PICKEREL SOUNDOFF

[nybigeyes]

No reason to stock pickerel, they breed and survive like crazy. Bass don't need to be stocked either, no one keeps them any more. The trout program should be dropped except in waters where they can survive the summer season. Less fishermen = more fish.
bigones

[scavengerj]

Fish all over the state. And have to say that the N.E. has the most. I usually do manage to catch a few nice fish up there every year. Down in the S.E/S.C. and western portions of the state there are very few of them. Slot limits would go along way.

[Yoda on Ice]

When I first started ice fishing I was glad for any flag I got.  I would come home and tell my dad how I had 9 flags and caught 4 pickeral.  Now that I have veen at it for a few years I'd rather just sit and jig and watch my tip ups.  I still enjoy the pickeral on a slow day, but not like I used to.  But if you think of it isn't it better to be catching small pickeral then no fish at all. I have spent many days on the ice when I would have been enthusiastic to catch a pickeral.  So I guess like most things it's just a matter of time and place.  If you have a day when your pulling in a ton of fish it may be annoying to have to deal with the pickeral. But as I said on other days you dream of a flag, and it wouldn't matter if it was a 13 in pickeral or a 20 in bass.  These are just the ramblings of a sleep deprived 3rd shifter, but that's how I see it.

[ralwag]

When I go out on the ice I will take all the flags I can. Its no fun just sitting doing nothing.I do catch a lot of pickerel. Most about 15", give or take an inch. I don't think that pickerel should be stocked tho. There are plenty of them. When I am sick of catching them I go to trout lakes.

[Van_Cleaver]

The latest fishing mag by F+W outdoors had a big article on pickerel in the Pa Northeast. Much as I don't like losing nice jigs to hammer handles, I think pickerel have their place in the food chain. Seems the best panfish lakes in the Northeast (at least that I fish) are loaded with them, so they must keep the perch and gills from running wild and getting stunted. I would think rather than spending money raising them, they could easily be caught in trap nets and relocated to places that needed them. Just my two cents.

[DMNTD1]

They should take any money they spend to raise pickerel and just go net em from the hatchery known as Tobyhanna Lake. I've landed as many as 30 before getting even 1 that made the old 15" size.

As to the musky comment made on the 1st page. If muskies ate everything in their path they'd be extremely easy to catch which they aren't. They will sometimes go days without eating before grabbing a meal. Whens the last time someone caught a musky and it was spitting out half digested fish that it couldn't fit in its stomach? Also theres very little natural reproduction in most of the places they stock due to various factors.

Also to Boatnik on the muskies, look at what the NYSDEC did with the 1000 islands and Niagara musky fisheries. They raised the minimum size limits to 48 and 54" inches and that size fish is becoming common. Numerous 60" fish have been caught and released from the St Lawrence in the past few years. Still think raising the size limits and practicing C&R can't help produce super muskies?

I am always glad to catch anything through the ice but when I'm putting a lot of effort into catching bigger baits for musky or stripers (trout, chubs, wild shiners, ect) I don't like running to a flag to find out a 18" pickerel just ruined my 8-10" bait.

Pickerel can and will reproduce anywhere. The private lake my parents live by is overrun with them since someone stocked a few years back. The population has exploded and they are competing with the bass for forage and cover.

[1MOFISH]

When I first started ice fishing I was glad for any flag I got.  I would come home and tell my dad how I had 9 flags and caught 4 pickeral.  Now that I have veen at it for a few years I'd rather just sit and jig and watch my tip ups.  I still enjoy the pickeral on a slow day, but not like I used to.  But if you think of it isn't it better to be catching small pickeral then no fish at all. I have spent many days on the ice when I would have been enthusiastic to catch a pickeral.  So I guess like most things it's just a matter of time and place.  If you have a day when your pulling in a ton of fish it may be annoying to have to deal with the pickeral. But as I said on other days you dream of a flag, and it wouldn't matter if it was a 13 in pickeral or a 20 in bass.  These are just the ramblings of a sleep deprived 3rd shifter, but that's how I see it.

ihear ya there are no pickerel in western pa had a ball at black moshannon the more flags the better if i didnt trap my own bait might be whinin' can remember the bad days another ramblin' night crawler    mo

[scavengerj]

Usually do pretty good on Toby with a couple over 18" each time I go. The one thing I do like about pickerel though is that if they are in a body of water, it is a good place to take someone who has never caught anything over 10". I have places down in Md. and here in Pa. where I will take people who have never fished before and promise them they will catch a fish over 10" within five miuntes of having a bait in the water, be it frozen or otherwise. They are great for the kids to catch on tip-ups and for others throwing topwaters in the summer. They just need to be managed a little better. First time fishing Toby I had no idea they were stunted. I understand now why when I got a couple over 20"+ people came over to look at them. Bigger bait = bigger fish 

[DMNTD1]

Usually do pretty good on Toby with a couple over 18" each time I go. The one thing I do like about pickerel though is that if they are in a body of water, it is a good place to take someone who has never caught anything over 10". I have places down in Md. and here in Pa. where I will take people who have never fished before and promise them they will catch a fish over 10" within five miuntes of having a bait in the water, be it frozen or otherwise. They are great for the kids to catch on tip-ups and for others throwing topwaters in the summer. They just need to be managed a little better. First time fishing Toby I had no idea they were stunted. I understand now why when I got a couple over 20"+ people came over to look at them. Bigger bait = bigger fish 

What they really need to do on Toby is make a slot (say 10-15") to take care of the highly stunted population. There is simply way to many of them competing for the food. Bigger baits don't seen to make a difference in that lake either. I've used 8" chubs I had over from musky fishing and had 10-12" pickerel grab a hold of them. About all the lake is good for is as you said, to take someone who wants to catch fish and doesn't matter how big they are and to let kids catch fish to keep them interested in the sport.

[Van_Cleaver]

Promised Land is similar in regards to Pickerel, you can take someone who hasn't caught fish through the ice before, and be pretty positive there will be flags and fish. Big shiners do help somewhat for the size issue, and there are some nice size critters there as well. One day I took two, 20-23'' out of the same hole. Also I have seen some very large pickerel caught at Toby as well.

[marshrat]

The biggest problem with pickerel most people have is that most lakes that hold pickerel in PA have stunted populations... the one thing that is great about pickerel fishing is when there is a chance for a giant pickerel... the only way that will ever happen is if more fish are kept... there is no reason to stock pickerel other than as fingerlings

(Image removed from quote.)
Heres a 6 1/4 pounder


(Image removed from quote.)
A 6 1/2 pounder...
and i have pic of a 7lb, 3 oz pickerel pulled through the ice, all from this year, and all from PA

I wonder where that 2nd pic was taken lol maybe Hamilton in Wellsboro PA and there is no way that is 6 + lbs

[scavengerj]

Slots would be the best thing to do on any of the lakes that have alot of these stunted fish. Was just saying that using bigger baits has significantly cut down on the number of smaller fish I have pulled from the lake. They typically are bigger then what most catch. I've had perch hit 5"-6" bluegills on tip-ups before, but the majority of the fish that hit the bigger baits are bigger overall. And if you ain't fishing where the bigger fish are, then bait size doesn't matter 
I don't know, pics can be deceiving. It is possible the fish is that big. It does appear to have a belly to it.

[marshrat]

Slots would be the best thing to do on any of the lakes that have alot of these stunted fish. Was just saying that using bigger baits has significantly cut down on the number of smaller fish I have pulled from the lake. They typically are bigger then what most catch. I've had perch hit 5"-6" bluegills on tip-ups before, but the majority of the fish that hit the bigger baits are bigger overall. And if you ain't fishing where the bigger fish are, then bait size doesn't matter 
I don't know, pics can be deceiving. It is possible the fish is that big. It does appear to have a belly to it.

I have fished the lake all my life and I know there are not that big of pickerel in there 4 to 5 lbs tops biggest fish in the lake!!

PS I have caught a 3 lb pickerel on a jigging pole with a wax worm before.

[pocono]

When fishing is slow you can almost allways switch over to shinners and get pickerel on most pocono lakes, so never bad mouth those guys even if they are small, that way you don't get skunked.

[marshrat]

I agree completely even when I go to the big lakes in NY for lakers and browns I always set 1 of my 5 tip ups for pickerel they are so much fun to catch on slow days!!

[DMNTD1]

They are good to some people on slow days but I'd rather not see a flag most of the time. I pay upwards of $2 a piece for 6-8" trout for bait for stripers and muskies and cannot stand when 20" pickerel end up tearing them up. They can be fun jigging but I hate when they hit my tip-ups.

[iceaddiction]

just remember i would rather catch pickerel any day than have a good day at work.