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Cermele: Thank Goodness for Pickerel

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March 19, 2010

Cermele: Thank Goodness for Pickerel

By Joe Cermele

If you live in an area where your water is hard in the winter, I'm betting you can relate to what I call "tweener" fishing. For me March is that "tweener" month when things are starting to happen, but no fishery is really going off the hook just yet. It's not trout season, rumor of one or two stripers circulate on the Internet, and though the lakes may be thawed, the water is still frigid, keeping bass and crappie in their cold-season patterns. But if there is one fish I can always count on this time of year, it's chain pickerel.

One of my favorite places to hunt "picks" has got to be the cedar bogs, rivers, and ponds in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. As soon as the ice melts, the dark water and dark bottom trap lots of heat, and the fish move onto the flats. They are hungry, aggressive, and you can sight-fish for them. It's ice-out shallow-water pike or muskie fishing on a mini-scale. Sometimes it feels a hair like bonefishing, too.

This March I devoted time to chasing them on the fly. Line slap caused some fish to spook, debris collected on the flies, but when a cast came together and ran clean, "V" wakes tracked, the surface bulged, and Zonkers got inhaled. No, these fish are not big, but that's why they make three-weight fly rods. Click here or on the photo to check out a gallery and video of a pickerel fly trip I took just last week with Online Editor Nate Matthews.

Pickerel are one of my favorite fish, but chasing them in the cedar shallows ends as soon as the water gets low and underbrush fills out. Frankly, once the trout start rising and the tuna start blitzing, I kind of forget about picks for the rest of the season. But thank heaven for this March game that saves me every year just when I think I'll go nuts if I don't get on the water. So what fish saves your sanity this time of year? - JC

 

 

Comments (25)

Top Rated
All Comments
from -Bob wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

Rock bass! Rock bass! Did I mention rock bass? They always can be counted on to take the edge off while waiting for trout to open. Tick, tick, tick... -Bob

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from 2Poppa wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

In March?
I still fish for the largemouth bass, just a little slower.

I go to a lake here in Kentucky where the Musky fishing picks up in March, Cave Run Lake.

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from rjw wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

Largemouth, a month ago it was a drop shot with hand poured shads, 2 weeks ago it was swimming jigs and spinnerbaits this week it is just about anything you can tie on your line. Pretty soon they will be making beds, ahh spring is here!?!

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from buckhunter wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

I'm not sure if I know the difference between Pickerel and Pike but I couldn't get either to bite the other evening while fishing. I did manage to land a dozen bass up to 4 lbs. #4 weedless deer hair popper.

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from YooperJack wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

You people are so spoiled you make me sick! Right now, up here, if you want to fish, fill your bathtub, get some goldish. Lakes are ice-covered. Only ones out are those who are really tired of living. Rivers and creeks are way over their banks. Also, we're more than a month away from Brookie season, two months from walleye season. Maybe the smelt will run again.

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from beanap wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

ok i live in illinois and i must be a sorry sap, but icant seem to get anything to bite any suggestions? i am going crazy!

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from vtbluegrass wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

One or two Stripers? You need to just motivate yourself southwards towards NC my man. The striper bite has been on for close to a months here. I must say though I left tham alone for the most part because the water is warming up here and the red drum are eating. Gotta love living in a place where stripers and bass are out the front door and reds are only a 20 minute drive.

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from shane wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

I don't forget about pickerel, no matter what else is biting. They're one of my favorites. Their veracity tops all, and they jump quite a bit in my experience. I like that.

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from Bella wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

I've caught a few pickerel, so much fun and tasty too! I have likely caught more pickerel than trout in my life!

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from Nic Meador wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

In Oklahoma the crappie bite has picked up the past two weeks. Pick a sunny day and fish small shiners.

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from Judd McCullum wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

I'm learning to love LA. Lower Alabama! I moved from Illinois in the beginning of January, and I've been on the water every spare minute I get. The folks around here keep talking about a bad winter, but I haven't had to get the carhartt's out. It must have left in a hurry!

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from Swampy67 wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

If you already haven't, you should try the Great Egg Harbor River just a little south of where you fish now. Try up stream of Lake Lenope.

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from RMB wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

I like fishing for saugeye here in ohio during march it gets me outside and off the couch even when its still cold

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from Beekeeper wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

Memories of my youth! Beaver ponds and a red rooster tail or shyster. The Chain Pickerel or jack fish would eat them up!

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from jcarlin wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

As a kid pickerel were my first "big" catches. They're still a nice change up when you hook into one and once you know they're in play they're fairly predictable. Also the first fish that successfully bit me. Mean little buggers. It's not that they'll bite, it's that they do it with clear malice and will stay still until your hand is in reach before they snap. I'm kind of happy I learned that toothy fresh-water fish lesson then instead of years later while boating a muskie.

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from TBBT wrote 1 year 32 weeks ago

Thanks for the amazing post. The Big Bang Theory Episodes

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from slimboy wrote 1 year 30 weeks ago

I catch the majority of my pickerel out of Black Moshannon and Colyer Lake. The lake at Poe Valley was recently drained for repairs. You might want to look into what size and age the fish were they used to repopulate the lake. Might not be worth going there quite yet.

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from mariaperis wrote 1 year 29 weeks ago

Ive never seen one of these pickerel fish before. Not sure how tasty they would be. But if i caught one i would cook it regardless to see. my free credit report

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from rahuldev12 wrote 1 year 26 weeks ago

Interesting post and thanks for sharing. Some things in here I have not thought about before.Thanks for making such a cool post which is really very well written.will be referring a lot of friends about this.Keep bloggin
regards email marketing

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from Kinect wrote 1 year 26 weeks ago

I love that time a year I didn't know it was called
"tweener" fishing...

data entry jobs

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from bobjones wrote 1 year 25 weeks ago

Both solved their problems with unlocked cell phones. Cellular carriers, particularly in the U.S., usually lock the phones they sell so they work only with that carrier's network. However, unlocked phones are readily available that can enable owners to more easily switch cellular operators and to get more features and services than specific operators offer.

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from jaisonwilliams wrote 1 year 25 weeks ago

If you'd like to see your free credit report anytime you would like, you should consider to pay a little fee to acquire this. An additional choice to get online for free reports is to sign up for something you have to pay with regard to. This type of service enables you to get on the internet use of your information anytime you would like so that you can keep your eye on details that are connecting upon.

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from alasiri6 wrote 1 year 23 weeks ago

As a kid pickerel were my first "big" catches. They're still a nice change up when you hook into one and once you know they're in play they're fairly predictable. منتديات رمزيات also the first fish that successfully bit me. Mean little buggers. It's not that they'll bite, هيدرات للماسنجر صور it's that they do it with clear malice and will stay still until your hand is in reach before they snap. تسريحات شعر ميك اب - مكياجI'm kind of happy I learned that toothy fresh-water fish lesson then instead of years later while boating a muskie.

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from rahuldev12 wrote 1 year 20 weeks ago

Interesting post and thanks for sharing. Some things in here I have not thought about before.Thanks for making such a cool post which is really very well written.will be referring a lot of friends about this.Keep bloggin Black Hat World

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from Keyword Tool wrote 32 weeks 8 hours ago

What a nice fish! So it is called Chain Pickerel huh... If you live in an area where your water is hard in the winter, Yes you will really bet how people can relate to your March feeling. Well I have heard that as soon as the ice melts, the dark water and dark bottom trap lots of heat and the fish move onto the flats.

Keyword Tools

0 Good Comment? | | Report

Post a Comment

from -Bob wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

Rock bass! Rock bass! Did I mention rock bass? They always can be counted on to take the edge off while waiting for trout to open. Tick, tick, tick... -Bob

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from 2Poppa wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

In March?
I still fish for the largemouth bass, just a little slower.

I go to a lake here in Kentucky where the Musky fishing picks up in March, Cave Run Lake.

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from rjw wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

Largemouth, a month ago it was a drop shot with hand poured shads, 2 weeks ago it was swimming jigs and spinnerbaits this week it is just about anything you can tie on your line. Pretty soon they will be making beds, ahh spring is here!?!

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from buckhunter wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

I'm not sure if I know the difference between Pickerel and Pike but I couldn't get either to bite the other evening while fishing. I did manage to land a dozen bass up to 4 lbs. #4 weedless deer hair popper.

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from YooperJack wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

You people are so spoiled you make me sick! Right now, up here, if you want to fish, fill your bathtub, get some goldish. Lakes are ice-covered. Only ones out are those who are really tired of living. Rivers and creeks are way over their banks. Also, we're more than a month away from Brookie season, two months from walleye season. Maybe the smelt will run again.

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from beanap wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

ok i live in illinois and i must be a sorry sap, but icant seem to get anything to bite any suggestions? i am going crazy!

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from vtbluegrass wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

One or two Stripers? You need to just motivate yourself southwards towards NC my man. The striper bite has been on for close to a months here. I must say though I left tham alone for the most part because the water is warming up here and the red drum are eating. Gotta love living in a place where stripers and bass are out the front door and reds are only a 20 minute drive.

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from shane wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

I don't forget about pickerel, no matter what else is biting. They're one of my favorites. Their veracity tops all, and they jump quite a bit in my experience. I like that.

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from Bella wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

I've caught a few pickerel, so much fun and tasty too! I have likely caught more pickerel than trout in my life!

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from Nic Meador wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

In Oklahoma the crappie bite has picked up the past two weeks. Pick a sunny day and fish small shiners.

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from Judd McCullum wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

I'm learning to love LA. Lower Alabama! I moved from Illinois in the beginning of January, and I've been on the water every spare minute I get. The folks around here keep talking about a bad winter, but I haven't had to get the carhartt's out. It must have left in a hurry!

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from Swampy67 wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

If you already haven't, you should try the Great Egg Harbor River just a little south of where you fish now. Try up stream of Lake Lenope.

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from RMB wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

I like fishing for saugeye here in ohio during march it gets me outside and off the couch even when its still cold

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from Beekeeper wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

Memories of my youth! Beaver ponds and a red rooster tail or shyster. The Chain Pickerel or jack fish would eat them up!

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from jcarlin wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

As a kid pickerel were my first "big" catches. They're still a nice change up when you hook into one and once you know they're in play they're fairly predictable. Also the first fish that successfully bit me. Mean little buggers. It's not that they'll bite, it's that they do it with clear malice and will stay still until your hand is in reach before they snap. I'm kind of happy I learned that toothy fresh-water fish lesson then instead of years later while boating a muskie.

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from TBBT wrote 1 year 32 weeks ago

Thanks for the amazing post. The Big Bang Theory Episodes

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from slimboy wrote 1 year 30 weeks ago

I catch the majority of my pickerel out of Black Moshannon and Colyer Lake. The lake at Poe Valley was recently drained for repairs. You might want to look into what size and age the fish were they used to repopulate the lake. Might not be worth going there quite yet.

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from mariaperis wrote 1 year 29 weeks ago

Ive never seen one of these pickerel fish before. Not sure how tasty they would be. But if i caught one i would cook it regardless to see. my free credit report

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from rahuldev12 wrote 1 year 26 weeks ago

Interesting post and thanks for sharing. Some things in here I have not thought about before.Thanks for making such a cool post which is really very well written.will be referring a lot of friends about this.Keep bloggin
regards email marketing

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from Kinect wrote 1 year 26 weeks ago

I love that time a year I didn't know it was called
"tweener" fishing...

data entry jobs

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from bobjones wrote 1 year 25 weeks ago

Both solved their problems with unlocked cell phones. Cellular carriers, particularly in the U.S., usually lock the phones they sell so they work only with that carrier's network. However, unlocked phones are readily available that can enable owners to more easily switch cellular operators and to get more features and services than specific operators offer.

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from jaisonwilliams wrote 1 year 25 weeks ago

If you'd like to see your free credit report anytime you would like, you should consider to pay a little fee to acquire this. An additional choice to get online for free reports is to sign up for something you have to pay with regard to. This type of service enables you to get on the internet use of your information anytime you would like so that you can keep your eye on details that are connecting upon.

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from alasiri6 wrote 1 year 23 weeks ago

As a kid pickerel were my first "big" catches. They're still a nice change up when you hook into one and once you know they're in play they're fairly predictable. منتديات رمزيات also the first fish that successfully bit me. Mean little buggers. It's not that they'll bite, هيدرات للماسنجر صور it's that they do it with clear malice and will stay still until your hand is in reach before they snap. تسريحات شعر ميك اب - مكياجI'm kind of happy I learned that toothy fresh-water fish lesson then instead of years later while boating a muskie.

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from rahuldev12 wrote 1 year 20 weeks ago

Interesting post and thanks for sharing. Some things in here I have not thought about before.Thanks for making such a cool post which is really very well written.will be referring a lot of friends about this.Keep bloggin Black Hat World

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from Keyword Tool wrote 32 weeks 8 hours ago

What a nice fish! So it is called Chain Pickerel huh... If you live in an area where your water is hard in the winter, Yes you will really bet how people can relate to your March feeling. Well I have heard that as soon as the ice melts, the dark water and dark bottom trap lots of heat and the fish move onto the flats.

Keyword Tools

0 Good Comment? | | Report

Post a Comment

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