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This morning’s rain frustrated me. About 2:00, I checked the hourly forecast on weather.com and saw that the rain would continue until about 4:00 followed by cloudy conditions. I had nothing else going on, so I quickly put on my waders and GoreTex jacket and loaded the kayak for a short pickerel trip. I launched from Tucker St ramp about 2:45 to a light rain and no wind. I cast a 3” Fat Sam mullet in gold and a 4” Gulp in chartreuse – both on 1/8-oz jigheads. The fish were not biting aggressively. I had 15-20 bites and follows, but caught only three pickerel. The good news is that one of them was a personal best of 24.25” (I tried stretching it to 24.5, but it did not quite get there). I have fished for pickerel for at least 8 winters. Until last year, I never got one longer than 23.75”. Last December, I caught two 24” pickerel a week apart in different creeks. Today’s fish represented an incremental improvement. The big fish was tight to the shoreline (less than 2 ft out from the edge). I returned to the ramp at 4:30 for a short, but successful outing.
Here is an interesting observation about pickerel. When I bring a pickerel into the kayak, I grab it around the body behind the gills to control it while unhooking the fish. I don't squeeze hard, but hold the fish firmly to keep it from shaking. At least five different pickerel have made a grunting or squealing sound. Other than croaker or fish in the drum family, the other fish I catch do not make any noise. Have any others out there witnessed the noise?
Here is an interesting observation about pickerel. When I bring a pickerel into the kayak, I grab it around the body behind the gills to control it while unhooking the fish. I don't squeeze hard, but hold the fish firmly to keep it from shaking. At least five different pickerel have made a grunting or squealing sound. Other than croaker or fish in the drum family, the other fish I catch do not make any noise. Have any others out there witnessed the noise?
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