Personal best pickerel

[J.A. Veil]

Were the fish tight to shore or cover?

Tom

My experience in winter pickerel fishing in the Severn for nearly a decade is that almost all the pickerel I catch are in waters shallower than 6 ft. Most catches come in water less than 3 ft. I try to cast my bait (minnow or artificial) in the shallow water as close to the shoreline as possible without dragging bottom, then I work it back to the kayak.

I should add that I have very limited experience in fishing for pickerel in lakes and freshwater rivers. The habitats, choice of baits and lures, and techniques may be completely different there. My pickerel experience is in fishing shallow tidal tributaries with brackish water.

Yesterday I fished in one small arm of a tidal tributary. I worked around a fallen tree and grassy shorelines on one side without a bite. As I approached the head end of the arm, the water became more shallow with a flat bottom of 1 to 2 ft. The little pickerel were thick in there and initially bumped my minnows on almost every cast. The opposite shoreline of this arm had a steep bank with fallen wood below it. This was a productive area too.

There really is no substitute to putting time in to learn a particular water body. To my eyes, 50% of the shorelines look promising. But the fish are only in 10% of the shorelines on any given day. It is necessary to get out and fish many areas to see where the fish are. Having a good memory or keeping notes helps you to find them on the next trip. I have a very good recollection of specific fallen trees or short grassy stretches that have produced in the past. I always check those spots first. If they don't produce, it may be necessary to check alternate spots that do not normally produce (much like the place where I caught most of the fish yesterday).

[Skidsteer]

Great report and information - thanks for putting this together - and Congrats on your PB!

[Fishinfool]

Your usual outstanding contributions John. Thank you.

One other question; I am guessing that pickeral feeding habits are not as synchronized to tidal currents as stripers are. Pickeral seem to be more of an opportunity predator with or without a moving tide. Is this the case?

When I think about pickeral, I wonder where they heck they are, or why they don't bite nearly as much when water temps are above 70 degrees. They are peculiar that way.

[Skidsteer]

Slayer Propel 10 is on my short list once the kids get out of college.

The kids are out of college today - and will be out for about a month come December

[J.A. Veil]

I plan to bring my Slayer Propel 10 to the December 13 meet and greet and also to medicyaker's kayak fishing flea market on Jan 31 so interested persons can see how it is laid out. I have offered to meet Snaggedline members at one of the Annapolis launch points to have a short test ride.

[J.A. Veil]

Your usual outstanding contributions John. Thank you.

One other question; I am guessing that pickeral feeding habits are not as synchronized to tidal currents as stripers are. Pickeral seem to be more of an opportunity predator with or without a moving tide. Is this the case?

When I think about pickeral, I wonder where they heck they are, or why they don't bite nearly as much when water temps are above 70 degrees. They are peculiar that way.

Steve -

I have never paid much attention to the tides for pickerel fishing -- maybe they make a difference, but I have not noticed a trend. Consider where they live -- in the tidal creeks and coves, and more often well up into those tributaries. Although tidally-influenced water levels do change at these spots, the total volume of water moving past a particular point during the tidal change is not so great at these locations so the tidal currents are unlikely to be strong.

Regarding why they are easier to find in the winter than in the summer, here is a theory suggested by my pickerel mentor, Virgil Poe -- pickerel master of the Magothy. He thinks that during the summer and early fall, there is so much natural food available that pickerel are less likely to hit lures. Second, during those warmer times, the same shallow habitats where pickerel live are full of white perch and small stripers. Those species seem to hit tossed lures more readily and will get hooked more often. During the cold weather those other fish are not around, plus natural bait is more scarce. This provides an opportunity for us to target pickerel. I don't know if Virgil is correct, but anecdotally pickerel are much easier to find in winter than any other time of year.

[Fishinfool]

Thanks again, John. It's been over forty years since I landed a pickeral, though I've lost a couple near the kayak this past season.

The one I did land was on an earth worm off a bobber of all things off a neighbors pier. I was just fishing to kill time and get outside , not even targeting pickeral. I was in a small creek between Cedar Point and Yantz Cove in the upper Severn. A twenty three incher as I recall that fought harder than anything I had ever caught to that point.

[kevinmark]

Happy thanksgiving to all. Thanks John for all the info. 24" PB today in a creek I found earlier this year.

[BeyondTheBounds]

Congrats!

Since this is my first year back fishing, after graduating and leaving home, I've never caught pickerel in my native Texas ponds. Went to the Delaware paddlesports tourney and landed my 25" pickerel there at record pond laurel lake....should have caught more bass! image.jpg

[kevinmark]

Thanks man! I wish I could have got a pic on the measuring board but she flopped out with the fish grips still attached! I was frantic and scooped her back in. They will have a leash on them for now on.

[J.A. Veil]

Happy thanksgiving to all. Thanks John for all the info. 24" PB today in a creek I found earlier this year.

Congratulations on the 24" pickerel. That is a beauty.

[zeebyrd]

John,

Congrats on joining me in the 24" chain pickerel club!

24chainpickerel.jpg

That's my Weems Creek chain pickerel PB from a few weeks ago.

Laura
Wilderness Systems Tarpon 120
Wilderness Systems Commander 120

[kevinmark]

Congratulations on the 24" pickerel. That is a beauty.

Thank you sir.

[kevinmark]

Congratulations on the 24" pickerel. That is a beauty.

Would you also mind sending me the pickerel power point to kevinmark85@Gmail.com. Thank you!