Fishing today

[woodjin]

Lots of action today. Very aggressive fish. I caught a lot and they were all good fighters. Some action shots:

Handsome devil

If there was ever any question as to how sharp a pickerel's teeth are...This was this plastics maiden cast, and it's last. It started with two tails.

Thanks for looking,

Jeff

 

[james ungehajer]

Nice catch Jeff. What do you figure was the largest by pound ?

Jim

 

[Teegate]

Sharp catch

Guy

 

[Hewey]

Nice fish. I have not been after pickerel in a few weeks. I will be surf fishing for the next couple of months then I will return to pickerel over the winter.

Chris

 

[Pine Baron]

Nice fish on a cloudy day! Good looking spot too... looks secluded.

John-

 

[woodjin]

Nice catch Jeff. What do you figure was the largest by pound ?

Jim

I actually never took them completely out of the water before I released them. I'm not much good at estimating weight anyway. They ranged from approx. 14" to 19". They are real heathy and strong in there.

It doesn't happen too often but sometimes, as you're taking your lure along the sedge/lilly edge you'll get a fish that comes from deep in the bed to ambush the lure. When this happens the vegetation parts, outlining their attack. It is like a torpedo. This happened twice on this trip and it is really something to see. The blood starts rushing when you are anticipating the hit.

Jeff

 

[woodjin]

Nice fish. I have not been after pickerel in a few weeks. I will be surf fishing for the next couple of months then I will return to pickerel over the winter.

Chris

Do you have much luck in the winter? I've done it but have not had much action. They seem a bit sluggish. I know they are year round feeders. I don't have much luck in the spring either, which I attribute to lots of rainfall.

Jeff

 

[bobpbx]

Jeff, old Gibby Giberson told me of the pork rind lure from the old days. Take a fresh white piece as long as that plastic and split it into two tails. I never got the knack of it. It looks like that plastic is the pork rind with the best possible weight and motion.

 

[Hewey]

Do you have much luck in the winter? I've done it but have not had much action. They seem a bit sluggish. I know they are year round feeders. I don't have much luck in the spring either, which I attribute to lots of rainfall.

Jeff

Over the last couple years I have caught all of my biggest pickerel in the pines from mid December-early April. I have found the trick in the winter is to find wood structure, i.e. stumps, logs, old bridges around still water and fish real slow. I have the most luck with a Rapala j-7 black/silver. I use a slow retrive with some pauses and twitches mixed in. It is nice to fish in the winter with out the weeds in the water.

Chris

 

[PINEY MIKE]

Fish deep and slow in winter months. The fish hold in deeper water and some added weight is needed. They're still feeding though.

 

[woodjin]

Over the last couple years I have caught all of my biggest pickerel in the pines from mid December-early April. I have found the trick in the winter is to find wood structure, i.e. stumps, logs, old bridges around still water and fish real slow. I have the most luck with a Rapala j-7 black/silver. I use a slow retrive with some pauses and twitches mixed in. It is nice to fish in the winter with out the weeds in the water.

Chris

I've used rapala j-7 and similar with decent results. I have targeted deep spots over the shallows in the winter. The slow retrive is news to me though as I rarely catch on a slow retrive. I'll try that this winter.

Jeff

 

[piker56]

I've used rapala j-7 and similar with decent results. I have targeted deep spots over the shallows in the winter. The slow retrive is news to me though as I rarely catch on a slow retrive. I'll try that this winter.

Jeff

Jeff,
The slow retrieve has worked in the winter for me. As my "warm water" fishing is over for the year (I'm presently recuperating at home from surgery, and climbing the walls), I won't get a line in the water until it's cold. Hopefully I'll have a lot of time to perfect that slow retrieve.
Greg

 

[woodjin]

Hope you recover quickly Greg. right now is kind of the hot time of the year for fishing for me. I have my best luck now. We'll see how things go this winter.

 

[piker56]

Hope you recover quickly Greg. right now is kind of the hot time of the year for fishing for me. I have my best luck now. We'll see how things go this winter.

Yep, this is my fall hunting season for pickerel. I met my brother (Tom M) at Chatsworth Lake last week and we had our best day of the year. Now, I'm chomping at the bit to get back out. I've rearranged my tackle box enough this week, I think I could find stuff blindfolded. If you see a guy limping around Chatsworth fishing in a few weeks, that'll be me.