Drove and towed my boat 3.25 hours each way (6.5 hrs total), just to fish for 1.5 hours! I was targeting Chain Pickerel. Target acquired!Caught 5 Chain Pickerel. These are the 3 best ones.Also caught this chunky 19" Largemouth Bass:
November 4, 2023
Drove and towed my boat 3.25 hours each way (6.5 hrs total), just to fish for 1.5 hours! I was targeting Chain Pickerel. Target acquired!Caught 5 Chain Pickerel. These are the 3 best ones.
David Merical
St. Louis, MO
Dave, Grand pics. Are they as toothy as a regular pike? ....lee s.
Great question, Lee! I've caught Northern Pike on flies, and I would say Yes, I believe Chain Pickerel are as toothy, but they are a smaller fish than Northern Pike, so their teeth are mostly smaller too, in my opinion. I used 12 lb Fluoro tippet, and ended the day with some nicks in the line, but no cut-offs. Did get a very minor finger wound while trying to carefully hold the mouth open while removing the fly from one fish. I used #4 and #2 streamers, which seemed big enough to hook the fish while usually partially sticking out of the mouth...so that the line wouldn't be in direct contact with those teeth. I read an article from somebody who targets Chain Pickerel on fly frequently, and they recommended using a steel leader, or expect some cut-offs.Originally Posted by lee s
David Merical
St. Louis, MO
Nice catch Dave. Pickerel were one of my favorite fish to pursue when I was growing up in south Jersey. Dennis
Awesome, Dennis! You'll know WAY more about them than I do. I caught my first ever, a little one, last year in a river. Saturday's 5 fish from a small spring-fed lake was only my 2nd time catching them.Got any useful tips or thoughts to share from what you learned and observed when you fished for them? Favorite flies?
David Merical
St. Louis, MO
Some use heavy flourocarbon successfully as a bite tippet. Our experience is that wire is more certain.....but then again, maybe our lack of "leader checking" is the real fault. ....lee s.
Absolutely. Wire is definitely more tooth-proof. I've used it, but prefer not to if possible. Probably a better choice for Northern Pike and Muskies. Articles I read said Chain Pickerel were NOT leader shy.The water I was fishing was crystal clear. I did have one Pickerel that followed the fly quite a distance. They go bonkers for erratic movements, so I was trying different things to see how it would react. I let the fly drop to the bottom, ripped it up, then let it drop again, etc. It was really scrutinizing the fly, and eventually grabbed it off the bottom. A steel leader might have prevented that one from striking.
David Merical
St. Louis, MO
Dave - reference fishing for pickerel, I'm talking mid 1950s to mid 1960s. Primarily fished ultra light spinning gear with 4lb. test line. I didn't get into fly fishing until about 1960. Mostly sight fishing for smallish sized pickerel. Most seemed to prefer fast retrieve with silver colored or red & white lures. The ones I did manage to catch on flys I used 3' to 3 1/2" red & white streamers with a silver body (silver tinsel body/white saddle hackle wings/red wet fly style collar). Then came 6 years in the Navy and after that remained on the opposite coast. Dennis
Yes, that's what I'm seeing as well. A fast, erratic retrieve. Red and white, and or otherwise flashy flies. A buddy does great with an erratic Pistol Pete.
David Merical
St. Louis, MO
Oh yeah -- the pistol pete style flys with that propeller blade should get their attention. Dennis
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