Pickerel
have certain haunts, and though they usually move independent of
each other, but to catch "a string of pickerel" is a good day's
work. Pickerel are fond of shady places, and in summer they
frequent the parts of the stream nearly where the pickerel weed
grows. They generally spawn in March or April, and earlier in
some southern streams. In winter they get under rocks, or
stumps, or into convenient deep holes, and they can be taken
then with small live fish for bait.
In rivers you can
generally catch pickerel near the mouth of some small
stream
emptying into the
river;
the fall of the year is the best time for catching them.
In the
hot summer months they will seldom bite at all, except perhaps
in a very windy day. In the fall, too, they are in better
condition. Pickerel fishing in the
spring is sometimes very
successful, however, though the fish are not as good when
breeding.
At this period
their usual beautiful green color and bright yellow spots are
dull and leaden. In the more northern waters they are sometimes
taken as early as August in good condition.
The
tackle used for pickerel is a pretty
stiff 10 foot
fishing
rod,
with a
fishing
reel,
and some 50 or 60 yards of flax line,
which should be protected by the
hook
with gimp or wire. The Limerick or
Kirby
salmon hook
is used. The size is 0 to 5, according
to the size of the fish.
In a running
stream, the sinker and float will also be found necessary. The
bait should be a small live fish, or
frog,
or the hind leg of a frog skinned.
Worms
are sometimes used in small streams, where the water is clear
and the game small. In using live bait, when the pickerel takes
it, do not draw your line too quick.
The bait itself,
if properly impaled, will be very lively and will be apt to make
a violent effort to escape its enemy. Inexperienced
anglers
may take this movement for a veritable bite; but when the bite
comes, there is no mistaking it. In impaling
a small fish for
bait, pass the hook under the back fin, just under the roots of
its rays.
This will not
disable the fish, and it will appear lively in the water. When
using live frog bait, you pass the hook through the skin of the
back or belly, or the back muscle of the hind legs. The live
frog is generally used on the top of the water -
if not, you
should let him rise occasionally to take the air.
When the pickerel
has seized your bait, give him plenty of time to swallow it, and
also plenty of line. Sometimes he will hold it in his mouth and
play with it before gorging. On bringing him to land, be careful
of his jaws, for he has a set of teeth, sharp as needles.
