Fishing For Chain Pickerel

A beginners guide to catching chain pickerel

Nov 19, 2024

Tips For Chain Pickerel Fishing

Basic Chain Pickerel Fishing Tackle
Chain Pickerel Fishing Video
Chain Pickerel Lures For Beginners
Top 3 Tips For Beginners
Chain Pickerel Tackle For Intermediate Anglers
Additional Lures For Intermediate Anglers
Top Tips For Intermediate Anglers
Advice For Serious Chain Pickerel Fishing Enthusiasts
World Record Chain Pickerel

Chain Pickerel

Beginners

Chain Pickerel fishing basics for beginners and novice anglers, with tips which can be used while fishing from a boat, or while fishing from the bank.

Basic Chain Pickerel Tackle For Beginners

Rod. Start with a 5' 6" to 6', medium to medium-heavy action rod, ideally with a fast-action tip.

Reel. Baitcasting and spinning reels both work nicely for the vast majority of chain pickerel fishing conditions. Get a good reel with a good drag system.

Line. Begin with 10# braid with an 18", 20# monofilament or fluorocarbon leader. Pay a little extra and get decent quality line.

Chain Pickerel fishing basics video.

Basic Lures For Beginners

Spoons. Flashy and bright colored casting and jigging spoons imitate all sorts of baitfish and smaller fish which chain pickerel feed on. Cast around weeds in the shallows, try vertical jigging in deep water or try trolling spoons at varying depths.

3 Important Tips For Beginners

Tip 1. Some of the best fishing for chain pickerel is at dusk and dawn. Chain Pickerel prefer to hang around shallow flats, with weeds, next to deeper water. Vary lure retrieves from calm to erratic to elicit strikes.

Tip 2. Thoroughly fish the area with multiple, accurate casts, or slow troll through the area. Chain Pickerel fishing is best accomplished from a boat, however can be done from the bank for those who like to adventure out along the shore.

Tip 3. Use good knots and re-tie anytime the knot or line has been nicked or frayed. Always use sharp hooks, if they are dull replace or sharpen them

Intermediate Anglers

Chain Pickerel Tackle For Intermediate Anglers

Rods. For longer casts and solid hook sets, choose a 6' or longer, medium to medium-heavy action rod, preferably with a fast-action tip. Shimano, Bass Pro Shops, G. Loomis, Fenwick, Lew's and Abu Garcia, among others, all make a variety of quality rods in varying price ranges.

Reels. Possibly upgrade to a higher quality reel. Level wind reels make for more accurate casting, but spinning reels make for easier distance casting. Shimano Curado, Abu Garcia Revo, Lew's Mach Crush, Bass Pro Shops Johnny Morris Series and Daiwa Fuego are five good choices, and there are many others. Accurate casts are crucial to success.

Line. Line choices include primarily monofilament or fluorocarbon line. Braided line with a monofilament or fluorocarbon tip can make for easy casting when using heavier baits. Use an alberto or albright knot to join lines. Monofilament or fluorocarbon in 1o# to 15# line is a good choice. In open water, lighter line may produce more bites.

Basic Lures For Intermediate Anglers

In addition to spoons, expanding your arsenal to include the following baits can improve your chances for success.

Spinners. Bright, flashy spinners like the Blue Fox Classic Vibrax Spinner, Mepps spinners, Rooster Tail Spinners and others can be a great tactic for chain pickerel, especially when fished just outside the weed line.

Crankbaits. Shallow, lipless and deep diving crankbaits, with a small profile , can be fished for chain pickerel, depending on water depth.

Jerkbaits. Also called rip baits, are a good choice for finicky chain pickerel. The lure can be paused for several seconds to tease fish into biting.
Topwater Lures. Virtually any topwater bait will get the attention of chain pickerel. Use frogs, poppers, walking lures, wake baits and many other choices for some exciting strikes.

Live Bait. Minnows are popular for catching chain pickerel.

5 Important Tips For Intermediate Anglers

Fishing Reports. Read current fishing reports and chain pickerel tournament results from the lake you wish to fish, also review these reports and results from this time last year. Learn how to gain maximum knowledge from fishing reports.

Lake Maps. Contour maps identify creek channels, flats, and depth variations. This information can help you plan your time on the water, well before you head to the lake.

Focus On Finding The Fish. Chain Pickerel move up and down in the water column in search of the best available water temperatures, availability of food, and a variety of other factors. Begin the day fishing shallow, medium and deep water in search of the best depth for the day. Chain Pickerel also migrate throughout the lake, often following schools of baitfish. Once you locate fish, concentrate on that depth and similar locations.

Keep Lure Selection Simple. Chain Pickerel are not as picky as many anglers tend to think. Stick to basic colors as long as they are biting, then experiment with brighter color options. Depending on water clarity contrast may be an issue dictating dark or flashy colors.

Use Multiple Baits. Once you locate an area holding chain pickerel, try a variety of jigs and/or live bait, to see which entices more bites. For each bait vary the speed and action of the retrieve to determine the best approach for getting bites.

Ice Fishing. Chain pickerel can be caught through the ice with flashy jigging spoons or with live minnows.

Experienced Anglers

Advice For Serious Chain Pickerel Fishing Enthusiasts

Study the life cycle of chain pickerel, their annual migrations, daily movements, and food sources available in the lake you plan to fish. Our focus here is to assist beginner and intermediate anglers. For those wishing to take the next step, there are a multitude of options for growing your knowledge of chain pickerel fishing.

Fishing Clubs & Tournaments. You can join and participate, with or without a boat, and learn from some of the better anglers in your area.

Time On The Water. Experience is the best teacher. Spend time locating fish and experimenting with a wide variety of lures and techniques.

Gather Information Online. Read information on your local Fish & Game Department website. Review websites offered by expert chain pickerel anglers, fishing organizations and local fishing guides. Some highly regarded websites covering chain pickerel fishing include In-Fisherman, Field & Stream, New York Department of Environmental Conservation, and many others.

Have Fun. Fishing for chain pickerel can be very rewarding. Be diligent, but enjoy the process. Fishing is a life-long journey, and you can learn something new every day you spend on the lake!

Chain Pickerel

World record: 9 pounds, 6 ounces

Rick Seaman is a fishing enthusiast with over five decades of fishing experience, a retired bass tournament fisherman, author of numerous published articles on fishing, and co-author of the book "Bass Fishing - It's not WHAT you throw, It's WHERE you throw it".