On 1/22/2018 at 12:29 PM, fishballer06 said:

You're catching 29-32" pickerel? Why aren't you submitting those fish to IGFA?! The record is only 62cm (24.4"). 

 

http://wrec.igfa.org/WRecordsList.aspx?lc=AllTackleLength&cn=Pickerel, chain

I don't know about Big Bill, but I can tell you first hand that pickerel that size swim in NJ, MD and VA, and I'd be willing to bet they do in surrounding states as well. I have a small spot 15 minutes from me that is loaded with big pickerel, and no one will ever hear about that one (or the other good ones around me really). Larger lures (and I mean larger) will catch the real ones.

Yea, I thought a Pickerel in the mid-20s was impressive catch, but not a world record.   I caught a pretty good size one when I first started fishing for them that I estimate was around 20-22 inches, crudely measure it against my kayak paddle. 

 

I want to say I saw a picture somewhere of a monstrous one that someone pulled out of Rocky Gorge Reservoir last year, but that might've been an actual Muskie.   

12 hours ago, zell_pop1 said:

Terminator use to make a series called Tiny T, they were discontinued when Rapala bought them out.

This is why war eagle fans need to stock up on there favorite style of spinner bait since Pradco just took over the company.

For small downsized spinnerbaits I usually go with the Nichols Pulsator. You can order them directly off of their website.

I normally go with 1/2 oz 44 mags which have two #4 willows. This give you a smaller profile with all of the normal strength of a normal Nichol's spinnerbait. I have some going strong after 20 years!

3 hours ago, reason said:

I can tell you first hand that pickerel that size swim in NJ, MD and VA, and I'd be willing to bet they do in surrounding states as well. I have a small spot 15 minutes from me that is loaded with big pickerel

I know I've caught some 23-24" pickeral around PA and in Canada before. It's amazing that the record is only 24.4".

41 minutes ago, fishballer06 said:

I know I've caught some 23-24" pickeral around PA and in Canada before. It's amazing that the record is only 24.4".

That's gotta a typo, a 24" pickerel, even with a couple of crappies in its stomach is going to be well short of most state record weights.

28 minutes ago, reason said:

That's gotta a typo, a 24" pickerel, even with a couple of crappies in its stomach is going to be well short of most state record weights.

Or perhaps most state record catches aren't being reported to the IGFA?

4 hours ago, Burro said:

This is why war eagle fans need to stock up on there favorite style of spinner bait since Prado just took over the company.

That is not good news I will be stocking up, I messed up a decade or so earlier when my hometown Hildebrandt was bought out and I did not stock up.

1 hour ago, zell_pop1 said:

That is not good news I will be stocking up, I messed up a decade or so earlier when my hometown Hildebrandt was bought out and I did not stock up.

     Yeah ... like the Bumblebee Chopper Bee from circa 20 years ago.  Got me the most keeper bass in 1 day that I ever got. jj

On 2/2/2018 at 4:13 PM, reason said:

That's gotta a typo, a 24" pickerel, even with a couple of crappies in its stomach is going to be well short of most state record weights.

That's what I was thinking. I frequently catch 20" to 22" pickerel. My biggest in 2017 was 25". I don't know how much it weighed, maybe 5 or 6 lbs, but I'm sure it wasn't even close to the world record of 9 lbs, 6 oz.