Fishing is a wonderful pastime, and one of the most popular freshwater game fish is the chain pickerel.
Also known as the “jackfish” or “pike”, this fish has become a favorite among anglers all over the world. If you’re new to fishing and want to learn how to catch chain pickerel, read on!
Locating a Chain Pickerel
The first step in catching a chain pickerel is finding them. This species of fish can be found in many bodies of water throughout North America such as ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams. They prefer slow-moving shallow waters that are full of vegetation such as lily pads and weeds.
When scouting out potential fishing spots, look for areas with coves, inlets or slow-moving eddies; these are prime locations for finding chain pickerel.
Tackle and Bait
Once you have located a potential spot for fishing for chain pickerel, it’s important to make sure that you have the right tackle and bait.
Chain pickerel are aggressive predators and will strike at most types of live bait including worms, minnows, crayfish, and frogs as well as artificial lures such as spinnerbaits and jerk baits. For tackle set-up, use a medium-weight rod with a 10-15 lb test line along with circle hooks for better hookups.
Fishing Technique
When fishing for chain pickerel it’s important to remember that they are aggressive predators so your technique should reflect that fact.
Cast your lure into likely spots such as weed beds or near fallen logs where they can ambush their prey without being seen.
Once your lure hits the water start retrieving it quickly by jerking the rod tip up sharply every few seconds; this will cause the lure to wobble erratically which will trigger an instinctive strike from any nearby chain pickerel. Be prepared because when they hit it’ll be fast!
Conclusion
The key to successfully catching chain pickerel is preparation; having the right tackle setup and using an effective technique is essential if you want to land one of these feisty fighters!
With some practice and patience, you should be able to fill your creel with plenty of these tasty game fish! So what are you waiting for? Grab your gear and get out there – good luck!
