Chain Pickerel Fishing

Some good tips for the chain pickerel. Not an easy target here in Virginia. A few bodies of water hold lots of them, but finding them over 24" can be quite a challenge. I found mine in a farm pond, spring fed and well established. Farm ponds can sometimes almost be the likes of cheating because of how phenomenal some of them are and mostly underutilized. Regardless of where you find them, here are my best tips for the big ones. Large minnows can work well, but it is sometimes difficult to target them. I employ a strategy that involves covering water and finding out where they are more concentrated. My best pickerel lure is a daredevle imp, red and white spoon. Yeah ... just like your grandpa used ! Man they still work, even caught a trophy largemouth on one the same day as the pickerel. Look for the little devil head in the white middle for the authentic daredevle lure, and fish it medium to fast speed with a consistent, straight retrieve. Concentrate on areas leading to deep water with reeds, grass or tree cover nearby. "Crappie Jig" or "Beetle Spin" style lures also work well, I find a red jig head with white curly tail works best. I also like to use a fine wire leader to avoid breakoffs from their sharp teeth. They don't seem to mind the wire with the fast speed, even in clear water. One MAJOR tip I personally noticed about pickerel is that they don't bite heavy like a lot of other fish with the rising sun, instead ... their heaviest bite, and when I usually get into the pickerel, is when the moon is directly under foot. It is uncanny how accurate this is ! Now you can benefit from what I learned in the two months it took to get the trophy pickerel ! Go out and get one !!!