Some call them a nuisance, I call them alot of fun!
 

Took the dog for our morning walk. Todays choice of jig:

Storm Curly Tail

Color: Fire Tiger

Water: Slightly stained

Technique: slow reel along the deeper shoreline of the tow path keeping it iust off the bottom.

Result: Approximately 18" pickerel with another smaller one that shook free at my feet.

Didn't have my phone with me so no pic.

Catchem up!

Re: Some call them a nuisance, I call them alot of fun!
 

As long as they don't cut my line or get in my way while I'm in a bass contest I don't mind them hahaha

Re: Some call them a nuisance, I call them alot of fun!
 

i like catching pickerel as well. Never understood how some people want to catch a northern pike or a musky but hate the southern pike, aka the pickerel.

its funny i was down the street today on the raritan trying to catch some small mouth with no luck. I probably would have seen you had I went further down.

Re: Some call them a nuisance, I call them alot of fun!
 

Running into me is not hard to do! Like I said, whether its a coiple minutes or a couple hours, I wet a line basically every day! (Living across from the D&R has its benefits!)

Re: Some call them a nuisance, I call them alot of fun!
 

Haven't fished for them or caught any for several years but as a youth caught some in the Raritan and used to eat them - fried and pickled. Would occasionally catch them when bass fishing. Enjoyed them and never thought they were a nuisance.

Re: Some call them a nuisance, I call them alot of fun!
 

Beats getting the skunk, like I did today. Actually, I like 'em. They're a voracious predator. I grew up camping in the pine barrens and it's a big fishery down there. What I DON'T get is how the same people who consider them a nuisance all year go and consider them trophies on the ice?

Re: Some call them a nuisance, I call them alot of fun!
 

lol I have never heard of that, but i also have never been ice fishing. Its one of those things i'll never understand either.

I love the pine barrens as well. I didn't grow up going there, i went there as an adult but there's something special about it that captivates and earns a place in your heart.

Re: Some call them a nuisance, I call them alot of fun!
 

Pickerel are a fine game fish, very underrated. They can save a slow day of fishing.

Re: Some call them a nuisance, I call them alot of fun!
 

Yes, the pickerel is our friend and we should treat them nicely because while yes they are quite predatory, they are not as tough as they look. (Unless of course we are going to eat them.)

I had communicated with a DEP guy about them and he told me that they are the most abundant predatory fish in NJ. (Fishing a lot in the northern half of NJ over this past summer and fall, I saw a lot more bass than pickerel.)

When bass fishing, it is good to know if they are around, in advance. It is not hard to fashion some very light knottable wire leads that won't have too much affect on the performance of the senko and probably other soft plastics as well. (the pickerel will chase after the senko just like the bass).

In areas where I was unsure, I used light knottable wire leads and still caught bass. I also effectively caught pickerel. Plus, if trying to fish a senko in windy conditions, the wire lead helps give a little weight to the soft plastic and make it more manageable so it drifts and drops a little better in the wind and current. If you are good with your knots you can make the optimum sized lead to meet your need. (I am not good with knots but there are plenty of instructables on the Internet and You Tube.)

While I am not a master fisherman, I did do a lot of fishing for bass this past summer and fall. I had two or three bite offs before I figured out what was going on and what to do about it.

Re: Some call them a nuisance, I call them alot of fun!
 

Just remember, you won't ever know what fish you're missing if you use tooth leader in certain situations. Same goes for using 15 flouro vs 10 it's easy to say well I still caught fish using 15 but you'll never know how many fish also got spooked by the thicker line. It's a give and take but something to think about.