Bill May: We’re entering the prime time to catch pickerel

In recent years, pickerel fishing seems to be regaining the popularity it’s always had for us old-timers.

Pickerel can be caught year-round, but the prime months are November through April. In warmer months, pickerel seem to retreat to depths, weedbeds and pad fields. But as waters cool and vegetation dies off, they become more accessible.

Good populations of pickerel can be found in the Magothy and Severn Rivers on the Western Shore, the Nanticoke and Pocomoke Rivers on the Eastern Shore, most Delmarva ponds and Loch Raven Reservoir. Note that Maryland regulations ban keeping pickerel from tidal waters from March 15 through April 30.

Ideal conventional tackle is medium spinning or casting rods, matching reels with quality 15-pound test braid and/or fusion lines and 1 to 2-foot leaders of 20-pound fluorocarbon or monofilament to try to prevent cutoffs from the toothy pickerel

Pickerel can be taken on minnow-type lures, like Rapalas, but, since most pickerel are released — I’ve seen estimates of 90% — our group prefers avoiding the damage of treble hooks and recommends single hook lures and flies.

In open waters, preferred lures are 1/8-ounce, wire hook, unpainted jigheads or “horsehead” spinner jigheads, dressed with either bucktail skirts or 2 to 3-inch curlytail, plastic grubs in white, yellow or natural colors. Sometimes jigs hang up, but usually, a steady pull will open up the wire hook to free the lure. Then the hook can be bent back to shape with thumb pressure or with fishing pliers.

Paddletail or darting flukes, 3 to 4-inches long in the above colors can also be fished with open hooks in open water. My favorite is a Fin-S Fish. In waters with a lot of woody cover or remnants of lily pads or spatterdock, Texas-rigging is a better choice.

Pickerel experts fish jigs, plastics and jig and minnow rigs with “the Magothy River crawl” retrieve, basically slowly dragging the lure along bottom, lifting and shaking it in place before slowly cranking the reel and pausing again. Move the paddletails just enough so the tails wobble. Sometimes a faster retrieve with the Fin-S Fish works better.

Rod angle is critical. Keeping the rod high, at least 45 degrees above the surface, greatly facilitates this retrieve and allows feeling a pickerel taking the lure or bait. Sometimes a pickerel hits hard, but often the take is subtle, sometimes just a slight tic (often seen in the line rather than felt), sometimes a simple pause or stop.

Fly fishing can also be an effective cold-water technique. Use a 7 or 8-weight rod, matching floating line with an 8-foot leader including a 2-foot bite tippet of 20-pound fluorocarbon or monofilament. In very cold weather, an intermediate sinking line may be employed. The most effective flies are 3 to 4-inch white, yellow or chartreuse streamers tied bendback style or on weedless hooks or Bruce’s articulated bullethead darters. Again retrieve the fly slowly, allowing it to flutter down on pauses.

Bait: Often the most effective technique in any pickerel water is fishing a 2 to 4-inch live minnow, lip-hooked on a small jig or shad dart with a wire hook. This can be fished as a jig or suspended beneath a small float.

Perch, crappie and bass may be bycatch with any of these techniques.

A pair of very long-nosed fisherman’s pliers can be needed for removing hooks from toothy pickerel.

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Moving tides are usually critical in rivers, with perhaps, falling tides being preferable. In all pickerel waters, our group of fishermen have noticed that pickerel respond negatively to riffled waters, whether visibility is the problem or the noise of waves slapping against the boat or something else.

Pickerel are shallow-water ambush feeders, so think accordingly and search for structure and baitfish. Look for dropoffs along open shorelines, the backs of coves, fallen trees and piers — anything with cover and/or a breakline. Cast right up against the shoreline and retrieve slowly back to the breakline, often the most productive pickerel water. If that doesn’t work, move deeper. Pilings and piers provide prime cover, and always work creek mouths, back eddies created by tides at the bend of a river and deeper waters near boathouses.

Pickerel aren’t school fish, but they seem to hang in groups; often one can take several to a half dozen or more in a small area. So it pays to keep moving and searching. Approach all areas as slowly and quietly as possible.

Slow trolling or simply drifting with the wind or tide can be an effective approach.

Pickerel are also known for following a lure or bait, so it pays to fish all the way back to the boat. Often strikes come right at boatside as the lure or bait begins to lift, but the pickerel usually followed it out from shallower water.

Ice and cold water are dangerous. Even so-called “paper ice” can damage any boat. A more common problem is ice on the boat ramp, which makes launching and picking up the boat hazardous to impossible.

Kayaks and other small boats demand even greater caution. shock, a heart attack or hypothermia. So beside wearing appropriate clothing — a dry suit or wet suit is preferable — a floatation vest with a whistle and light should be worn before launching, and one should not venture onto the water without another person in another boat that stays within visual and shouting distance. I also recommend carrying a spare set of clothing in your vehicle and not venturing too far from your ramp and vehicle.