Chain pickerel are common in tidal rivers and creeks of the Chesapeake Bay region. Although fishing techniques can vary considerably between seasons, chain pickerel can be caught year-round.
During cold winter weather, pickerel catches can be good, especially along channel edges or other areas where baitfish congregate.
During spring, fishing for chain pickerel can be red-hot one day and non-existent the next as the fish move throughout watersheds in search of prey.
By summer, chain pickerel often take up stationary positions near a constant supply of food. Productive areas can include the edges of lily pad colonies, downed tree trunks and limbs, stumps, weed beds, and other structure.
Again in fall, chain pickerel move throughout their home river system. In many areas, pickerel fishing peaks in October, when pickerel begin moving from remote areas back into areas of deeper water in preparation for the winter season.
Chain Pickerel Lures
– frogs
– spinnerbaits
– inline spinners
– crankbaits
– jigs
– soft plastics; worms, stick baits, slugs, tubes
– spoons
Live Baits
– minnows
– small sunfish
– suckers
– frogs
– crayfish
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