Help me find some Chain pickerel

hawkman

Eight Pointer
Hi folks.

I caught a small chain pickerel years ago in Hyde Co. but haven't seen one, or know anybody who has mentioned catching one, since.

I'd enjoy catching some. Are they a reliable fish to catch in places up here in Beaufort, Hyde, Washington, Tyrrell counties? Can you help me out?

A fun fish for me and the kids in a canoe is my plan.

Thanks so much.


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darenative

Twelve Pointer
We caught a couple in the canal beside HWY 64 on mainland Dare County today while trying to find a crappie.
 

NCHNTR

Old Mossy Horns
Blount's, Campbell, and Durhams creek used to have some


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hawkman

Eight Pointer
I went to Gates Co. last week and the only place I found minnows was in Hertford. Going to have trap my own.


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Blackwater

Twelve Pointer
Find you some fishable blackwater with lilypads or grass and fish either minnows or a beetlespin (dependent on time of year) along the edges of the vegetation. As the weather warms up go with a gold beetlespin with green and black split tail grub (2") and on cloudy days use silver with a white grub, though if they are really biting they'll hit just about anything you throw at them. Expect to lose some baits and do a lot of re-tying if the bite is good; those sharp teeth wreak havoc on monofilament.
The best I ever did was 27 caught in a 30 acre impoundment that was full of milfoil grass and lilypads except in the deep holes which provided open water. I was with my Dad and he said he'd never seen so many jack (chain pickerel) caught in such a short time; it was crazy. As we paddled and fished back to the truck I caught 11 on the last 12 casts along the edge of the dug canal portion which had been dredged up to make a dam. We caught the 27 jack, 5 bream and 2 crappie in 4 hrs. & 45 minutes, averaging a fish every 8.5 minutes, turned out to be the last time I got to fish with my Dad; lasting memories.

If you don't mind the little forked bones along the side, they are some of the best tasting fish out there. Leave a few for seed!
 

shaggy

Old Mossy Horns
Blount's, Campbell, and Durhams creek used to have some


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Durham Creek was full of them years ago but I have to fished there in a few years. It was good for 20+a day once you went up where the creek narrowed and got deep.
 

Moose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
Grew up catching them up north. Caught them on minnows or a dare devil lure. Some of the best tasting fish. I don't fish much these days but if I was to target a fish to go after brook trout be first chain pickeral be second. As a kid it was exciting fish to catch. We targeted them a lot through the ice.
 

ridenismo

Six Pointer
up north they will run bass out of a pond in 3-4 years. A good one back in the day was anything over 20 inches, 12-16 were a dime a dozen
 

hawkman

Eight Pointer
Grew up catching them up north. Caught them on minnows or a dare devil lure. Some of the best tasting fish. I don't fish much these days but if I was to target a fish to go after brook trout be first chain pickeral be second. As a kid it was exciting fish to catch. We targeted them a lot through the ice.

I guess you mean northern pike, then. Yep. Loved eating them. Who cares about bones. Walleye was preferred and smallies were great, too.never caught one on a Daredevle lure, though!


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hawkman

Eight Pointer
Durham Creek was full of them years ago but I have to fished there in a few years. It was good for 20+a day once you went up where the creek narrowed and got deep.

So far, all I have is a canoe. Looks like there's an access/ramp at the bridge on Durham Creek Rd... and that upstream could manageable even with some breeze in a canoe"?


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hawkman

Eight Pointer
Well, thank you again folks. Got a pair of two-foot jacks today! First one on a Mirrolure and the 2nd on a big Beetle Spin!
6461257251a3e17fb50d79913f93a190.jpg



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woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
Well, thank you again folks. Got a pair of two-foot jacks today! First one on a Mirrolure and the 2nd on a big Beetle Spin!
6461257251a3e17fb50d79913f93a190.jpg


congrats! Nice one too,,,,,I enjoy all the pike species,,,,,real predators they are,,,,,,,,,,,
 

Blackwater

Twelve Pointer
Nice! When you get one on the line and it comes out of the water flipping end over end trying to shake the lure that's what my Dad always called "doing the Jack"; sure gets the blood up.
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
Nice! When you get one on the line and it comes out of the water flipping end over end trying to shake the lure that's what my Dad always called "doing the Jack"; sure gets the blood up.

you do not want to be attached to a speed shad and a jack at the same time. That gets ugly quick.

Unfortunately I know exactly how bad that can be.

kerr lake has plenty you can catch in the years that the grass flourishes.

Pretty fish hawkman.
 
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