Ice Out Chain Pickerel

[mikecorbeil]

WebguyAngler,

Since you know the diff. between nothern pike and chain pickerel, I'ld appreciate it if you'ld view the following 23-second video clip and provide a reply to this post or my posts in the other video's page about whether you think it's a pike or chainie, if you don't mind.

v=Cvb_Bi49ECY

I'm arguing that it's a pike like the guy in the video says, while Youtubers say it's a chain pickerel. It's spotted and has no chain-like pattern, imo.

It also lacks black markings beneath eyes.

[mikecorbeil]

Nice Chain Pickerel, in this video. Check the Wikipedia page for this fish. Says 30in. is about max, and avg is 24in, 3lb. But it depends on season, and full info. When a young teen (now 54), a friend and I ice-fished every winter. Caught a 27in chainie, 7lb. A friend caught a 27incher during summer, approx. 3lb. They fatten for cold season, and then they thin out during that season, sort of like with bears. Less easily obtained food in winter, so they feed off of what they gain rest of year

[yellowtailism]

What you caught there was a pike I think. nice fish.

[WhatsMovieProduction]

what was the water temperature?

[DanOblacksmith]

Call me crazy but I'm 99% sure both of those are not chain pickerel.

They have the dark line down from the eye like chain pickerel but it seems a bit light and the markings on the sides are definitely not the well defined chain pattern I see on the chain pickerel around here (near Conesus lake, NY) and they all have a very pronounced and dark line down from the eye. The markings on the sides are not quite pike either, a little off.

I'd bet a month of paychecks those are both pike/chain hybrids.

[jifigz]

Nice man. I just hammered a few pickerel yesterday here in centrral Pa. I was twitching a pearl white fluke through the shallow weeds. They loved it. A few crappies fell for the same thing.

[xXksepwnsXx]

@jifigz where did u catch them pickerel?? Im going to poe valley state park to fish and theres chain pickerel there and i was wondering what bait i could use for them

[jifigz]

@xXksepwnsXx I catch the majority of my pickerel out of Black Moshannon and Colyer Lake. The lake at Poe Valley was recently drained for repairs. You might want to look into what size and age the fish were they used to repopulate the lake. Might not be worth going there quite yet.

[Pasc9]

@xXksepwnsXx I agree with jifigz, I've caught pickerel mostly at Black Moshannon, as well as Colyer, and even at Whipple Dam. They hit a wide variety of baits, such as topwater frogs, jigs, crankbaits, plastic worms, anything basically if you can get it in the thick weeds and grass without getting hung up.

[Crussman499]

I caught a 15 pound pike on 12 pound line. It was a tough fight. Nasty fish.

[sodazv06]

Thats nice you ever try rooster tails they work really good for pickerel

[UriahRR]

Man, I've missed some HUGE pickerel in NE PA because of lines breaking. What weight line do you use, besides the leader? What weight lures usually and how deep?  Thanks.

[WebguyAngler]

8lb main line with shallow running crank baits in less than 10ft of water

[UriahRR]

Thanks. I just bought a reel that can handle 10lb-15lb so I put 10lb on it and I'm afraid even that's too much for pickerel and/or pike (though I know some pike can get huge, I've never even hooked a small one).

[fireworksman1919]

for pike u need 30 pound braid they r way bigger then pickeral

[deathtrap507]

@UriahRR u should just use 6lb braid

[mikecorbeil]

@UriahRR You don't need a heavy-weight line for these fish, but you need to know how to handle a reel, its esp. the drag setting. If you have the drag setting set to very firm, too little give, then you can have 10lb-test line and a 2lb fish can snap the line. The pickerel caught in this video could be caught with 4lb-test line, if you know how to properly use the reel, as well as knowing how to let the fish have some freedom to fight ; needing to know how to "play" the fish.

[frankenstrat25]

@UriahRR u live n fish in NEPA? im from northeast PA too im from wilkesbarre and im always fishing the susquehanna

[duffmckaganvr1]

i love catchin these fish they are very common in my area and there was one time in early summer where i caught one on a lake called canadaigua lake and i thought it was a 7 pound smallmouth

bass but it was a pickerel and it was 34 inches!

[alexyerxa]

big pickerel .!

[JetsSuck2008]

What was the weight of the fish?

[WebguyAngler]

not sure, around 3-1/2 lbs

[mikecorbeil]

@WebguyAngler 3lb range seems right. The Chain Pickerel you caught still has body weight. They lose a lot during winter months, due to not being able to easily and quickly capture prey, but I don't know where you caught this fish. I grew up in eastern Mass. and these fish gained a lot of mass before cold winter struck; living off of it a lot of the time during winter. By early summer, they were like toothpicks, again. 27in : approx. 3lb, summer-time, 7lb during winter, f.e.

[trentsnpr]

Nice work!

[WebguyAngler]

thanks

[pikefisherman3]

do you use wire leaders for pickerel? i use them for northerns, but are the teeth as bad on pickerel?

[WebguyAngler]

I use 25lb flourocarbon as leader.

[YONKERSJOHN]

you're not fishing...you are catching!!! another good video!

[WebguyAngler]

hehe, thanks

[kamilfishes]

what u usin i catch trout right after the ice is gone

[WebguyAngler]

crankbaits

[beaudinboi95]

I have a question; Are Walleye and Pickeral the same thing? please tell me

[WebguyAngler]

NO, a walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) is in the perch family. For some reason some canadians call walleye pickerel but I'm not sure why.

[beaudinboi95]

K thanks thats what i thought

[nj4x4fever2]

this is an awesome video, we love pickerel fishing in NJ

[WebguyAngler]

cool, thanks