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"Get Hooked on New Hampshire"

  
Pickerel

Group Info:

Name:  Pickerel

Description:

Spoons have taken the most but Crankbaits have taken most of the biggest Pickerel in my experience fishing North East New Jersey waters.My largest ,25" came from a small pond under low water conditions and it hit a Jersey Rig 4" Gold ice worm .Spinnerbaits and Johnson Weedless spoons with a tube jig glued as a trailor are excellent bait choices .I once had a great outing in Hawley PA using a Johnson sprite spoon in shallow weeds .They nailed that spoon and I had several exciting battles with good sized pickerels 18" and over . Once a pickerel goes 22" and over ,then your talkin' real fine! Tolling Crankbaits over deep water on an outside weed edge is perhaps the most consistent big Pickerel tecnique but Shallow spring Pickerel in small ponds or spooning in coves in spring or fall can be equal or better at times .

Announcements:

Waywayanda Lake ,Shepherds Lake ,Pompton Lake ,Gatun Pond ,Grassmere Pond ,Sally's Pond ,Lake Hopatcong,Monksville Reservoir are all North New Jersey Pickerel Lakes I've caught numbers of these cool fish that fight good .Loads of Fun on light tackle

Members:


dahut
david doyle

jsguitar
John Sheehan

southjerseyangler
Greg C.

tommy311
Thomas Dowden

crappieking
Bob Jones

jettydog
Leon Checinski

mab1212
Mike Biagi

brian108
brian coughlin

almaddalena
Al Maddalena

hognosehunter
Josh Taylor

njcatchrelease
NJ Catch & Release

Discussion:
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From

Message


almaddalena
10/11/14 11:07 AM
Nice pickerel Mike! That's a real hog. I'm in Canada and that fish looks similar to what we call a northern pike.


southjerseyangler
12/08/13 12:26 AM
Just been catching pikerels for the last 2 1/2 - 3 weeks, guess the bass have moved to deep water til spring. Caught a few piks that are about 20-22 inches and heavy - they seem to be pissed off when i catch them and fight like the devil all the way to the shore! Love the battle


jettydog
11/05/13 08:43 PM
Hi guys just joined the group. I have only been in south jersey for 6 years and have only fished the salt. I did alot of Pickerel fishing in my youth and want to get back into it again. Any info on where and when would be much appreciated. TIGHT LINES


mab1212
10/29/13 06:06 PM
6 pound pickerel--fat as hell.... caught in sandwash....




southjerseyangler
07/31/13 10:53 PM
got a nice 2 - 2.5 lb pikerel at harrisonville lake 2 weeks ago. He just attacked the lure, what a fight getting him onshore!




southjerseyangler
06/17/13 09:52 PM
Only hooked 2 pickerel since mid-may, didn't land them. They haven't been i their usual hiding spots. I've seen some smaller ones lurking near the shore, but they aren't biting anything. I'll get them soon.....


crappieking
05/13/13 02:59 PM
I was fishing yesterday in a local creek. I was fishing for carp, but not muck action so I took my carp rig consisting of two split shot and a size four long shank hook about a foot below the hook. I then put on a gulp swimming mullet which is saltwater bait, and slowly twitched this rig on the bottom. Caught four pickerel over twenty inches and three over fifteen inches. The largest was twenty four inches.


southjerseyangler
05/09/13 12:18 AM
Been catching mostly bass since april. Got a few nice pikerels, and due to the hooks i debarbed...they fell off and flopped into the water before i could get a picture. Finally managed to get 2 pics of some piks at kresson lake in voorhees. They both hit a double spinner ( strike king ). Hope everyone has been able to get some fishing in....good luck!




southjerseyangler
03/13/13 10:41 PM
Got to fish a few spots since saturday, been doing pretty good. A few bass and lots of pickerels!!! Monday - stopped by the 2 little lakes on rt.70 at mile marker 31.5 - fog was rising off the water and i had a beast go after my lure ( big silver spoon ) 3 times on the 1st cast. I watched him hit the lure, but i couldn't hook him. His head was HUGE. Caught a nice little bass at rowand pond yesterday, got 6 fish today ( 5 piks 1 bass all small except 1 ) at silver lake in clementon. Silver lake - spring lake - rowand pond these 3 are literally 1 minute apart from eachother off of rt.30....awesome fishing. Had a 3 pound pik today at silver lake, i was on a bridge about 9 feet up and didn't want to damage the fish by pulling up that far, there's a tree next to the bridge so i couldn't go that way and there's a yard on the otherside, no choice but to pull him up,as i was starting to pull him up , he was able to unhook himself....got him on a small silver spoon with a white rooster tail, hooked him about 35 feet out,he was about 20 inches and FAT- i'll catch him again...what a battle!


southjerseyangler
02/22/13 11:12 PM
got to fish a few spots this week - fished at stockton college ( 3 nice lakes and 2 small ponds here ) huge area, but not to much room to fish from where i was. Got a few casts in and had a fish following my spoon and just as he was attacking, my lure hit a thin layer of ice and he missed it - he didn't return. I saw a white belly, so i don't know if it was a bass or a pik....fished today near the del.mem bridge next to rt.295 and the turnpike. Nice little lagoon that connects to the delaware river, cast in about 10 times,then started seeing some swirls and ripples, and they kept missing the hook, so i switched to a smaller hook ( spoon - silver with an orange stripe ) and hooked one through his back. He had a sucker mouth and was skinny with a blackish top half and a siver lower half and very small scales. Not sure what type of fish it was, guessing the water is brackish down here. I will be fishing these spots alot this summer...if they prove to be active!


southjerseyangler
02/14/13 10:01 PM
Got a small pik at the summercamp monday. He somehow got the hook around his eye and there was blood but i released him and he swam away - got him on the orange spoon. Went there yesterday and today - saw a few wakes tracking the lures, but didn't catch anymore fish, hoping to try fishing somewhere friday gonna be near 50 degrees, i will let ya know what happens


southjerseyangler
02/10/13 10:39 PM
some spots totally covered with a thin layer( egg harbor lake frozen) - some spots are partially covered Oswego river ( really a small lake ) off rt.679 near chatsworth. Thick layer of ice but near the spillway it's water. Got a few bites there 2 weeks ago and none last week. The summer camp is partially covered with a thin layer, but where it wasn't fenced - there's no ice and i can see them tracking the lure, been there twice, had a fish hooked but didn't land him the 1st time and no bites at all friday. I know there are a few beasts in here,don't think too many people fish here and they wakes they were making were big - gonna be warmer this week hoping to get some fishing in!


jsguitar
02/10/13 09:22 AM
No ice where you are ? Nice report and job on the Pickerel!


southjerseyangler
02/08/13 12:00 AM
you can kinda see the spinner still hooked before he unhooked himself




southjerseyangler
02/07/13 11:56 PM
Strike King spinnerbait that got the Pik




southjerseyangler
02/07/13 11:53 PM
Kirby's Mill Pikerel Feb.7th




southjerseyangler
02/07/13 11:29 PM
Finally got a picture of a pik - Kirby's mill - about 2 pounds - got him on a blue colored spinnerbait. On the way home i always pass a summer camp and the lake there is cedar water and about 4 football fields in diameter. Took the dirt road next to the camp and after their fence runs out, there's a little spot to park and fish. Saw a few swirls when i approached the water, so i knew there was fish in there. Got a pik on the line, just couldn't reel him in. Saw a few big wakes tracking my bait ( orange spinner/silver stripe - but didn't hook any fish. Going back here, there are no private property/no trespassing signs anywhere and i wasn't inside the camp limits. Definitely some beasts in here!!!


southjerseyangler
02/04/13 11:56 PM
Got to stop at kirby's Mill for about 25 mins. no luck with the double bladed spinner, but hooked a nice pikerel with an orange spoon with a silver stripe. Didn't get him onshore, gotta get used to my hooks being barbless i guess? Wound up losing my lucky double bladed spinner in a tree. Tried to climb and get it, but the branch was to far - oh well. Headed through the pinelands and south tomorrow on deliveries, hope to get some fishing in somewhere...the great pikerel adventure continues!


southjerseyangler
02/03/13 11:26 PM
Friday at Kirby's Mill pond - hooked a nice chain pik about 18 inches, got him onshore and he got loose and into the water before i could get my cellphone out. Gonna try and get him again wed or thursday when the temp goes up a little....hooked him on a small double bladed spinner (gold)


jsguitar
01/24/13 11:17 AM
Heres the Pickerel that Crankbait caught




jsguitar
01/24/13 10:11 AM
Heres the Pickerel that Crankbait caught


jsguitar
01/24/13 10:10 AM
Trolled outside a deep weed line(20' and more), in mid November 2009 a 23.5" Pickerel came out of the depths to intercept this Bill Norman Crankbait.The bait tracks at around 10-12'.




jsguitar
01/24/13 10:10 AM
Heres the Pickerel that Crankbait caught


jsguitar
01/24/13 10:08 AM
Trolled outside a deep weed line(20' and more), in mid November 2009 a 23.5" Pickerel came out of the depths to intercept this Bill Norman Crankbait.The bait tracks at around 10-12'.




jsguitar
01/23/13 02:09 PM
This is the Pickerel that grabbed the Rapala Crankbait that's on the bucket below .This fish destroyed the lip on the lure .I think this fish was 22".




jsguitar
01/21/13 09:32 AM
Thanks for the great tip Tommy .Those ar some great Pickerel you're catching!


tommy311
01/20/13 01:34 PM
i catch more picks using crankbaits the biggest 4and 1/2 lbs 27 1/4" rapala dt6 baby bass lure. Ive caught since oct. 3 picks over 4lbs and 7 over 3 lbs same lure in the 2 to 3 lb range i can't even count them. i fish deep water on the edge of big weed patch right about dusk. i fish the lure pulling and letting it drop back and down it always gets me good results.


jsguitar
01/19/13 12:58 PM
Wow Pickerel chasing spinners in cold water!I usually forego the spinner in cold water periods in favor of a spoon or Jig ,but I guess a slow rolled spinner bait or a slow retreived spinner can get them going a bit as you've proven.


southjerseyangler
01/15/13 10:15 PM
Got to fish yesterday for 20 mins - had a bite from a small pickerel in the spillway at Rowands Pond, had him hooked, but not good enough. Must have spooked him, he didn't go near the spinner again. Fished today at Hammonton Lake - 1st time there. Been by it 1,000 times on deliveries, nice parking lot, walked 400 feet to a nice sized lagoon. They had alot of room for fishing. Not many trees in the way and got a small pickerel trailing the spinner, but he didn't make a move. Saw a ripple about 25 feet out in the middle and casted that way. Switched to a spoon ( orange with silver stripe ) and a about 4 casts later - he went after it but dropped the bait as soon as he felt the hook. I wasn't quick enough, and maybe due to the cold water, he didn't bite as aggressively as they do in the fall. It was brown, so a regular pickerel -Fished for 10 more minutes and didn't get another bite. I will be back here for sure, there's big fish in here and i want them! Where i fished is next to the playground area, you need a boat to get to the heart of the lake. It's off of rt.30 ( white horse pike ) and off of rt.561. I went in the rt.561 side. Can't wait for spring and that water to warm up!


southjerseyangler
01/13/13 10:38 PM
Hey John, I never got to go fishing this weekend, got a cold during the week and it really kicked in fri.night. All the coughing and sneezing through my back out...sure is fun getting old! At least it wasn't 80 and sunny,that would've killed me! You have some awesome pics in your profile. My sis/bro used to live in Vernon, in Highland lakes. I never got to fish up there, plan to this summer/fall. Also, gonna take your advice and see if i need to cut some lures down to a single hook, i am definitely through with treblehooks, most of the pickerels i catch,get at least 2 of the hooks caught and it's a pain in the ass getting them out. Bass are easier because there aren't teeth involved.


jsguitar
01/12/13 10:13 AM
SJ Angler, thanks for joinin' and for your input! Good tip on the release of Pickerel .I prefer to catch them with the single hook I put on a spoon .When they smash a crankbait with a couple of trebles sometimes they really bleed.I dont keep pickerel often so I am concerned as well.They are an amazing fish and I'll never understand why some fisherman don't appreciate them .


southjerseyangler
01/12/13 12:26 AM
Unfortunately i killed a couple of pickerels trying to get the hooks out ( treble ), just caused to much damage because the fish really got hooked. So, to make it easier to unhook the fish, i cut 1 hook off of all my treble hooked baits and flattened all the barbs on the hooks ( treble and single ) with pliers. I still kept catching fish and didn't kill anymore after doing this to my baits. Hoping to not kill a fish in 2013!


southjerseyangler
01/12/13 12:17 AM
Glad to join the group, hoping to get a few beasts ( pickerels ) at egg harbor lake tomorrow or sunday. Caught the most pickerel's of my life in 2012, didn't fish for 18-20 years, my oldest boy has allergies so we never went, my youngest turned 11 last may and his little league coach asked us to go fishing 5 minutes from my house and i was hooked again. Never realizing how much i missed fishing, until i hooked a bass. we went almost everyday since may 31. I started taking my poles with me in my work-truck and finally started fishing these little ponds, lakes, streams in the pine barrens. We also live 5-30 mins.from 20-25 places to go fishing. got mostly avg.size pickerels but, caught a few BEASTS. They attack everything,crankbaits - spinners - wacky rigged worms - spoons - worms. Had a few that snapped at me while getting the hooks out, a few that snapped their jaws down onto the bait ( after the hooks were out ) and refuse to let go of the thing. Love those pickerels, great fighting with every catch, hate those teeth...swear a few of them had molars


jsguitar
01/07/13 04:10 PM
DAHUT ,thanks for joining! How about a photo with details on the catch?


jsguitar
01/07/13 04:08 PM
DAHUT ,thanks for joining! How about a photo with details on the catch?


dahut
01/07/13 02:43 PM
Haven't been able to catch but the one pickerel this year. I keep trying, though!


jsguitar
01/05/13 02:00 PM
The Dardevle Flutter Chuck ! Great spoon !




jsguitar
01/05/13 01:59 PM
Pickerel Lures
This was the artillary for brother Greg and myself one late April day when the Pickerel fully cooperated .A few Bass were taken on the Rattle trap and the Grub but the Cranks Spoons and spinner caught plenty of pickerel between 18- 22 "
01/05/13 01:54 PM





jsguitar
01/05/13 01:56 PM
Pickerel Lures
This was the artillary for brother Greg and myself one late April day when the Pickerel fully cooperated .A few Bass were taken on the Rattle trap and the Grub but the Cranks Spoons and spinner caught plenty of pickerel between 18- 22 "
01/05/13 01:54 PM


jsguitar
01/05/13 09:57 AM
Cranks ,Spoons,Jigs,Worms and spinners ,even full night crawlers take pickerel.Live shiners through the ice or deadstickin' a Doodle bug with a mealworm work also .Many ways to catch this aggressive New Jersey native!

 
  
Misc Info

Group Created By:


jsguitar
Date Established:
Jan 05, 2013

Type: Public
Visibility: National
# Members: 11
Views: 38276

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