The fish inhabit ponds, natural lakes, black-water rivers, and large impoundments. The range of pickerel stretches from Texas and Florida straight north into Canada. It had a 6-inch long sunfish bulging in its stomach! When I worked it in close and scooped it into the boat, it soon became clear why. ![]() One time I caught a 4-pound pickerel that fought rather sluggishly for its size. Pickerel do especially well in such waters. A pair of pickerel caught in an acidic, tannin-stained lake. ![]() Pickerel consume frogs, mice, insects, and small snakes, but their overwhelming favorite food consists of other fish-minnows, chubs, other pickerel, and panfish. Its teeth angle backwards in the mouth, so any victim caught with a quick lunge finds escape impossible. The fish is built like a virtual killing machine. A 4-pound fish or one measuring over two-feet long is definitely a trophy catch anywhere. The world record chain pickerel was caught in Georgia in 1961 and weighed 9 pounds, 6 ounces. Pickerel are the smallest members of the pike family, with northern pike bigger still, and muskies at the top of the heap. In fact, these lean green fish bite particularly well in winter. ![]() I’ve caught them all 12 months of the calendar, even under the ice. One of the most appealing things about these fish is you can catch them year-round. That’s unfortunate, because pickerel are intriguing gamefish and fun to catch!
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