Went to my local spot today, and the Pickerel were non stop. I probably caught 8 of them in an hour, and lost many more. I was there for bass though...I did catch 4 bass, but I'd rather have caught 12 bass, and no Picks.

My question is this: I know that bass and picks' compete for the same food source, but do they hate each other? Will Picks and Bass hang out in the same spot? I would throw my bait in, (Fat Ika is amazing) and catch a pick, and wonder if it was worth throwing back in the same spot. I wasn't sure that a Bass would be in there after just pulling out a pick.

Any thoughts?

Just Thursday, I was fishing a place where pickerel were obviously overabundant, catching them one after another. I was fishing a jig, and pitching to standing timber. I pitched next to a tree, and caught a pickerel, and shook it off my jig, and pitched right back to the same tree, not 30 seconds after pulling in the pick, and landed the biggest bass I got that day. They do tend to end up in the same areas sometimes.

In my experience, they inhabit the same general areas.  Last week I fired a jig into some timber and reeled in a pickerel.  Two casts later and I picked up a decent largemouth.  Pickerel are annoying though.  They tend to be very aggressive.  If I end up with more than a couple at a specific location I'll move.  I dont want them competing with the bass when Im targeting bass.

Unfortunately, not enough has been written about the eastern chain pickerel,

a predator that I extensively targeted when I lived in New Jersey.

Northern pike are clearly dominant to largemouth bass, however chain pickerel and largemouth bass

devour similar prey and share predatory equality.

When pickerel are small (snakes) they inhabit depths even shallower than largemouth bass,

but when pickerel attain trophy proportions they commonly frequent water depths

greater than the mean depth of largemouth bass.

Roger

Most of the picks where I'm fishing are not that big...maybe 15'' or so and quite thin.  Some however, are pretty big...at least to me.  I've caught some that are 30'' long. 

Thanks for the info though guys.  I won't let those d**n picks discourage me.

Most of the picks where I'm fishing are not that big...maybe 15'' or so and quite thin. Some however, are pretty big...at least to me. I've caught some that are 30'' long.

Thanks for the info though guys. I won't let those d**n picks discourage me.

Bear in mind, a 30-inch chain pickerel is equivalent to a 28-inch largemouth bass.

Though I have caught 28" largemouth bass, my next 30" pickerel will be my first.

Roger

great info!

I did not realize that these pickerel were that big.  In this body of water, 25'' picks are almost common.  They are savage, and eat everything.  They're fun to catch until you realize it's not a bass...

When they get this big and this prolific, they are becoming a problem...if you get what I mean!!! 

Most of the picks where I'm fishing are not that big...maybe 15'' or so and quite thin. Some however, are pretty big...at least to me. I've caught some that are 30'' long.

Thanks for the info though guys. I won't let those d**n picks discourage me.

Bear in mind, a 30-inch chain pickerel is equivalent to a 28-inch largemouth bass.

Though I have caught 28" largemouth bass, my next 30" pickerel will be my first.

Roger

I would love to catch a 30" Pickerel!! Biggest I ever caught was 16"

Oh, and I would much rather catch a 28'' Bass than a 30'' pick.  Heck, I'd rather catch a 15'' bass than a 30'' pick.

Oh, and I would much rather catch a 28'' Bass than a 30'' pick. Heck, I'd rather catch a 15'' bass than a 30'' pick.

I suffer from the same malady as Fish Chris.

Chris & I both feel that trophy value is relative to fish species,

and would much rather catch a 3-lb redear sunfish than a 10-lb largemouth bass 

Roger