Well, it looks like we just endured a genuine blast of real winter weather. That is, enough to put a few inches of “unsafe ice” on our central Maryland lakes and ponds. Shucks, I was hoping for some more balmy January days and nights and saving on the heating oil.
Anyway, it surely won’t stop one of our native Esox species that remains active throughout the winter months, ice or not. That would be the chain pickerel, a smaller cousin to the northern pike that inhabits many of our regional waters and is very prevalent on Eastern Shore rivers and mill ponds, along with a host of Virginia and Pennsylvania waters. In our immediate area, both Loch Raven and Liberty reservoirs sport fishable populations of these ambush attackers with Loch Raven offering 24 to 28-inch fish even for shore bound anglers, provided there is no ice coverage.
I have long had a crush on chain pickerel, mainly because I love the way they slash at a bait at lightning speed and offer a spirited fight that often includes violent leaps for freedom. During the winter, however, most pickerel just fight a dogged, deeper effort for freedom once hooked. On the Eastern Shore and many Virginia and Delaware estuaries they have long been one of the premier top-line predators of those waters. But with the influx of the northern snakehead, pickerel, and bass, are no longer the top dogs in most of these waters.
Still, pickerel fishing remains quite good in many locations and big fish can be had by those willing to brave the cold. Winter kayaking for pickerel has become a “thing” now as anglers seek to extend their open-water efforts in the cold months with these co-operative species. Traditionally, most trophy class pickerel, those 24-inches and up, have been winter catches in Maryland waters, including the current state record of 8 pounds taken from an Eastern Shore mill pond in January several seasons ago.
Live bait, in the form of large minnows or native golden shiners can stir the interest of a big fish. That is, if you can find or catch bait in the cold. Most anglers choose to cast 1/8 th to ¼ ounce jigs with plastic variations below bobbers to entice these fish from shoreline structures or remaining green weeds throughout the winter. Slowly rolled spinner baits or soft swim baits can work as well. Other anglers choose to use various spoons and in-line spinners, like the No. 3 to No. 5 Mepps Aglias, to coax big fish with slow retrieves during February to late March.
Some of my best success in recent years has been the use of large, gaudy hair jigs tied in bright yellows, whites and reds fished slowly, with short “pops” and “pulls” 3 feet below a foam bobber. Primarily sight feeders, pickerel can see the big-hair lures and it piques their interest for a good, sustainable cold-water meal.
Typical tackle for these fish can coincide with medium spinning gear used for bass with 6.5-to-7.5-foot rods and a 2500 series spinning reels spooled with 20-pound braid. Consideration should be made for leader material, as the pickerels’ sharp teeth can sever light braid and monofilament lines. Some anglers use a light, seven-strand wire testing 20 pounds or more. But a growing legion of pickerel anglers prefer tough, fluorocarbon leaders testing 15 to 20 pounds. Even with durable fluorocarbon, check for toothy abrasions and change out leaders as necessary to avoid losing the big one. If you are using jigs or single-hook lures, be sure you have a heavy gauge hook and not the light-wire variety that can bend and open up during a hectic battle.
As mentioned, pickerel like to hang out around docks, deeper weed beds, fallen trees and logs as well as brush piles and other woody structures. Sometimes they will suspend in deeper regions of a mill pond and can be taken with the live bait/bobber set up during a warm afternoon. They also like the classic 1/8th ounce shad dart tipped with a bull minnow and slowly fished near structures during the warmest part of the day. Don’t be surprised if you pick up a good-sized largemouth bass during your pickerel efforts as they, too, like a mid-winter treat.
Besides Loch Raven and Liberty, other quality waters include Deep Creek Lake (currently ice-covered), the Pocomoke River, Pinchot State Park (Pennsylvania), Chickahominy and Little Creek Lakes (Virginia), and the myriad of tidal flows across the Bay that seem to remain ice-free almost every winter with central Eastern Shore waters seeming to have larger populations of these fish. Pickerel: a good winter gig.