does anyone know any different ways to finesses fish pickerel. i have been using a 2inch tube on a 4lb trout setup. does anybody know any other ways that might be less prone to bite-offs. thanks

try using a steel leader.

Posted By wellsley on 01 Sep 2012 08:06 PM
try using a steel leader.

And you don't need a long one either...6" max....4" even better.

Pickerel don't get big (10 lbs is HUGE...world record maybe!)

Get some Twist-Weld...20 lb will work...and make yourself a few short leaders.

Another idea...regardless of whether you are fishing rivers or lakes...IF you can find a sand / gravel bottom alongside a weedbed...cast a spoon (3/8 - 3/4 oz) to the bare spot. Let it sit on the bottom for a minute or so...then just raise it off the bottom.

IF the weedbed is near a dropoff...even better. Use deeper diving lures working the deeper edge of the dropoff. Don't hesitate to let a 3/8 oz spinnerbait drop down the edge of the dropoff.

Smaller size lures work well too. Try most any lure around 1/4 oz.

I hope this helps...and we'd appreciate an update on your quest

went today and fished 2 inch tubes again. I fished with 6lb test though and a 7ft rod. i ended up catching 2 pickerel. i did have 2 bite-offs though.

Nice pics & thanks for sharing a couple of pics of chain pickerel.  

Do them small leaders like I mentioned...no more bite-offs.

JMHO & best regards

Double tail grub lures work really well for me here in Jersey. Not sure where you are fishing, but the lake across my house is a bit murky and the white lures seem to work the best. I have caught quite a few chain pickerels with these style grubs. Last week I caught a decent 3.5 lb/22 inch pickerel on one and a couple smaller 18" pickerels.

i fish at the Delaware canal in PA up near trenton. If your not familiar with it its only about is wide as a street at its widest where i fish it and its only probably about 4ft deep but its really murky and there is lots of weed cover this time of year.

do you fish the twin tail grub with a jighead or weightless?

Most folks fish them with jigheads....but don't hesitate to fish it weightless either.

Wow...that is an OLD canal

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delaware_and_Raritan_Canal

thanks and yea its been around for a very long time and its all over around me but in spots its dried up now.

ryfish,I figure a post is better late than never...So, I'm a member of Orange Lake Fish and Game Association/Club here in New York.Our Lake located in Town of Newburgh is loaded with Chain Pickerel,some quite large for the species.Personally,I've never used a wire rig for Picks' ,and haven't had many bite-offs that I can recall. 1st. try using a heavier line to start. On my rigs I use Magna-thin anywhere from 8 to 12 lb. or so. One of my go-to plugs is the Beetle-spin w/ an 1/8th oz head,and a 3" white curly tail power grub. Slow-roll them across the bottom over and through the structure,and be READY!!
Also try BURNIN' a Baby 1- Minus (Fire Tiger) Near weed edges,Picks' ain't shy! Another good one is the 4"-5" Sluggo rigged wacky,swimming it on the surface.
I know it's late now,but when Spring gets here,give these a try.Good Luck.
 Here's an Orange Lake Pick'

Dan

Posted By DRMead on 24 Nov 2012 06:58 AM
ryfish,I figure a post is better late than never...So, I'm a member of Orange Lake Fish and Game Association/Club here in New York.Our Lake located in Town of Newburgh is loaded with Chain Pickerel,some quite large for the species.Personally,I've never used a wire rig for Picks' ,and haven't had many bite-offs that I can recall. 1st. try using a heavier line to start. On my rigs I use Magna-thin anywhere from 8 to 12 lb. or so. One of my go-to plugs is the Beetle-spin w/ an 1/8th oz head,and a 3" white curly tail power grub. Slow-roll them across the bottom over and through the structure,and be READY!!
Also try BURNIN' a Baby 1- Minus (Fire Tiger) Near weed edges,Picks' ain't shy! Another good one is the 4"-5" Sluggo rigged wacky,swimming it on the surface.
I know it's late now,but when Spring gets here,give these a try.Good Luck.
 Here's an Orange Lake Pick'

Dan

Nice post DRM..and thanks for the pic.

The BIGGEST reason I suggest at LEAST a small wire leader is that in MANY waters containing pike / muskie / pickerel...there can be a chance to "tie into a good one"

What a LOT of folks don't understand about the pike family is that they can be VERY picky at times. In frozen waters / winter time early spring they sometimes survive eating dead fish off the bottom...similar to catfish.

Many folks around the world fish for the pike "family" with dead bait.

Your comment about "slow roll" is ironic...as I have caught them by letting a spoon settle to the bottom for a minute or so. Once I engage the reel...then gently "lift" the lure off the bottom...MANY times I get a strike.

Any time Dave,I really like when some guys chase "those other fish" Truth be told, I'd rather fish for Picks' than Bass sometimes.I wish I knew more places to
fish for Pickerel,as they are just a blast on light and medium tackle. I'm about 45 mins from the Delaware River in Matamoris PA./Port Jervis NY.
If anybody reading this thread,give me a hollar.Would enjoy finding some new Pickerel water.TTYS!!
maybe young Mr ryfish will chime back in soon.

















Dan Mead  Life Member since 1990

we should take him up to Farmer Lake in the U P, huh Dave!

Posted By pillman on 06 Dec 2012 09:20 PM
we should take him up to Farmer Lake in the U P, huh Dave!

Farmer Lake in the U P.....Do tell,Do Tell!!

just outside of Gwinn, where we had a few Member Meets. lots of pike in there

Pike ARE different than pickerel Jim

We gots lots of pickeral in NY

We gots big pickeral in NY

NY has more pickeral.

And more pickeral.

Posted By wellsley on 11 Dec 2012 07:24 PM
And more pickeral.
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Wellsley,Very nice fish.Where abouts are you fishing?? Thanks for adding to the thread.

Thanks, Cayuga Lake

If wire doesn't seem to be a good option for you, try a shock tippet, which is basically a short section of heavier material. Of course even a 20# tippet would have to be checked regularly for abrasions.

they are some nice pics wellsley and thanks for the help everyone can't wait to get back out in the spring after em.

There really doesn't seem to be many pickerel in Michigan.  I've seen maybe two or three (Grass Pickerel, the small ones) in my lifetime.

Come on Dave, The guy ( DR Mead) is just trying to find more places to fish for the toothy critters. Your friends suggest a place and you say that Pike are different than Pickerel. and that was it. Pillman was suggesting Farmers lake and that was it. Pike are different than pickerel. This guy loves Pickerel fishing. and reaching out to some people that are finally speaking his language, and Pike are not much different than Pickerel. They possess the same aggressiveness. I do like some of your ideas on catching them, can you show us some of the Pickerel you have caught with those methods or any other methods? I am very interested in seeing some pictures of some of the Pickerel you have caught. and I think DR Mead would also be interested.

Try fishing flukes or swim baits or any other plastic for that matter , I fish the swim baits either weightless or on light weight jigs and rig it so it swims sideways. You could also try fly fishing for them .

I can't seem to avoid a pickerel when I swim a grub through thick vegetation. Just make sure you use strong braid or else you'll be down more than a few jigheads by the end of the day.

Nice post DRM..and thanks for the pic. The BIGGEST reason I suggest at LEAST a small wire leader is that in MANY waters containing pike / muskie / pickerel...there can be a chance to "tie into a good one" What a LOT of folks don't understand about the pike family is that they can be VERY picky at times. In frozen waters / winter time early spring they sometimes survive eating dead fish off the bottom...similar to catfish. Many folks around the world fish for the pike "family" with dead bait. Your comment about "slow roll" is ironic...as I have caught them by letting a spoon settle to the bottom for a minute or so. Once I engage the reel...then gently "lift" the lure off the bottom...MANY times I get a strike.

Life Member David 2001 BB Linkmeister US Army 1978-1985 Western Wisconsin

Mr. Dave. I was hoping by now that you would have posted some of the pickerel you are catching on all those great methods you talked about. They were very informative and just wanted to see how well all those techniques worked for you. also wanted to know if you have any pictures on actual handling of the Pickerel. They are very difficult to handle at times. I do much better with pictures than words. So hopfully you can help with some illustrations. I did find one picture of my son and how he holds them. You gotta have atleast one pictue of all those pickerel you caught.



Ive never used that spoon settling method. Hopefully you got some pictures of those that you caught.

thanks,