Everyone dreams of that big northern pike that comes into the boat after a long fight. The line holds, the favorite new fishing lure has a few new marks or scars on it from all those teeth, and one successful netting job later the beast is in the boat. But is that northern pike big …
While catching northern pike from shore can be tricky, it’s by no means impossible! Catching more northern pike from shore involves locating accessible shore areas pike are likely to be at, finding the best angle to cast, and using attention-getting surface lures to pull the pike from the weeds to strike at your bait. Shore …
Chain Pickerels are found in a wide range of habitats and are popular among many anglers. Like their bigger cousin the northern pike, these fish have a reputation for being aggressive, hard hitting, and a lot of fun to bring them in. While they can be bony if improperly cleaned, chain pickerel gives a very …
If you are an angler and fish lakes and rivers where northern pike proliferate, then you most likely already know how incredibly aggressive they are and how wiley they can be when you are trying to handle one. In the regions where they are common, pike are most likely responsible for more hooking accidents and …
While the pickerel side of the Esox family might not get as much attention or love as the northern pike or muskellunge, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have anything to offer sports anglers. Well, some of them, anyway. The truth is that although the term “pickerel” is often used to refer to four or …
One of the top predators in any system throughout their range, northern pike are known to be ferocious hunters and incredibly hard fighters. They’re usually under-targeted by anglers, which is another reason why pike fishing is one of the most exciting and action-packed activities you can do on a northern lake. In this article, we’re …
Northern pike have a well-earned reputation as a hard fighting freshwater sports fish that are extremely popular with anglers. Obviously we’re big fans as my brother and I have enjoyed fishing for them for nearly three decades now. But not every angler has had that enjoyable experience. So what happens if an angler can’t find …
Pickerel don’t just get the shorter end of the stick when it comes to size in the Esox family, which also includes bigger cousins like the northern pike and muskellunge. But Chain pickerel live a total of 7-9 years on average. Only the absolute oldest (and largest) pickerel live past 9 years. Grass pickerel only …
