for pond Pickerel around here too .
Dec 6, 2014
John Sheehan
Interesting thing about that Georgia 9# 6 oz. Pickerel record is ,it was caught in February . The Virginia , 7 lb 10 oz record on Dec. 31 .Would like to know what the water temps were then but they sure were catches from the colder end of the Picks temp range . Big fish don't get big by being dormant that's for sure . I can't find month documentation for the record 9#3oz Jersey record . I also wonder how big a bait those record fish took .
Dec 6, 2014
John Foro
Just joined this group hope to share and learn and post some pics.
Dec 9, 2014
John Sheehan
welcome John Foro!
Dec 9, 2014
John Sheehan
Dec 15, 2014
David, aka, "McScruff"
That's bull
I've gotten some big fish in tiny tackle; we probably all have.
But that was certainly a surprise!
Dec 19, 2014
Jim Gronaw
Several news papers have the story about the new Maryland record pickerel, caught Jan 2 2015. Google Maryland Record Pickerel and view the stories.
I believe, according to one source, Mr Haille released the fish. Cool!
Jan 12, 2015
John Sheehan
How big Jim?
Jan 12, 2015
John Sheehan
oh ,I see an 8 pounder .WOW! http://www.chesapeakeliving.com/two-maryland-fishing-records-set-in...
Jan 12, 2015
David, aka, "McScruff"
Jan 12, 2015
John Sheehan
I'd like to try Pickeled Pickerel someday .I've never done it .Have any of you guys done this? Here's a recipe I found on how to do it :
Pickled Pickerel
2 tsp pickling spice
2 ½ tbs kosher salt
¼ cup sugar
1 onion
white vinegar
1) Cut fillets in to chunks
2) Fill 1 quart Ball jar approximately ¾ full with fish
3) Add, salt, sugar, pickling spice and sliced onion
4) Fill jar with white vinegar
5) Shake until all dry ingredients dissolve
6) Refrigerate 5 days [give it a shake the 3rd day]
7) Eat it right out of the jar or mix with a little sour cream and eat on a cracker as you would pickled herring
Jan 20, 2015
David, aka, "McScruff"
Its a love-hate thing, to me. You dont eat it because its better than a tender steak, or pizza.
You eat it because you can make it and, well... What else would you do at that point?
Jan 20, 2015
John Sheehan
haha ,I'll try it at least once ,not like I'm trying catfish chum or anything .
Jan 20, 2015
jim cosgrove
i know people that make i.twell pickeled pike.had some in wisconsin once.not bad .i love pickled herring from the store.made our own dill pickles last fall and were better than expected.i know it takes care of the y bones.
Jan 20, 2015
David, aka, "McScruff"
The dip or spread thing is a good idea, John.
While in Germany years ago one of my favorite "fast food" chains were the 'Nordsee' restaurants.
They offered nothing but cold, pickled fish in a dizzying range of choices. You got fish, kraut style salad and pickles and a roll, all washed down with beer.
My favorite was a sour cream-mayonnaise dressed herring.
Another interesting thing was these places had no seats - just tables at which you stood to eat. Such dining was called, "schnell imbiss,"
Jan 20, 2015
jim cosgrove
pike and musky are pretty good eating.the bones are the problem.i expect pickerel are the same.i had 2 in a fish tank and they were cool.they live in a pond near my house but never got 1 more than 10 inches.got a couple about 4 lbs at reelfoot.we do have big pike tho.not considered big until 15 pounds or so.
Jan 20, 2015
John Sheehan
So the pickling dissipates the bones Jim? BTW ,welcome to this group ,wish Chris ,the guy who started it would come back so I can see how things are going on by him.
Jan 20, 2015
John Sheehan
Would love to get into a 15 lb Pike!
Jan 20, 2015
John Sheehan
David, I'd like to know how the Germans do their pickling .
Jan 20, 2015
John Sheehan
Pickerel in sour cream/mayo and spice .Hmmm ?!
Jan 20, 2015
David, aka, "McScruff"
I think the fish was pickled separately. The fish was then mixed with the dressing... Kinda like we might do with canned tuna.
Jan 20, 2015
David, aka, "McScruff"
Jan 20, 2015
John Sheehan
Coming into Pickerel time .Heres one from the other day . I lost a little Cleo 1/8 oz. spoon to what had to be a Pickerel .Sliced the line .I need to come up with very light wire leaders .Any SUGGESTIONS?
Oct 2, 2015
John Sheehan
I need to find some light gauge wire leaders or make some up out of used guitar strings or something. I got an 1/8th oz. Little Cleo spoon cut off by a Pickerel last week. I catch Pickerel on 1/6th oz. and lighter spoons but the wire leaders I have are heavier gauge than I need for this light process . Any one know a good source for leaders that would work for light spoons?
Oct 3, 2015
Jim Gronaw
John...I have done well using 30 pound green braid for pickerel leaders at Deep Creek Lake. Stren Super braid or Gamma will do you well.
Oct 3, 2015
John Sheehan
Do you use a blood Knot and attach to mainline mono Jim ? Thanks for the idea.
Oct 4, 2015
John Sheehan
Oct 10, 2015
John Sheehan
These should work well on the Pickerel .Picked up 2 each in Perch and Chrome Trout patterns . I got the 1/6 th oz. size .They resemble the ACME Little Cleo's that have slammed Pickerel through the years for me. http://www.johnsonfishing.com/johnson-bait-hard-bait/1311925.html#s...
Oct 18, 2015
David, aka, "McScruff"
Oct 18, 2015
John Sheehan
Hope they work as well Dave .I think they will buddy!
Oct 19, 2015
David, aka, "McScruff"
Oct 19, 2015
John Sheehan
Yup ,trolled OR casted .
Oct 19, 2015
John Sheehan
Glad to see Dick Tabbert and Carl Hendrix over here ! Hey Carl I found some thin Fireline ,I think I'll make a Pickerel Leader out of some using a barrel swivel and a Duo lock .
Oct 21, 2015