The Forgotten One

Take the next minute to think of the 5 most common fish that you specifically target.  Go ahead, write them down.  What fish do you enjoy catching?

Catfish?  Bass?  Smallmouth? Carp?  Muskellunge?   Largemouth?  Pike?  Trout?  Crappie?  Muskie?  Walleye?  Perch?  Striped Bass?  Steelhead?  Etc….

I’m sure you can construct your list with the help provided.  (Feel free to share your list in the comment section below)

One fish that is often overlooked by many is the Pickerel.    Be honest, none of you even thought of the pickerel as a game fish, or one that you often go out in pursuit of.  For many, pickerel are not regarded as a prime pursuit fish like that of a smallmouth or walleye.  This is most likely due to the pickerels much larger cousin, the pike.  Why put in the effort to catch pickerel when one could target pike, right?  Well put your preconceived notions aside and allow me to enlighten you.  

Pickerel fishing is fun and exciting.  Think of it as fishing for mini pike, and pike are fun to catch.  Right?  The mini pike is every bit as entertaining.   Hooking into a good pickerel will provide you with an exhilarating fight and a tasty meal if you prepare correctly.  

The last couple weeks I ventured out with my trusty red canoe to a couple lakes notorious for big pickerel and big bass.  Rose Valley Lake and Black Moshannon Lake.  The major benefit of fishing water that holds both bass and pickerel is the comparable feeding patterns of the two species.  By accessing a body of water that has both largemouth and pickerl you will kill two birds with one stone, or if you prefer it, two fish with one bait.  Below are some tips to keep in mind when fishing for pickerel and largemouth bass.

1) Lure Choice:  During the beginning of summer both bass and pickerel will chase spinner baits and crank baits.  When heading to a fishery with both species, be sure to pack your rattling cranks and double willow blade spinners.  The two I have found to be most productive for bass and pickerel is the largemouth bass crank by Live Target lures and the golden shiner double willow blade from Booyah Bait Co.

2) Line:  I’ll make this simple for you.  Do not use anything lighter than 8lb test.  I personally use 12lb test, but 8lb should still work good.  Keep in mind that pickerel have sharp teeth similar to their cousin the pike.   Being able to cut your line is a definite possibility so having a tough fluorocarbon is important.  I prefer either Sufix’s Invisiline or Berkley’s Vanish

3) Weeds and Structure:  Both will shelter big fish.  Cast in, around, nearby, past, etc. as much as possible.  Pickerel will not often be in open water and largemouth will more than often be hiding in similar areas.

4) Colors:  Use lighter colors like white, cream, tan, light green, and gold.  Do not use any wild and crazy colors that you would not find on a fish.  For example, pink, orange, and purple would not be ideal.  Use colors and patterns of bait fish that these species would be common to feed on.  

5) Size:  For spinner baits do not use anything larger than 3/8 oz.  For crank baits do not use anything larger than 3 inches.  Keeping with these specifications will allow you for a more productive day landing both bass and pickerel.

 

6) Watercraft:  Placing yourself on the water will provide you with a better opportunity to catch fish.  If you can use a watercraft, do it. 

By the way, here is my target fish list: 1) Trout 2) Largemouth 3) Smallmouth 4) Pickerel 5) Steelhead

My Little Friend. Part 2

Since sitting down to write that last article a lot has transpired in my world of trout fishing.  I have met someone new, who of which, has made a large impact in my life and whom I have become very attached to.  It is hard not to like her slender, tight moving, hot action body.  The feeling I get when I’m using her is indescribable.  And she looks so pretty wet!

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Of course, I am talking about my new favorite trout lure.  The Excalibur trout lures.  The Babe Ruth of trout lures.  The slam dunk of trout lures.  The... okay, you get the point.

The Ultra Light Minnow.  My new number 1 when it comes to trout fishing.

 I haven’t completely broken up with the original floaters or the x-raps I previously wrote about.  We’re just on a break…..   Since discovering this new lure from Rapala I have easily doubled the amount of trout I catch every time I hit the water.  Not only am I catching more trout, I’m also catching larger trout.  Browns, brookies, and rainbows cannot resist this finely crafted piece of tackle as it flutters through the water.  Just for fun, here is a picture video showing some of the trout I have landed while using the ULM from Rapala in the past 3 months.

( If the Blogger tube doesn't work, click here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8lKi22CNzE )

 

The best is yet to come.  I’m about to let the proverbial cat out of the bag.  I’m going to spill the beans.  Open the flood gates, release the hounds, set off the fireworks, and open Pandora’s Box.  You can’t just go out to the stream and expect to catch fish with this little beauty.  You must follow protocol and learn the ways the ULM, young grasshopper.  First, go wash and wax your car before you read the rest of this article.  I’ll wait.

…… ……….. *whistling in the tune of a popular song*………

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Okay, I know you did not go out to wash your car or meditate, but here’s the secret.  Always, ALWAYS, throw this lure upstream from you.  After casting upstream be sure to twitch your rod as you retrieve.  By using this retrieval method you will give this lure such amazing action that mimics a drifting dying fry drifting downstream.  Trout will be instantly attracted to your lure and will bite.  With that being said, of course this takes time and patience to learn.  You will not catch a fish with every cast or all the time.  But, this will maximize your chances to catch good trout.  There is no such thing as a guarantee, but I can tell you that this is the best trout lure I’ve ever used.

Get at me on twitter: @trueze

My Little Friend. Part 1

Read this now, and come back to see my follow up on Tuesday, June 12th!

Authored in March 2012. 

The warm weather cannot get to Central, PA soon enough.  Although I still continue to go to my favorite fishing holes throughout the county on a weekly basis, I am yearning for some temperatures above 60 degrees with no wind.  If you have never been to Pennsylvania during spring, it can only be described as “bleh”.  Grey, rainy, windy days are the norm, but occasionally a gift is provided in the condition of a cloudless and sunny day with a high of 55.  But until the consistently warm days of mid April arrive, I will continue to ignore the persistent itch of cabin fever and dreams of warm summer as I endure the unpredictable spring weather.  And, of course, I will continue to prepare for the almost predictable spontaneous fishing adventures with my fishing buddies.

Most recently, on a trip to Spring Creek in Centre County, I was asked what my “bait of choice” was by a fellow angler.  He presumably was inquiring about what I prefer to fish for trout with, as we were both in pursuit of the famous Spring Creek wild brownies, but that question really  got me thinking.  What would I chose if I could only use one bait/lure for the rest of my life?  Ask yourself that question, and what would you even begin to think??  Depending on a targeted species, there are countless different baits, lures, presentations, colors, shapes, sizes, and on and on and on!  But after I marinated on this topic for a day or two, I have come to a conclusion that I am not only confident in, but I have experience to prove its effectiveness.

As the saying goes “oldies are goodies”.  This saying is specifically true with my lure of choice, which I will shortly reveal.  In today’s world of fishing, anglers are constantly on the lookout for a new product or technique that will catch more fish.  Take the new Alabama rig (aka the Umbrella rig) for example (Pictured Below).  Two years ago no one knew about this new style of fishing.  But today it is one of the hottest and most popular selling devices.  The umbrella rig is even illegal in many locations and tournaments due to its effectiveness. But my lure, the lure that I guarantee will catch you fish and a wide diversity of fish, is not a part of a new fad or technique.  In fact, this lure is almost 80 years old and is still going strong with its continued success of attracting fish to bite.

The lure I am speaking of by a little company known as Rapala.  Ever hear of them?  Yeah, I thought so.  Rapala makes a wide variety of signature style lures.  Everything from crank baits, deep divers, jerk baits, rattle traps, jointed lures, poppers, skitter props, etc.  But by far, the most dynamic lure Rapala makes is their original Floating Minnow size 07 (Pictured
Below).  The F7 Floating Minnow produced includes a small front lip for retrieving at depths between 3’-5’, weighs 1/8 oz, and is 2 – ¾ inches.  All of the floating minnows come in a wide range of excellent colored patterns.  A cousin to the floating minnow is the Rapala X-Rap (Pictured Below).  The main differences between these two lures are the feathered tail, lip placement, and 3D holographic eyes of the X-Rap.  Both the Floating Minnow and the X-Rap can be fished as a “slashbait” or in strait retrieval and will catch fish, period.

These two lures, specifically the Floating Minnow, are the most dynamic fishing lure for one simple reason.  An angler can fish for bass, trout, crappie, pickerel, or northern pike all in the same day with the same lure.  Don’t believe me?  Look below.  I have caught a plethora of different species all with the same style Rapala.  Need more evidence?  To date, Rapala lures have caught 502 of the International Game Fish Association’s record fish, more than any other lure company.  As a result of my success there is not a trip that passes me by where I do not have a handful of Rapala Floating Minnows and X-Raps within my tackle box!  Try them for yourself!

Alabama Rig

 

          F7 Floating Minnow

   

X-Rap XR7 (top) and X-Rap XR4 (bottom)

                   Pickerel

    

Crappie

 

                                             Winter Rainbow Trout

  

Spring Creek Brown Trout

                                                   Small Mouth Bass

  

Large Mouth Bass

                                               Northern Pike