Some fisherman say pickerel don't fight hard enough, some say they can outfight a largemouth bass. Whichever way you fall on this argument- a big pickerel striking a surface lure in shallow water on a calm day can be absolutely electric. On that note alone, they are worthy of every freshwater fishermans attention.
On Cape Cod, as far as we can tell at the shop, there are very few fisherman that still elect to target just pickerel anymore. They are usually by catch for largemouth and small mouth bass fisherman and unwanted by catch at that, as their formidable dental arrangement can make short work of expensive baits and light lines.
However, in many ponds, they are on the easier side to catch and make for an ideal gamefish species for young, budding fisherman to target. As a young guy, my first "real" fish that I caught was a big pickerel from a pond in Harwich. My casting , presentation and general fishing knowledge were not sophisticated enough to catch the small mouth bass I knew were also in that pond, but the excitement of that epic first first pickerel battle gave me a fishing fever I have still not recovered from to this day and led me down a path to learning how to catch more of the "real" gamefish I aspired to. I suspect this was also the case for many young Cape fisherman at the start of their fishing journey that ran into a pickerel early on.
There are three species of pickerel in the US, but we will deal here only with our local variety- the chain pickerel.Though they average in on the small side of the pike family, truly large ones can inhabit our local Cape Ponds... particularly in ponds that have a seasonal herring population. In previous incarnations of the Goose Hummock Kids spring fishing contest, many pickerel that were prize winners were weighed in from 4-6 lbs and 30+ inches in length. That's a big fish by anyones fresh water standards. The average size of a decent pickerel in local ponds ranges from 12-24 inches and a couple of pounds.
Pickerel behaviors can vary widely from pond to pond on Cape Cod. In some ponds they fight like bulls until the bitter end, in others they fight like kittens and give up shortly after the initial explosive strike. Average water depth and water temps may have alot to do with this . As mentioned above, regardless of what type of water you fish in, the initial top water strike can be thrilling. The signature v wake approach that accelerates to hypersonic the closer they get to your bait can be heart stopping.
In our local waters, chain pickerel usually begin the process of reproducing at the tail end of winter or in early spring, when the water temperature gets to about 45 to 50 degrees. They don't bed up like bass do... they simply lay their eggs over vegetated bottom, then go about their business of being pickerel. There is no protecting the eggs from predators like bass instinctively do.
New born pickerel will feed first on plankton, then larger bugs and then on small baitfish species .Once they become adults, they feed mostly on fish like shiners, perch and sunfish, though I have seen them feed on frogs , rodents and snakes from time to time.
Pickerel are mostly day time feeders, Idon't think I have ever caught one at night. Which is convenient if you fish a pond where the bass fishing quiets down during the heat of the day. You can switch over to pickerel and still make a day of it.
It's easy to find pickerel . Simply look for lily pads ,weed beds, docks or submerged timber in a quiet, still cove or shoreline. Pickerel are ambush predators that use structure or cover to hide themselves and will only sometimes be found hunting in deeper, open, structureless waters.
When your lure is cast to the outside edges of this type of structure, pickerel will explode from this cover with its back just barely touching the surface- producing the signature pickerel v wake strike. Hook sets are usually not a big problem as they typically engulf the bait and then make a beeline back to cover with their prize. Pickerel rarely sip or daintily strike a bait.
Even if pickerel break off your lure on the strike, they may be willing to strike again after a 20-30 minute rest period. Many times we have caught a pickerel with our or somebody elses lure still dangling from them. It doesn't seem to bother them the same way a break off seems to bother a bass or a trout.
In the early spring, start looking for them from the shoreline lying in wait in water just deep enough to cover their backs out to about 10 -12 feet of water along drop off line.If they pond you like to fish in has little coves that are protected from the wind, they prefer these kinds of areas if there are weeds or other structure present.
What to use? Nothing you would be heartbroken to lose. For many decades , the standard offering of a weedless, silver spoon like a Johnson Silver Minnow or a red and white Daredevil spoon with a pork rind strip trailer were standard pickerel go to lures, but really any lure used to catch a freshwater bass will be equally enticing. Just remember, pickerel, like bluefish, have a ton of razor sharp dental work. If you use your favorite rubber baits, you will rifle through them all in a good pickerel bite. If you are a bait guy, no pickerel, anywhere, ever will turn down a medium to large size shiner.
Retrieve- While bass like a stop and go retrieve with a distinct pause, most of the time, pickerel like a straightforward, quick retrieve. Sometimes though, they can get a little finicky and a stop and go retrieve can be just the ticket. It also depends on what lure you are using- top water prop baits and popper type lures benefit from a stop and go approach- probably because it imitates frog behavior-one of their favorite items on their menu.
In winter time, pickerel can be ice fished or open water fished effectively.
Long after the other gamefish shut down in frigid temps, pickerel keep feeding. Unless it's arctic like cold, they will be receptive to your fishing efforts.
6-8 pound monofilament or 10-20lb braid on a 5- to 7-foot, medium-action rod is perfect for chain pickerel. If you are going to just be fishing pickerel, you can use a short wire leader...if bass are any part of the equation, skip it. Just tie and retie as the pickerels teeth wear on your line.
The world-record chain pickerel,was caught in the long growing season state of Georgia and , weighed in at 9 pounds, 6 ounces. On the cape, it's not likely that you will approach or break the record, but a 4-6 lb'er is not out of the question in ponds where the herring go to spawn
Consider trying for pickerel this year before all the other game fish perk up and start feeding normally. You probably won't regret it.
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