Targeting Pickerel

[vaheelsfan]

In a few weeks I'll be visiting the in-laws in Massachusetts. Hopefully I'll be able to spend a few days fishing, and I'd like to spend some time trying to catch a pickerel. From what I've read, most people consider them to be a nuisance but they're not very common around where I live so I'd like to catch one to say I have. Any recommendations for what weight rod to use or flies that you've caught them on (intentionally or not) would be appreciated!

 

[deceiverbob]

My one and only pickerel bit a black and chartreuse Clouser minnow, But I think any baitfish imitation should work.

Also try the search function, found this article and several other threads,
https://www.theflyfishingforum.com/...pickerel-rob-woodruff.html?highlight=pickerel

 

[Ard]

I used to catch them in Pennsylvania and always thought of them as small pike. As was posted above almost any streamer pattern with a bite leader will work. Their teeth will cut but you can catch them on 15 pound if you want to avoid steel leader wire. Rods? I caught them on a 5 weight so I'd say anything 5 or over and whatever length you have.

 

[mikechell]

I've caught a lot of them down here, in Florida. Almost all of them taken on a 3 or 5 inch Rapala. When I am conventional fishing for bass, I usually use soft plastics. Never caught on on those. Sometimes I switch to the Rapala. Hard runs of a foot or so, followed by pauses. The Pickerel almost always hit on the pause ... ON the pause. It's like they were an inch behind it and as soon as it paused they took it. Bass, on the other hand, would take it a few seconds AFTER the pause. I always knew which kind of fish hit, it was that consistent.

So, streamers that imitate local minnows and fry ... hard strips followed by tight line pauses. Don't slack up on the pause ... just stop moving the fly, and be ready to set the hook.

Good luck

 

[Rip Tide]

We have a lot of them around here and it's the little "hammer handles" that have the sharpest teeth and they will bite you off evey time if you're not using a heavy tippet.
The larger ones have spaces between their teeth where your leader tends to settle, so they're not that bad.
The classic Daredevil lure colors work best. Red/white, Red/yellow, Black. And I like a seaducer style fly, but most anything will get their attention.
In my neighborhood ponds they get up to 22 -24 inches, but even at that size, they're not great fighters. An initial struggle and they kinda give up.
They biggest issue though is they're slimely

Seaducer

 

[desmobob]

They'll hit almost any big streamer. I caught big one this spring while casting a 4" smelt-pattern streamer for landlocked salmon at the mouth of a brook during the smelt run. I got bitten off twice and realized it wasn't salmon and bad knots or bad tippet, so I tied in a wire leader and sure enough, hooked up with a big snot rocket.

Tight lines,
Bob

 

[vaheelsfan]

Thank you all for your replies. I'll make sure to use a heavier leader than normal, I think I have some 20 or 30 lb flouro I've used for leaders in saltwater. I have a few streamers for bass fishing but nothing really gaudy or bright, I'll see if I can find a fly shop around where we'll be to pick some up.

 

[nah85]

We’ve got some in Moomaw and holiday lake. A friend caught one recently at one of those lakes, can’t remember which.

 

[philly]

They'll also take top waters. Poppers and sliders work well for them. White and yellow seem to work best for me. Normally, I use my 6 wgt with a 15 to 25 lb fluorocarbon leader. I caught this little guy a couple of days ago from a lake in the Poconos. It's about 14 inches long. You can see the yellow slider I caught it on in the corner of it's mouth.




My buddy who was fishing the same lake from a boat, caught a 24 inch one on a 4 inch Chug Bug(top water lure.

 

[vaheelsfan]

We’ve got some in Moomaw and holiday lake. A friend caught one recently at one of those lakes, can’t remember which.

I know of one a friend caught out of Moomaw but I’ve never thought it’d make a very good shore fishing lake. It is a really intriguing lake though, I would like to try around where the Jackson comes in during the fall to try for some of the big browns but there’s really no fast way to get there. Pickerel seem to be more common further north,so I figured I might have a better shot of landing one while up there.