So, I caught a giant Chain Pickerel on Monday on a Strike King Sexy Swimmer.  For a moment I thought it was a Pike, before I realized that that was a stupid thought.  Weighed it with my lipper gripper and it came in just over 6 lbs.  I thought, "Wow, that's a big pickerel.  Wonder what the record is?"  But I released it.  I should've left it at that, but instead I looked it up when I got home. :-[  Turns out, the Florida state record is 5 lbs. 12 oz.  Oops.

Yep.....In the 90s I caught an 11 lb.+ bowfin, and the state record here was 8 and change.  it would have only held up for a few months though.  This spring, I'm pretty sure I caught a rock bass that would have obliterated our long held current record of 1-15.  Print up a list of state records, and laminate it.  Carry this in tackle bag.

I had thought about doing that but now I'm gonna go ahead and do it.

o man, that sucks!!!

man, that stinks. i wish I had known that. I have had a couple in rodman and sampson pushing 5.5 or 6 pounds. I might acually have to weigh one.

Caught mine in Santa Fe.  Got a lot of big pickerel in it.

yeah, i dont fish sante fe, I just dont catch fish there

Really?  Granted, I'm off the water at around noon or 1 PM when the speed and ski boat retards take over, but I usually catch at least a half-dozen at an average of around 2.5 lbs.

interestingmaybe you can give me some advise, i have a tourny next weekend. its a 3 to 10 tourny, and I like I said has never had luck there.

Ick!  That is the worst time ever for a tourney on that lake.  It's gonna be completely overrun by ski boats.  I'll probably be there tomorrow morning so I'll see what I can find for you.

I caught this pickerel at Loxahatchee this spring.  it was 26.5" and 5lbs, 6oz.  He was bleeding a bit so I snapped a quick picture and put him back in the water, never realizing how close I was to the state record.

it was over run by ski boats and every thing else, I had 2 bites, no fish my partner had no bites. 14 won it 2nd was 4 pounds

Sounds about right with the ski boats, Tommy.  I'm never on that lake after about noon or 1 PM.  Where and how did you fish?

I caught this pickerel at Loxahatchee this spring. it was 26.5" and 5lbs, 6oz. He was bleeding a bit so I snapped a quick picture and put him back in the water, never realizing how close I was to the state record.

sorry, but that's not 5 lbs 6oz. more like 3.5 -4 lbs.

Six pounds is a behemoth pickerel, were you fishing in tidal water?

Roger

My friend caught this one, 5 lbs on a lipper scale.

So, I caught a giant Chain Pickerel on Monday on a Strike King Sexy Swimmer. For a moment I thought it was a Pike, before I realized that that was a stupid thought. Weighed it with my lipper gripper and it came in just over 6 lbs. I thought, "Wow, that's a big pickerel. Wonder what the record is?" But I released it. I should've left it at that, but instead I looked it up when I got home. :-[ Turns out, the Florida state record is 5 lbs. 12 oz. Oops.

Man that stinks!! Too bad you didnt have an internet-capable smart phone to look it up really fast before releasing it.