Weedless frog gets the bite and the hookup, this time anyway. (Phoo by Jeff Weakley)
April 02, 2024
By Jeff Weakley
Jeff Weakley is Editor of Florida Sportsman magazine. Chain pickerel don’t grow to 4 feet like their northern relative, the muskellunge. But they act like they do. Next time you catch one, look it in the eye and tell me you don’t see it staring back at you, sizing you up. This is a fearless predator. At the same time, these fighters are temperamental and hard to predict.
Sources note that pickerel are more tolerant of warm water than musky or northern pike, neither of which live in Florida. Consensus seems to be a preferred range of 70 to 80 degrees, but it’s obvious pickerel thrive well outside that zone. Their native range is from Maine to Texas. A number of state fisheries agencies indicate chain pickerel spawn in the early spring as water temperatures reach the mid 40 to low 50s. That’s about as cold as it gets in Florida. At the upper extreme, I’ve caught pickerel in sub-boiling August bath water.
Nevertheless, I think of them as a winter and spring fish.
Chain Pickerel Facts Scientific Name : Esox nigerFlorida State Record : 6.96 poundsBig Catch Certificate Minimum : 22 inches or 3 poundsRelated Species : Redfin pickerelTypical Adult Length : Seldom exceeds 12 inchesChain pickerel are classic ambush feeders, sitting still and using their coloration to avoid detection by forage. They blend perfectly with sun-dappled weeds and grasses. They have exaggerated cutting teeth, much like saltwater barracuda. Also, like barracuda, when they strike, they strike hard. There’s no nibbling. I’ve seen them arc through the air like a wahoo before crashing down on a topwater lure.
Advertisement
Pickerel are known to prefer shallow, heavily vegetated lakes and slow-moving rivers. I also fish for them on sandy floodplain marshes where I stand and push a canoe with a long paddle, watching for their V-shaped wakes.
The thing with pickerel wakes is, they don’t hurry. Their manner suggests mild irritation, as if the fish are moving away to regroup and discuss whether to attack you. “Spooked pickerel” is a misnomer, like “frightened tiger.”
A few of the author’s flies tied for pickerel fishing. (Photo by Jeff Weakley) Bold as they are, pickerel seldom strike while they’re swimming away. But if you let them settle, they revert to predator mode. Frequently, they’ll swim right back to where they were before you intruded. Casting to the area—even just a few yards from your boat—may result in a shocking blowup.
Advertisement
When I’m not seeing waking fish, I’m looking for transition areas where grass thickens or meets other cover, like lily pads. Sometimes pickerel distribution seems random, but if you get a convincing strike or catch one, take note of the circumstances. Press repeat as you make your way around the lake, river shore or marsh. It’s also not surprising to catch pickerel in extremely shallow water, shin-deep.
What to throw? On waters not too thick with weeds, spinners and spoons work well and the hookup ratio is pretty good.
In classic habitat, though, you’ll be inclined to throw weedless frogs or flukes. That creates a bit of a challenge, as pickerel are slash and grabbers. In their fury they sometimes push aside a hook that’s tight to the body of a lure. It’s also not uncommon for a very small pickerel to have a go at a full-size floating frog.
The good news is, pickerel are very likely to make a second, third or even fourth attempt at a lure.
Keep the lure moving pretty quick seems to be the best approach, much as you’d do for barracuda on a saltwater flat. But sometimes, pickerel will make an explosive grab at it while it’s sitting still.
Fly fishing for pickerel is a special joy. They’ll never be known for long, strong runs, but the hookups are always memorable. I tie spun-deer-hair muddlers and sliders on light, wide-gap hooks and add a mono weed guard.
Are they edible? Meh. I reckon the pickerel are asking one another the same thing about two-legged figures in the canoe.
If they grew as big as musky.
