Ice Out Chain Pickerel

Main lake still had ice, but could troll the shallows last weekend. Lots of people in the midwest and Canada call these fish pike but they are not esox lucious, they are esox niger more commonly called chain pickerel due to the chain like pattern on their sides. They also have a black marking that extends down from each eye which a pike does not have.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• trolling
• chain
• pickerel
• not
• pike

[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

[JetsSuck2008]

What was the weight of the fish?

[WebguyAngler]

not sure, around 3-1/2 lbs

[trentsnpr]

Nice work!

[WebguyAngler]

thanks

[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.

[frankenstrat25]

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

[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.

[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

[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.

[yellowtailism]

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

[WhatsMovieProduction]

what was the water temperature?

[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.

[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.

[deathtrap507]

@UriahRR u should just use 6lb braid