Texas Fishing Forum

What about chain pickerel?

Posted By: Go-N-Slow

What about chain pickerel? - 04/17/20 04:03 AM

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I dont see any mention of chain pickerel on TFF? Lake Hawkins caught about 5 of these fun fish..fall 2019..anybody else have any chain pickerel pics? Jerk bait around the grass....has anyone tried eating one of these? I was tempted...
Posted By: TXMulti-Species

Re: What about chain pickerel? - 04/17/20 04:58 AM

Nice fish! I've yet to catch one - when the water is colder is supposed to be the best time.
Posted By: Akos

Re: What about chain pickerel? - 04/17/20 06:01 AM

well Pike is a Delicious fish. In Europe we have hundreds of recipe to prepare.

In general the colder weather is better to catch one like all predators. I prefer to fish for this with a float next to reed.

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Posted By: Curt0407

Re: What about chain pickerel? - 04/17/20 06:53 AM

Caddo Lake has some nice pickerel in it. Years ago I tried to clean one to see what they tasted like. It smelled so fishy and nasty that I did not cook it.
Posted By: slim1

Re: What about chain pickerel? - 04/17/20 01:39 PM

I always called them Jackfish. Caught a ton of them bass fishing when I lived in Louisiana. Tried to eat them a couple of times. Full of bones. Would just throw them back.
Posted By: Tyler G

Re: What about chain pickerel? - 04/17/20 01:55 PM

Have caught one as a bycatch on a couple of occasions. Cool looking fish, would like to chase them on superlight tackle. That's a pretty big one too.
Posted By: Osbornfishing

Re: What about chain pickerel? - 04/17/20 02:26 PM

I have caught several pickerel on lake Caddo. I never tried to eat one.
Posted By: Flags

Re: What about chain pickerel? - 04/17/20 02:54 PM

All members of the pike family are good eating. But they have a lot of Y bones that get all into the meat if you try to fillet them like a normal fish. To do it right you actually end up with 6 pieces that will be boneless. There are videos on youtube that show how to do it. It isn't difficult but if you want to eat them it is good to know.
Posted By: Dan90210 ☮

Re: What about chain pickerel? - 04/17/20 03:19 PM

Have caught a few at Hawkins...they destroy bass baits, I mean like physically, they ruined my baits lol.

Fun fight for the first half, they give up pretty easy after a min. in my experience.
Posted By: McKinneyLonghorn

Re: What about chain pickerel? - 04/29/20 10:05 PM

Catching them is definitely on my list of things to do sooner rather than later. Went out to Daingerfield State Park in early 2019 to try for them but the water was really high and I struck out. Haven't been back to try again.
Posted By: Freshwater Phil

Re: What about chain pickerel? - 05/04/20 12:23 AM

We have a very limited numbers of lakes that have chain pickerel up here in Quebec, most Northern pike and big muskies. Caught my first chain pickerel ice fishing a few weeks ago, was jigging for perch with a tiny i inch spoon.

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Posted By: Bones72

Re: What about chain pickerel? - 05/05/20 12:44 PM

Love some chain pickerel. Grew up catching them on the flyrod in Virginia. Looked like jaws showed up on the bluegill beds when they attacked a little popper. Would love to do them here in Texas. And yes they eat good. Need to find my pickling recipe for them they are awesome that way on some Norwegian flatbread.
Posted By: MBF

Re: What about chain pickerel? - 06/16/20 01:33 AM

I have caught a few on crappie jigs on Toledo Bend... all were small and have not seen one in a while....
Posted By: sdavis24

Re: What about chain pickerel? - 06/16/20 06:57 AM

Caught tons of them growing up in MD. Fun bycatch when bass fishing but they can cut your line. If we targeted them we used any chartreuse tipped worm or blue fox minnow spins
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