The Squirrel Tail Slider Jig got three Pickerel . Two took it tipped with a worm piece/.

Spinner Rig for Drifting and Trolling Shiners : http://bigbluegill.ning.com/photo/a-spinner-rig-for-pickerel?contex...

Monthly Pickerel catches show spoons to be the best choice: http://bigbluegill.ning.com/photo/albums/monthly-pickerel-catches

Pickerel and May go hand in hand with spoons!

Pickerel and Bass parallel to outside of Lily pads. My favorite bait so far 2018.

LOL;; CHARTUSE COLORED PLASTIC;; WITH;; A COLORADO  AND WHAT LOOKS LIKE A WILLOW LEAF BLADE----  HARD TO BEAT BAIT !      NICE GOING MUSIC MAN !!

I think I told you before but your using my go to bait for Northerns when I fished them. 

I almost always turn the skirt around to puff out better

Twitching a dead Herring while slow trolling got my 2nd longest Pickerel to date !

Nice one John WTG.

Thanks Guys 2nd longest to date and not sure but perhaps 3rd heaviest.

nice...makes me want to go after those pickerel around here in upstate ny...cayuga lake and oneida lake are loaded with them. i usually keep them if over 22" little tougher filleting than northern pike but worth the effort...great tasting.

Yes John they can be frustrating when they bite ya off but I love their nature. I'll keep them from certain waters sometimes but if they are 24" or more I definitely release .I have only caught three or perhaps a few more over 25" Ever see a 30" in your parts? I have not around here in NENJ. BTW-Ever fish Black Lake NY? I am going up there 1st time mid September .

I can't speak for the taste of Pickerel but look so much like northerns and they are a great tasting fish can't help but wonder if they don't taste the same since diets are similar. My only negative on pike I never learned how to fillet one out to get rid of that infamous Y-bone.

I have never eaten Pike , and only caught three in my life.

They taste good but like I said the bones and since I never learned how to fillet one properly I sorta stay away from then all together now.

Check youtube....many different ways to fillet northerns..i fillet them..cut mest off skin then trim y bones out...that method works for me. pickerrel same but few extra bones near tai....both are awesome eating.

I gotta learn too Dick , thanks John ! What I usually do is get the back strap and two fillets from tail to back of Dorsal fin .A lot of boneless  meat on those three pieces off a 22" Pickerel. The sides I don't mind at all making Fish Cakes out of by crunching in a blender . Still I gotta learn to fillet the bones out or I won't feel like a real Fisherman!

John , did I ask you if you've fished Black Lake NY? I am going up there mid September for the 1st time .Hoping for good Pike Fishing as well as Largies and Smallies! AND eater Perch, Walleye Crappie

John...yes i fish black lake couple times ayear usually for crappie and gills....in fact my son and i were talking about going in sept. never fished it then but understand it can get good...let me know when you're going.

John-Going up to Black Lake September  12-16 about 5 weeks away ,cant wait .I need to talk with you man , any advice or knowledge you could pass on to me would be much appreciated .I'll be up there with Brother Greg ,his son Orrin and  our nephew Tim . We are staying at Black Lake Marine Cottages on the West side of the lake about 3 or so miles North of  the bridge.It would be great if we met face up to face up there .Thanks for your reply!

not sure about those dates right now but not as familiar with the north part lake above the edwardsville bridge...i have gone up there a few miles before for crappie but also have caught pike near the bridge as well, but rollaway bay is well known for northern pike which is in the area south of the state boat launch but really for northerns you could almost find them anywhere near weed areas...but also around the islands across from the launch usually hold some decent smb....walleye around the bridge area as well...if we can't connect..good luck....email me at jforo3281948@yahoo.com and i can send you my phone no.

Thanks for that info John!

Last Time out with Brother Greg

More October as well as November and December catches:

Working the Wacky stick Worm like a jerk bait aggressively, the 26" ,5# Pickerel monster caught up to it and tore up the water . A Bass also was caught on the aggressive retrieve .Another fish was caught on subtler twitches. The Gold Rapala caught three Fish as did the Black Wacky stick worm . 1 Bass on a crawler/Spinner Harness, and a 22" Pickerel on a Sluggo .4 Bass ,4 Pickerel.

John looks like some healthy looking Pickerel.

You bet Dick this healthy weed, spring fed lake on the border of NY and NJ really produces Big Pickerel .My top 4 biggest came from Shepherds Lake .26-27,1/4 " Fish .

April and May 62-67 degree water  Pickerel in 12' to just a few feet have been taken on Wacky Rigged Stick Worms , 6" Sluggos ,Thin Fin 1/5 oz. Silver Shiner Pattern.and Crawler Spinner rigs.

Greg and I got twins Trolling Bomber Crankbaits .Greg  used a Bomber 6A 'Citruse ' pattern and I used the same in 'Foxy Shad' pattern .

These Pickerel come from a lake less than 5 minutes from  my house .Brother Greg and I have done well with the Pickerel  in this small 74 acre Lake .It's a Public Park/Lake and only Electric Motors are allowed . Using the Helix 5 sonar has been invaluable to learn their whereabouts in any month of the year .Through the ice its the Hummingbird ICE 35 that helps. I am finding Summer Pickerel ready to attack in 15 ' of water in 87 degree Surface WT. I am thinking I should find some slightly deeper spots as we didn't get 24" + fish Tuesday but we have in the past . The Four  biggest Picks  the other day hit the 6" Sluggo ,a big Lipped Norman Crankbait ,a Medium sized Bomber Crank and a 4" Keitech Easy Shiner .

Wow John! Those are def world-class pickerel and one of my fav gamefish! Matt and I are going to Deep Creek Lake in western MD in late Sept to target some picks and pike and what ever. Hoping to boost my PB which was a 26.5 from there last Aug. We catch many 22 to 24 along with some big yellow perch and pike near 30. Nice work!

Go get em Jim ! Heres a PB i caught the other day 27+" 5#,3oz. Took a Sluggo at 15 ' The sluggo has become my favorite Pickerel Bait lately again .

A pair of Twins both 4# 6oz. Top Fish Grabbed a Trolled Bomber 6A Crankbait  Chartreuse Shad Pattern

Bottom Fish took a Trolled Large Shiner on a self assembled #3 Blade Spinner Rig

Caught in mid July 26.5" ,4#9 oz.Pickerel BOTY so far

Some early September Fish at 13-20 ' on dropoffs outside emerging weeds

26 " of Mayhem grabbed a 4" Yum Dinger Wacky stick worm 

March Pickerel can be found shallow but they still can be sluggish .The past few years slow retrieves using Rattle baits or Husky Jerks have nabbed the earliest ICE OUT Pickerel of the Year. 

Man...those are all great looking fish John! Congrats!

Thanks Jim .You are really on the Crappie Man !

Mid-August Trolling finds Pickerel dispersed over the 74-acre lake and then drifting a hot spot produced more Pickerel and two fine Crappie!

THE 52-53 DEGREE WT PICKEREL CATCHERS  

Mid May Pickerel catchers  

Late April Pickerel Catchers,