Freshwater Fishing News

Chain pickerel are relatively small members of the pike family. Although they do not reach monstrous sizes like their larger cousins (musky and northern pike), they are formidable gamefish. Anglers distinguish chain pickerel from other pike species by a conspicuous dark bar beneath each eye and fully scaled cheeks and gill covers.

These slender predators hunt primarily by stealth, suspending motionless among vegetation or orienting to objects such as submerged stumps. When forage species stray near, they strike with lightning speed, holding on to prey with their sharp teeth. After a meal is immobilized, the pickerel may spit it out momentarily before swallowing it whole, head first.

Pickerel are found in small ponds, lakes, rivers, and creeks throughout central and eastern North America. In addition to their natural range, they have been introduced extensively in other areas where they sometimes establish strong populations. They tolerate a higher level of salinity than most other freshwater species and are often found in brackish creeks near saltwater estuaries.

Chain pickerel are caught with conventional lures, flies, and live baits. Throughout much of their range, chain pickerel are primarily a cool weather species. Although they can be caught at any time of year, anglers are much more likely to encounter these specialized hunters when vegetation is minimal and forage species are most abundant in open areas.

Chain pickerel readily strike many of the same lures that are used for largemouth bass. When targeting these fish specifically, anglers often select lures that offer at least some protection against their razor sharp teeth. These include inline spinners, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, spoons, and other lures that provide some distance between the hook and the running line.

Plastic worms and other soft bodies catch pickerel, although many are lost due to cut offs above the hook. Some anglers fish soft plastics or other vulnerable rigs on braided lines which offer some resistance to being cut by the pickerel’s razor sharp teeth.

Pickerel, pike, and musky are occasionally seen following a lure right up to boatside. A popular technique to counter this is called the “figure 8″. When a lure nears the angler, the rod tip is moved so as to guide the lure in the shape of the number 8. This erratic lure action sometimes results in a vicious attack by pickerel. A loose drag is imperative as is alertness by the angler, otherwise the fish may miss the hook or break the line.

Chain pickerel frequently attack sunfish or other panfish that are being reeled up by anglers. A few anglers exploit this behavior by fishing relatively large baits under a float or on a Carolina rig. Small sunfish, perch, suckers, or other species are used, all of which are food sources for pickerel. In some areas, frogs, crayfish, and other live baits are known to be effective.

In many areas, fall is one of the best times to fish for yellow perch. These brightly colored fish are hard fighters and make excellent table fare. Although small fish are present during the fall season, trophy class yellow perch are often caught.

For anglers in search of jumbo sized fall yellow perch, location can be a key factor. Large fish are often caught in areas where fishing pressure is light. In many cases, yellow perch hot spots are difficult to reach or present challenges to anglers.

When targeting yellow perch during the fall season, recent information can be extremely valuable. Among the sources are catch reports from bass or crappie specialists. Both of these niche angling groups tend to catch yellow perch by accident while targeting their favorite species. Although some anglers are very tight-lipped when it comes to sharing information, most are more than happy to discuss non-target species.

Structure Fishing

In most locations, fall yellow perch are found near structure. In main rivers, they are often found along steep drops, although perch are quick to move up onto shallow flats to feed during warm periods. During the late season, river anglers sometimes find yellow perch in good numbers, often mixed in with largemouth bass, crappie, white perch, or other species.

In creeks and smaller tributaries, yellow perch move into pools or other deep sanctuaries during the fall season. They often feed aggressively, staging along areas where currents meet eddies.

In small ponds, yellow perch often stage near dropoffs during Autumn. In some impoundments, bass or crappie anglers are sometimes surprised as trophy class yellow perch attack their lures, especially near sunset.

In larger lakes, yellow perch may congregate along slopes or in deep channels near their summer feeding areas. As aquatic vegetation dies off and settles to the bottom, perch may lurk in these deeper areas, feeding on forage fish, insect larvae, crustaceans, and other food sources that are swept into the open.

Lures vs. Baits

When choosing lures or baits for fall yellow perch fishing, anglers take into consideration the type of habitat, water depth, clarity, and temperature, weather conditions, and other factors. Other species may also influence gear choices as some anglers prefer to target yellow perch exclusively, while others may seek a variety of species, including crappie, white perch, white bass, sunfish, largemouth bass, and others.

Best Lures for Catching Yellow Perch

The most common yellow perch lures include a variety of small to mid-sized jigs, spoons, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, tube lures, plastic worms, and other selections. In many environments,  the best artificial lures for yellow perch are ones that can reach deep fish while moving enticingly at low speeds. When fish are found among stumps, tree trunks, or other obstructions, snagless designs become essential.

When fishing among obstructions, downsizing of traditional largemouth bass lures and techniques is sometimes effective for yellow perch. Although perch may slow down in cold water, they sometimes bite aggressively and will take plastic worms, tube lures, or other soft plastics.

Live Baits and Rigs for Catching Yellow Perch

In some areas, live baits are preferred for catching yellow perch. Minnows are by far the most common choice as live baits. Alternative live baits sometimes include small crayfish, nightcrawlers, or insect larvae (grubs).

Live minnows can be fished using a number of rigs, with each having one or more specific applications. The simplest rig consists of a basic jig such as a shad dart, tube jig, or marabou jig, tipped with a live minnow. Jig-minnow combinations work particularly well when casting or drifting over shallows or moderate depths.

Minnows can also be fished on a live bait or circle hook, rigged on traditional top and bottom leaders, dropshot rigs, or as Carolina or Texas rigs. Live bait hooks and other traditional style hooks are popular in some applications, although they do have a number of drawbacks.

Floating jig hooks are also useful in some situations, especially when rigged as a Carolina rig. Floating jig heads position live minnows just off the bottom, away from obstructions and other debris.

One option for fishing live minnows is the circle hook. Circle hooks reduce fish mortality by greatly reducing deep hooking. Although circle hooks require a higher level of skill to use than conventional hooks, most anglers find them extremely effective.

Circle hooks are available in a number of styles. Many circle hooks come with offset points, although a true circle hook, by definition, has no hook offset. Most freshwater circle hooks can be easily bent in order to remove any offset, making them less likely to snag on obstructions or gut hook yellow perch.

Circle hooks work well for drifting live minnows on Carolina rigs or on a long leader with a dropper type sinker configuration. Some anglers add a small tube body, bucktail skirt, or mylar skirt above the hook to add elements of flash and color.

Regardless of the type of rig used for catching yellow perch, late season fishing can be productive. Depending on local conditions, yellow perch fishing may continue into winter. In northern areas, more perch fishing follows as soon as lake ice over enough for winter fishing to begin.

Across North America, the arrival of fall usually means a sharp increase in the number of cold fronts. These powerful weather systems affect fish behavior and can have major impacts on fishing. Cold fronts are often fast moving systems that bring sudden drops in temperature, low barometric pressure, cloudy skies, and rain or snow.

During the fall season, cold fronts can trigger a number of environmental changes. High winds, sudden temperature changes, and precipitation often carry an influx of leaves and other organic matter into streams, creeks and ponds. This sudden introduction of materials into aquatic environments can affect ph levels, visibility, oxygen levels, and other factors.

Cold fronts can also drive temperature inversions during the fall season. Inversions occur when sustained high winds cool and transport surface waters across estuaries. As surface water is pushed across an estuaries, Water from below is pulled upward. This process, called upwelling, can benefit ecosystems by bringing nutrients, plankton and baitfish closer to the surface.

In many instances, fair weather follows a cold front. When anglers return to fishing, they typically find decreased visibility, cooler water temperatures, and other changes.

Before a front arrives, fish often feed aggressively. Species such as largemouth bass, striped bass, pike, and others are known to prey heavily on schools of baitfish as a cold front approaches. Some species even feed in the worst weather, including rain squalls or snowstorms.

After a cold front passes, anglers often complain that fish have scattered and refuse to bite. In some cases this assumption is true, but in many waterways, fishing opportunities still exist. When surface temperatures drop, fish may move into deeper water and suspend until conditions improve. Locating fish in these conditions can be easier for anglers that have fish finders and water temperature readouts.

Cold Front Fishing Techniques

Although many species become less active, many can still be taken on lures or baits. Largemouth and smallmouth bass anglers often switch from surface lures to slow moving, deep rigs such as Texas rigged worms, dropshot rigs, football jigs.

Perch, sunfish and other panfish can also be caught during or after cold fronts. Like other species, these small but tasty fish often move into channels or along drops during bad weather. Some anglers target them by vertically jigging small spoons, jigs, or other lures. Others switch to baits such as insect larvae, grass shrimp, nightcrawlers or other choices. During low visibility conditions, scent or color may be critical factors for both lures and baits.

When targeting ponds, lakes, and other smaller impoundments, anglers may have the luxury of covering a wide range of habitats and experimenting with a variety of techniques. This method works best when a weather system is moving out and fish are still scattered.

Habitat to be covered may include shallow grassy areas, overhanging limbs, dropoffs and other areas. In situations where direct sun has returned, fish may avoid open areas but may orient nearby to take advantage of warm currents.

As clear skies return and winds subside, visibility may increase considerably. These periods can bring a host of changes to fish habitats and can trigger fish to feed heavily. When anglers find these conditions, fishing can be excellent.

Tube lures can be fished using a variety of rigs and fishing techniques. These simple soft plastic bodies can be rigged with conventional jig hooks, specialized tube jig hooks, or other rigs to cover practically any application.

For topwater fishing, tube bodies can be rigged weedless using a worm hook or modified circle hook. Tube bodies can be rigged for deeper applications, either as a Texas or Carolina rig. For vertical jigging, they can be rigged in a dropshot configuration or in tandem.

When choosing a tube lure rig, anglers should take into consideration the species of fish being targeted, their predominant prey, and known behavior. For example, tube bodies are highly effective when largemouth bass are feeding on frogs or other prey around lily pads or heavy mats of vegetation. Large tube bodies are available in a number of patterns and colors that resemble frogs. Depending on the region, these lifelike lures may also attacked by musky, pike, pickerel, or other predatory species when fished among dense vegetation.

Another application of tube lures occurs when smallmouth bass, rock bass, or other species are preying on crayfish. In these situations, anglers may choose a simple jig hook, Texas rig, dropshot, or other setup to present tubes to hungry fish. When fishing tubes in these situations, color, size, and retrieval may be critical factors for success.

Although tube bodies are popular for catching bass, their popularity is even greater among anglers that target crappie and other panfish. The wide range of rigging choices associated with tube bodies is a key reason that so many crappie anglers rely on them.

For catching sunfish, tiny tube bodies are available. These micro lures are be rigged on jig inserts and casted or jigged using ultralight gear. They can also be added on baited hooks to provide color and movement.

The unweighted weedless tube rig has several advantages. It is one of the few lures that can be retrieved successfully across dense vegetation. Its action is variable, depending on equipment and angler skill. In some situations it is most effective if retrieved slowly across the surface. Another technique is to cast and then quickly pop the rod so that the tube splashes and appears to struggle across the surface. Unweighted tube bodies do not cast well and their limited effective distances can be a problem in some situations.

The Texas rigged tube body can be very effective. Like other soft plastics, they often work best when allowed to creep over the bottom with little action. This seemingly uneventful movement closely resembles the behavior of natural prey such as crawfish or other bottom dwellers. Larger tubes can easily be Texas rigged with standard worm hooks. Small tubes can also be rigged with this configuration, although hook choices can present a challenge. When rigged correctly, Texas rigged tube lures are an extremely snag-resistant design and can be fished where most other lures would be ineffective.

Jig hook inserts are the most popular choice for rigging soft plastic tube bodies. These specially made jig hooks are made to fit inside tube bodies. Tube jig hooks come in a variety of sizes to match specific length bodies. Some models feature weedless designs. Insert type jig hooks tend to be lighter than traditional ball jig designs, which can limit their usefulness in deep water or fast moving currents. When a heavier jig is required, some anglers choose to use a barbed ball type jig hook. Tube bodies can be rigged on these type hooks by cutting off the tip of the body and sliding the tube upward onto the jig.

Choosing a quality tube body can make a big difference in fishing success. An effective tube body will have supple tentacles that move with a lifelike, pulsing motion, especially when jigged slowly. Cheaper versions may lack this essential action. Tube bodies are also available in scented versions, which are popular with anglers. Scented tubes can give anglers a critical advantage in murky water or when targeting species that rely heavily on taste.

During the fall season, anglers that have been busy with other species often switch back to crappie fishing. Targeting these hard fighting fish during the fall can be rewarding, although they fishing can be red hot one minute and shut down the next.

Simple jigs are often the most effective lures for catching late season crappie. These usually include marabou crappie jigs or basic ball jigs rigged with curly tailed grubs or other soft plastic bodies. Tube lures are another popular choice, usually rigged with special jig hooks. Lure bodies are also available in scented versions, which produce well in some situations.

Experimentation with jigs can be an important practice when targeting fall crappie. Many experienced anglers pay close attention to jig selection as crappie often bite certain colors or patterns while ignoring other offerings. Other important factors include the depth at which jigs travel and the action that is induced by working the rod.

Small metal jigs can also be effective during the fall. These lures are well suited for situations where crappie have staged along channel edges, gravel bottoms, or other deep areas where few obstructions are present. They work best when casted away from the boat and allowed to flutter towards the bottom using a slow jigging action. When fish are located at a given depth, the angler can often catch several fish from a school by repeating the same technique over and over.

Although plastic worms are usually associated with catching largemouth bass, they can also be effective on fall crappie. They work well when crappie are found together with bass or other gamefish. When using soft plastic worms for crappie, short, heavy bodies are a good choice, especially when rigged with smaller hooks. Some anglers prefer to fish these lures without any weight, while others employ Texas rigs, Carolina rigs, dropshot leaders, or other setups.

In large impoundments, crankbaits are sometimes used for catching crappie. Although crankbaits are not suitable for all conditions, these lures offer a few advantages over other lures. Crankbaits typically feature a specialized lip or other design element which causes them to dive to a given depth when retrieved or trolled. Most crankbaits are equipped with multiple treble hooks. These lures can be trolled or casted and are well suited to fast paced fishing styles. Since crankbaits mimic baitfish, they are a good choice for fishing open lakes or reservoirs where anglers are likely to encounter several species of gamefish.

In some areas, live minnows are preferred over artificial lures when fishing for crappie. They can be fished under a bobber or rigged with a live bait or circle hook and casted to structure. In areas that are free of obstructions, the same techniques that work with artificial lures can be applied when fishing live minnows. Some anglers drift live minnows using a Carolina rig, using techniques nearly identical to fishing soft plastic worms.

As weather systems alternate across North America, fish cycle thru periods of inactivity mixed with aggressive feeding. Many experienced fishermen watch the barometer and other indicators to predict the best fishing times. Some anglers also scout a number or habitats, hoping to unlock weather-related secrets of crappie behavior.

Time of day can be critical during fall crappie fishing. Crappie are notorious for being shy during bright sunlight. Unlike summer fishing, fall crappie may be slow to bite during the early morning. As daytime temperatures rise, activity often increases. The best fishing often occurs during the late afternoon, when sunlight levels are lower. During these feeding periods, crappie often seem to appear out of nowhere, taking lures on nearly every cast.