# Targeting Chain Pickerel?



## Orville Wrong (Mar 20, 2014)

I know it's a "thing" in Arkansas, where they get very big, but has anybody ever done this around here? Caught my first one ever by accident bass fishing in New York state last summer and it was a fine little fighter and a very handsome fish.


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## greghal (Aug 22, 2013)

I don't think we have chain pickerel around here. I've never caught one or heard of any one catching one. People catch northern pike sometimes on north part of GMR.


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## RussianFisherman (Jan 8, 2014)

greghal said:


> I don't think we have chain pickerel around here.


 I think you're right. I know we have Grass Pickerel in Ohio, but those stay fairly small.


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## Orville Wrong (Mar 20, 2014)

State record fish was caught in Long Lake up in Amish country in 1961. Maybe they don't range down here.


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

yup were stocked into 2-3 lakes in the NE corner of Ohio back in the 70's and if they held, they are still in there but none in this half of the state. Redfin Pickerel is what is commonly called a Grass Pike, top size about 11-12" and cool little fish found in typical oxbows and weedy swamp like areas with fresh cold clean water. Used to catch a ton of them back in the 80's around Xenia/Beavercreek areas but I made a strong point to get back to my old haunts and never found them when I tried about 10 years ago . That was depressing... 

Salmonid


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

BTW Orville, I love your Clash London Calling avatar!!

Salmonid


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## Orville Wrong (Mar 20, 2014)

Salmonid said:


> BTW Orville, I love your Clash London Calling avatar!!
> 
> Salmonid


I should photoshop in a fishing pole. God knows, I've wanted to smash one to bits a time or ten.


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## Think_Like_Fish (Jun 8, 2012)

675 starts out of Medway...as you head towards Dayton and right before you drive over rt.70,there is a lake on ur right....back in the 70's,the lake was full of them. They would position with their snout facing out from shore,a shiny little spinner would attract an immediate hit...they are very aggressive...usually 11 - 15 inch size.


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## Orville Wrong (Mar 20, 2014)

Think_Like_Fish said:


> They would position with their snout facing out from shore,a shiny little spinner would attract an immediate hit...they are very aggressive...usually 11 - 15 inch size.


I've read numerous places that they like super cheapo in-line spinners. The one I got last year hit a bluegill-pattern crank at the very end of a retrieve, just before I lifted it out to cast again. It was in short grass. Here's a pic:


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## strongto (Apr 1, 2013)

I've never seen one of these ever. Anybody know where could I find some around here and what type of conditions do they like?


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## fishin.accomplished (Apr 4, 2011)

Used to catch chain pickerel in Connecticut in my great granny's pond out in the back yard!
Seems they were actually considered a nuissance fish back then. Now they are just fond memories.
Good luck on your hunt for them...always thought they were a more northeastly fish.


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## jiginbrian (Aug 15, 2011)

Think_Like_Fish said:


> 675 starts out of Medway...as you head towards Dayton and right before you drive over rt.70,there is a lake on ur right....back in the 70's,the lake was full of them. They would position with their snout facing out from shore,a shiny little spinner would attract an immediate hit...they are very aggressive...usually 11 - 15 inch size.


All that you catch out of that pond now is tiny bass. Actually you catch one damn near every cast


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## Think_Like_Fish (Jun 8, 2012)

I haven't fished that lake since 1985.There used to be good size black crappie caught every spring close to where creek left lake.The lake was never knowned for huge bass but did witness a 8 lb LMB caught one spring day in creek leaving lake...it was laying in the sun and a good fisherman caught it...about 1975......the crappie hole is about 30 to 40 yards from mouth of creek,fish from victory trucking side,there is ole creek bed that runs entire length of lake,that is where they use to be schooled up at...best time was 1/2 hr. before dark


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## homebrew (Apr 13, 2009)

We used to call that lake outside of Medway "Brock's Lake". It was full of grass pike and they were a blast to catch. I would like to fish there again since I fished it a lot as a kid but for some reason I didn't think fishing was allowed. I guess because I never see anyone fishing there.


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## Think_Like_Fish (Jun 8, 2012)

Skipper...lol !!....inside joke....i caught mine sight fishing...seldom did a grass pike not aggresively go after a shiny little rooster tail that came within range.


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## TIC (Sep 9, 2009)

I caught a nice little 20+ in pickerel down in South Carolina a couple of years ago. We were fishing up in a creek that dumped into Lake Hartwell. Caught it on a little Mepps spinner while casting for big bluegill and bass.

I never caught one around here.


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## jiginbrian (Aug 15, 2011)

Only people that can fish it are friends of the owners or people that work at the refurbished company. Its just way over populated with small bass


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## Think_Like_Fish (Jun 8, 2012)

Brian...grass pike was always caught along shoreline facing the highway.The best time to catch the bigger bass was at sunset to about 11 pm where the creek enters lake.I would use live bait,bass minnow or nightcrawler with a bare hook,keeping my finger on the line about 4 inches from spool.
There was an oxbow before the creek enter lake.It was a very deep hole that was crystal clear..about 10 ft deep.It didn't survive the construction of 675...the water was spring fed.


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

its actually bank owned, my Bro in law has a permission slip to be there for his Remote Controlled Boat club purposes only, no fishing is specifically mentioned for insurance purposes, Trust me I looked, LOL I used to fish the creek before the lake was there and before 675 was finished, and yeah, we caught some grass pike in there but mostly tiny ones, less then 8" 

Salmonid


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## Think_Like_Fish (Jun 8, 2012)

The grass pike i sight fish for weighed about a pound....i wouldn't throw a spinner around a 8 incher as the spinner was liable to maim them for life....i caught one that was 22 inches long,to the right where the creek entered the lake.

Did you know...the creek that leaves lake merges with another creek. That creek used to have a private trout club about 2 miles upstream.The owner dam it up...every once in a while the rainbows would escape and could be caught right below where the 2 creeks merges...i have caught rainbows over 5 pounds there on redworms in water less than 2 foot deep....1975-1979 era.


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## homebrew (Apr 13, 2009)

Yeah, I spent more time fishing in the creek just past the bridge than I did in the main lake. And sight fishing for the grass pike was the way to go. 

I was devastated when 675 wiped out my fishing hole. To the left of where the creek ran into the main lake we used to flip out worms with no sinkers and catch a different species on every cast. A lot of fun. When I got bored I would go to the creek and try to catch those little fish that lived under the rocks. My dad called them "hog mollys". I looked them up years later...sculpins maybe? Yeah, I think that was it. Cool little fish.


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## Think_Like_Fish (Jun 8, 2012)

The exiting creek was full of big black water snakes,like their was a colony there.Think a scene from Indiana Jones was filmed there or could have been..lol..Around May,a school of bullheads would school up in first hole in creek past the highway overpass.

Back to the trout, a person back in the Medway platt, initials RC..1977 grad., may have accidently altered grate to allow for trout to escape.What is the statues of limitations on mischievous conduct by a rebellious teen ?


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

Spring Run Trout Club is still there and I have many friends who are members, there are always some escapees down stream as every high water event flushes some out, the new gravel pit there digging now , does anyone know if the stream goes through it or right next to it, I been kicked out of several properties in that area over the years, used to park along 70 at river ( cant do that anymore) then wade down and up creek, lots of bows in the 2-3 better holes but like I said, its all private now and last few times in those areas fishing wasn't any good. 

Salmonid


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## Think_Like_Fish (Jun 8, 2012)

Mark...i haven't been around that area fishing since 1985 so i can't help ya.Ur right thou,after high water,some rainbows would escape and you could find them in the little holes...it was always fun to take a 20+ long rainbow out of a creek you could just about leap across....well at least Carl Lewis could..lol.


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## Whaler (Nov 16, 2004)

The state record came from Long lake in Portage Lakes.


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