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Originally posted by tech11165
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Where to fish: Once you are on the water look for shorelines with fallen wood or grassy areas -- some people like casting to docks, but I have not done well using that approach). A wide gradually sloping edge is more productive than a steeply sloped shoreline that drops off quickly. Almost all the Severn pickerel I have found are in 3 ft depth or less, and most are up close to the shoreline. Sometimes you don't get a strike until the lure is near the kayak -- in those cases, the pickerel probably followed the lure for a while before making itself known. On the last two days, I found several pickerel on a very shallow flat that got sun before other areas in that creek did. I threw all the way toward shore into 6" of water and had a bunch of quick strikes and follows.
In most situations, don't waste time throwing your lure to open water spots of greater than 3 ft depth. The pickerel are rarely there. One exception is when you have a very cold air temp the night before. The surface layers of water cool down to near the air temp, but the bottom water remains in the mid- to upper 40s. On those mornings, I have had some luck casting to moderate-depth bowl-like areas with 3-6 ft depth.
What Lure or Bait: Pickerel love a live minnow, but you can find plenty of pickerel using lures. I have caught loads of them this fall using a 3" paddletail or a 4" Gulp swimming mullet on a 1/8-oz jighead (don't use a much heavier jighead -- you will have trouble keeping the lure off the bottom). They also can be caught on small safety-pin style spinners, inline spinners, small hard plastic plugs, and others -- almost any small lure will get their attention.
How to Fish: Cast out as close to the shoreline as possible and work the lure back at a slow speed (keep the lure off the bottom or you will get gunk on the lure). Try to be as quiet as possible when near your target zones. Don't drop your paddle or rod onto the kayak in a noisy way. When pedaling or paddling, use gentle quiet strokes. I have found that when I make a circuit of a creek or pond, then do a second circuit an hour later, the bite is much slower. Likewise if another angler has been working the shorelines earlier that day, you are likely to have a slower catching day when you go over the same waters.
How Will the Fish Behave: You are likely to feel taps or gentle strikes or even see the fish following your lure through the water. Pickerel are curious and often nip at a bait or lure. Although some times you feel a clear strike, you may also feel just a gentle tap (braided line and light or ultralight rods make this more evident) or even just an increase in weight on the line. Sometimes that means you snagged a leaf or twig, but often the extra weight means you have a toothy visitor. Frequently the pickerel pick up the lure in their mouth and hold it there without clamping down hard. When you begin reeling, you will feel weight or get a quick head shake. Then the pickerel loses interest, opens its mouth, and releases the lure. For every fish I catch, I get perhaps three to five cases of "grab and release". Go ahead and cast again -- maybe the fish will bite harder the next time.
I will be there on Sat morning and can offer more tips then. I hope the weather is cooperative next Sat.
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