This is why I don't use treble hooks !

[Denlon]

Originally Posted by buzzbaiter

28" is almost max size for pickerel.

I'm sure pickerel of this size are rare.
I'm 72 and in my lifetime of fishing in NJ I have caught only two 30" pickerel. Both of them were caught in Davidson's Mill Pond in about the same spot in the lily pads up near the Route 130 Bridge. I was in my canoe, and I caught them with a single hook and the old standby purple rubber worm. Both times they were released alive in good condition. Both were caught about 15 years ago.

Also, since I caught them about a year apart in about the same location, which makes me wonder if I caught the same fish twice?
Denny

[buzzbaiter]

Originally Posted by Denlon

I'm sure pickerel of this size are rare.
I'm 72 and in my lifetime of fishing in NJ I have caught only two 30" pickerel. Both of them were caught in Davidson's Mill Pond in about the same spot in the lily pads up near the Route 130 Bridge. I was in my canoe, and I caught them with a single hook and the old standby purple rubber worm. Both times they were released alive in good condition. Both were caught about 15 years ago.

Also, since I caught them about a year apart in about the same location, which makes me wonder if I caught the same fish twice?
Denny

My pb best is 28" and I caught it in a surprising spot - the Delaware River up near Milford Pa. Thought I hooked a musky but its was skinny, beat up, really fugly chain pick. Long sob though. Must have washed out of some lake.

I caught two big pick in the Passaic three weeks apart in the same area off the same log. Thought were the same but they had diff't chain marks. Almost identical in size too @ 25" and 26".