Conference wahoo::fishing

    If you are really serious about catching this fish, you may have
    to break down and use bait. Use a live minnow, as big as you can
    find, and put him near the spot where this lunker hangs out. Use
    30 to 50 lb mono for a leader. If he breaks off from that you'll
    have to use wire. A live frog will work almost as well.
    
    If catching the fish is secondary to *how* you catch it, you may
    as well spend the rest of the summer with the artificials on slightly
    heavier line. 12 lb should probably do the job. 
    
    Let us know how you do. BTW- what is a gitzit?
    
     The doctah

YO,
     Yes a mutant shiner is great for picks, however as far as artificial
    goes, ZARA SPOOKS are great for them top water, spinner baits (willow
    leafs are best*) cranked past their faces are great, Johnson silver
    minnow with pork rind, heck, pickeral will hit just about anything
    if in the mood. As Doc said, artificial frog or real are a favorite.
    I always fish with lightweight 18-22in steel leader when fishing
    for a toothy fish. You will loose more fish than you catch if you
    do not. They are too aggressive to be line shy. Yes I believe they
    are territorial. Before you know it you'll be after the elusive
    muskie, pike and walleye! 12lb test is fine. No doubts he bit through
    your line.......
                                   NIGHTCRAWLER~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    PS;
        YO DOC,
                  The Fat Gitzit is made by Manns Bait Co. The are rubber
    bodied "tubes" with an attached "skirt". They are in the jig catagory.
    They come in vast amount of colors and two tones. The jig can be
    rigged weedless texas style or fished with the hook through the
    body. 
            NIGHTCRAWLER~~~~~~~~~~~
                                                     

    To catch that giant pickerel I suggest using a 1/2 to 5/8 (5/8 is
    probably bettter) BRIGHT SOLID YELLOW rooster tail (no imitations).
    Back in Western mass in Quabbin and other lakes, the rooster tail
    is deadly on both bass and pickerel.  Since I was fishing from shore,
    I never bothered with a leader.   I have landed pickerel in the
    18 to 28" range without ever having lost one.  I guess I am just
    pressing my luck if I continue not to use one.  Good Luck
    
    Tim
    

    re .1
    
    Nightcrawler had it right, they are the same plastic as plastic
    worms, but a tube, closed on one end and skirted on the other. One
    company calls them "gitzits" but you can get them thru BassPro as
    "tube-u-lures" and K-mart has them under still another name... a
    jig is poked head first thru the back to the front, and you then
    push the eye of the jig right thru the plastic to fasten to your
    line - supposed to work well, but only the pickerel seem to like
    them so far... just started trying them lately, though.
    
    PS. Thanks for all the input, guys - I made the mistake of telling
    my wife's uncle about this, and did his eyes get big! and he's on
    his way up for 3 days, too! He better not get MY pickerel, that's
    all I have to say!!!
    
    Ed
    
    

    re:0
    	If you have access to a canoe, small boat, or even an inner
    tube I would say try that and you may be able to keep him out of
    the dock. I think you are right in that he is almost guarenteed
    to wrap around the dock since you are fishing from it and pulling
    him right towards it. The 8 lb. test will be fine if you can just
    keep him away from the dock. The fish may even be hanging around
    the dock and you spook him out when you walk out on it.
    
    	RAYJ

    Are you sure this was a pickerel and not a northern or muskie. 
    30" sounds pretty big for a pickerel who are generally smaller than
    northern and muskie.  The state record pickerel in Pa. is only 
    31 1/2".  If you're sure it'a a pickerel, then time of day could
    depend on whether or not he'll be in the vicinity.  Pickerel have
    a tendency to stay in deeper water during the day but venture into
    the shallows in early morning and at dusk.
    
    					Good Luck
    					ALFer

    
    It could still be a pickeral.  I don't know what the current record
    is but in 1952 or 3, the world record pick was pulled out of Laurel
    Lake in Lee, Ma. and it weighed 9lb 4oz.   It has been surpassed
    but I don't recall the details.
    
    So, say an 8 lb pick in NH is within the realm of possibility.
    
    Not that I believe fish stories that don't involve witnesses or
    hard physical evidence. ;-)
    
    Steve 
                                   

  >  Are you sure this was a pickerel and not a northern or muskie. 

   Don't know for sure, but I didn't think there were any of those in 
   Winni - somebody will tell us

  >  If you're sure it'a a pickerel, then time of day could
  >  depend on whether or not he'll be in the vicinity.  

   I hooked him at 2pm on Friday - a little cloudy as I recall.
    
   As far as spooking them from beneath the dock, I don't think so,
   because I often see them underneath, and they seem to be happy to
   stay right there, no matter how much walking goes on or people look
   over the side at him... the water's 6-8 ft deep at the end, though.

   Also: I do intend to try from a canoe to prevent a repeat
   performance of dock-diving - and with a *big* net! (but how do 
   I put that little stringer in that big nasty mouth???)

   Thanks,

   Ed

    Hit him on the head with something VERY solid
    
    Dave

    Wots de matter chew peoples don carry no gun wit chew??? Deres no
    moccassins or gators or gar op dere???
    
    Coonass

    Mike Dutaxus doesn't want us running around with sticks in our mouths
    or carrying those bad guns. Why, we might hurt ourselves!
    
    Pistol Preston
    

    Pickeral of that size would be a state record for N.H.. I think
    that it is a northern pike, which you would have a hard time telling
    apart till you get it aboard. I don't believe that there are any
    muskies in Winni, but there are northerns.....
    
    A six inch wire leader wouldn't hurt either, especially with that
    size of fish.
    
    Whatever, good luck with the hunt.
    
    Ranger Ron

	According to a Rhode Island paper (why RI I don't know but) the
current Massachusetts record for chain pickeral is 9 lbs 5 oz.

    Well, I was up to Winni again this weekend, and spent some time
    in search of Moby Pickerel (see .0) A guy snorkeling around the
    dock came up with the gitzit that got snapped off last time. Upon
    close examination, it was obvious that it was probably the fish's
    teeth that cut the line, instead of the knot breaking, because the
    knot was still intact, with about � in. or so of line left. I figure
    that when he went around the piling, it pulled the line tight against
    his teeth, and *snap*... (and spit out the gitzit)
    
    Also, it was interesting to note that the gitzit was all cruddy looking
    and whitish from being in the water for a couple of weeks - so they
    must deteriorate over time. I always wondered what happens to those
    plastic baits that get lost... apparently they "go away" eventually.
    
    I did get one small (15") pickerel and a smallmouth, but no Moby...
    
    Well, its steel leader time..!
    
    Ed
    
    P.S. According to the guy at Paugus Bay Sporting goods, there are
    no Pike, Muskies, etc in Winni, so it *is* a giant pickerel!
        

    
    
       While fishing for bass in Lake Cochituate in Natick,a friend
       of mine bagged a 22 1/2" pickeral on a 6"purple worm.I would
       say a 5 pound fish as it had a large girth.
    
    
    
                                             The Keg

    I've been thinking that a nice 25-30" pickeral would make a SUPER
    wallmount - at least as impressive as most of the bass I've seen.
    Ever taken a good look at those TEETH? - and they do have nice
    coloring, too. 
    
    What do you guys think? Maybe we can start a whole new fad (not FAD).
    
    Ed
    

    Ed,
       Last year ice fishing Bob Focier caught a 28" ,5 lb. Pickeral.
    he got it mounted.  I havent seen it but I agree with you it looked
    pretty impressive on the ice so I am sure it made a great wall mount.
    
    Les

    And I had to give away the 4 1/2 pounder I caught at the last
    Monominac tournament  :*(
    
    Heaviest fish = no money won
    

    ...and you could have gotten a "pin" for a pickerel over 4lbs!
   

    
    
    Hey, What's this pin stuff?  I have a 7 1/2 pounder in the freezer..
    

    Hey TBDW,
        You got a 7.5 lb piceral in your freezer??    Is that a new
    state record?  It must be close.    Any ways, take it to the nearest
    official state weigh station, they will take pictures and fill out
    the forms.  It must be done within a month of the catch,  the state
    will send you a bronze pin for one over 4 lb and a gold one and
    a plaque for the largest one caught that year.
    
    
    Good Luck and Congrats
    
    Les

    re .21
    
    Yow! A monster! Where did you catch it? I bet you were fishing for
    bass at the time, too - nobody I know goes after pickerel, they
    just get 'em as a bonus (or a bogus, depending on how you look at
    it)
    
    What bait were you using? I've gotten most pickeral on gitzits
    and crankbaits (minnow type). Once, when my brother and I went fishing
    for bass w. shiners, all we get was pickerel - all small ones.
    
    Ed
    

I suspect what TBDW caught was a monster EEL!!

He jus' don't know the difference...

Whaddaya expect from someone who cuts his crawdad almost in half?

heh...heh...    

    
    6 inch rubber worm.....I thought it was a BASS until just before
    I stuck my thumb into its mouth to boat him.  Thank the Lord I can
    tell the difference.
    
    As far as cuttin the CRAWDAD in half......Eat my shorts Joe.
    I had all that patch stuff with nothing to use it on so.........
    
    TBDW
    
    

>>    I had all that patch stuff with nothing to use it on so.........
 
Hey, Garry...if you have any left, use it to patch that big hole on your 
face!

    
    

    Hay Mr. Moderator this kind of talk is upsetting my noting!
    

    The only problem TBDW has right now is being able to tell a northern
    pike from a pickerel........the 7 1/2 # fish is real, it just doesn't
    belong in this note. I know because I was there when he caught it,
    and
     no joke, TBDW had pnemonia when he caught that fish.
    
    However to give him his due, he did catch a 6+ #'er, pickerel, three
    years ago.
    
    RR

>>    < Note 786.27 by HPSCAD::BPUISHYS "Bob Puishys" >
>>    Hay Mr. Moderator this kind of talk is upsetting my noting!
  
    Don't worry Bob, it'll pass.  Your just suffering from what's commonly
    refered to as pickeral envy.  Someday maybe you'll catch a big fish
    too!8^)         
                  
    Mr. Moderator   
      
      
     

    So Garry with this new information there is only one thing to do.
    EAT IT.......
                                                              
    Best and warmest regards,
    Ray

    Anybody out there have any tips on how to prepare pickerel for eating?
    
    I've been told by at least one person that they are too bony and aren't
    worth cooking unless you know the tricks of chowder making.
    
    Thanks.

re:                   <<< Note 786.31 by GEMVAX::HICKSCOURANT >>>

>    Anybody out there have any tips on how to prepare pickerel for eating?
>    
>    I've been told by at least one person that they are too bony and aren't
>    worth cooking unless you know the tricks of chowder making.

	A friend of mine says Pick-burgers are delicious, but then again
	he'll eat anything that moves. ;-)  Take the bony pickerel "filets", 
	insert into blender or food processor, and grind away.  Make patties
	out of the resulting ground up glob, then I assume coat in your 
	favorite batter and fry 'em up.  Supposedly the bones aren't 
	noticeable this way...

	Ken

    I assume that pickeral and Northern Pike would fillet the same way.
    Lot's of people don't eat Pike because they think they are to boney,
    but actually they're probably one of the better eating fish. Nice
    flakey white meat. Very tastey! Pike have a Y bone on each side.
    The trick is to cut off a fillet from each side of the backbone.
    Then cut out the middle third of each one, as well as the usuall
    stomach cavity bones...You should end up with four nice fillets from
    each fish, and two boney ones to discard.
    
    Marty