Anyone have any favorite techniques and lures for catching chained pickerel? I bought a couple red/white daredevils in different sizes, anyone ever use them?

Inline spinners.  The Mepps Black Fury's work well.   I'd go with a number 4 or 5 blade.  

Do you use those casting and reeling or trolling?

You've got pike in the subject line but pickerel in the message. But either will readily grab any conceivable lure, including your Daredevles. Of all the lures, I'd give the nod to spinnerbaits for both, but it's a very close call.

not to go totally off subject but, what is the proper way to hold a pike/musky/pickerel?  According to my state fishing handbook, you should never grab by or under the gills.  Every video i watch, the fish are being grabbed under the gills. :-?

Out here, I've had pic's nail just about every bait you can think of.

The Mepp's inline spinners previously mentioned are probably one of the top producers. Up there with them would be a 1/8 to 1/4 oz ball jig with a good old reliable Mr. Twister curly tail grub. I guess the pattern here is "reaction" baits. Pic's are like torpedoes when they're actively feeding. They seem to strike at anything that swims by. I wouldn't be as concerned with color as I would be with action.

Just my two cents - Multiple treble hook baits can be quite frustrating to get extracted from one of these fish. They tend to roll quite a bit on hookup and trying to unhook multiple hooks from a difficult to handle fish can be a chore. I've often had to cut hooks away in order to get the fish back in the water in a reasonable amount of time. They actually are a somewhat delicate fish that can easily be injured.

As far as handling them, I've always used a thick towel that I used in the hand I was holding the fish with while removing the hook with pliers. Trying to hold them bare handed is tricky because they are so slimy.

The best pike (or any toothy) lure is the bait the bass are tearing up at the moment and you only have 1 of in the boat.

Handle them with a lip gripper, such as this one from Cabela's.

I also hold them by the gill plates, but be careful to avoid the actual gills.

These fish have a habit of keeping their jaws clamped, making it difficult to remove a lure that's inside their mouth. An inexpensive fish jaw spreader is an extremely handy tool.

DO NOT USE A TOWEL IF YOU PLAN TO RELEASE THE FISH. It removes the protective slime, making the fish more vulnerable to disease.

I fish in Canada every summer for Walleye, Smallies, and Northerns. I have had the most fish on inline spinners (#5 normally and downsize on bright still days) spinner baits, and the good old spoon. I will go to a jerkbait after a cold front also. My spoon colors have been trimmed to red and white, 5 Of Diamonds, and Firetiger, all with the nickel back. My favorite size is the 3/4 oz as the larger ones have to be retrieved too fast for my liking. The same colors work for about whatever bait you choose.

If you tie on a spoon and your buddy will tie on a different color in an inline spinner you should get bit. If not, try a slow firetiger jerkbait.

You will catch them. Good luck

You've got pike in the subject line but pickerel in the message. But either will readily grab any conceivable lure, including your Daredevles. Of all the lures, I'd give the nod to spinnerbaits for both, but it's a very close call.

i thought a pike was a pikerel or are they just similar looking fish?

It depends on where you're from.  Up here, we have Northern Pike, two species of Pickerel, Muskies, and hybrid Tiger Muskies.

This is a Northern Pike:

This is a Musky:

This is a Chain Pickerel:

This is a Tiger Musky (Northern x Musky):

thanks for clearin that up for me

I've had really good luck with swim baits.  Especially soft expensive ones seem to work the best.

Big bass-style jigs with large plastics are fun, and are deadly for pike. Big reapers, lizards, shad swimbaits, etc. Large senko baits can be the ticket as well. Large pork trailers on a Silver Minnow has been catching pike for decades.

If I'm facing crazy cold front conditions, I'll downsize to typical bass tackle: 3/8-1/2oz spinnerbaits; suspending jerkbaits; 6" shaky worms; etc.

My favorite lure is just the simple jig/minnow combo. A 1/4oz swimming head jig with a 3-4" minnow will catch Pike, Pickeral, and Bass. I use a chartruese or flourescent orange jig head, and the new swimming jigs have much better hooks than the old ballhead jigs come with.

The best pike or pickeral lures are:

1. Buzzbaits

2. Soft Jerkbaits like flukes

3. Spinnerbaits

4. Suspending Jerkbaits Like X - Raps Or Husky Jerks

5. Jointed diving minnows

When I go to Canada, Mepps Mino in a  size #4 or #5 always

works well !

I caught this fish.......

......with this bait. Deps Highsider Jr.

wow, nice fish.   My goal is to catch one like that. Beautiful