9/11 Big Pickerel

[catfishonthelake]

Had this bigazz pickerel smack a 10-inch musky crank on Hopatcong this afternoon. One of the bigger pickerel I've seen in awhile. That musky net in the pic is 38-inches across so take your best guess.
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/485674_4624140407761_1151673941_n.jpg

[Skunk City]

Impressive Snot Rocket! How did he fight? Did you think it was a muskie?:mad:

[Gatto1227]

Awesome fish. A pickerel that big is almost as cool as catching a musky

[catfishonthelake]

Thanks guys. Not too much of a fight with a musky rod and 80-pound braid. I did think it was a musky when I first saw it.

[FASTEDDIE29]

SHEEEEEESH, thats a big pickeral. Id love to catch him threw the ice on my ultra lite panfish popper with 2lb test. Keep em alive, thats an ice fishing tourney winner!!!

[bunker dunker]

did ya weigh him in??

[catfishonthelake]

No Eddie. I never weigh fish in. Too lazy. I had a hybrid last year and a smallie the year before that both would have placed in the year-long, but I snoozed on both.

[njfish4life]

nice slime dart Mr. Onthelake.. good to see your reports again

[catfishonthelake]

Thanks man!!!;)

[NorthJerzyG]

30"+ pickerel, NICE!!!

[jmurr711]

Thanks guys. Not too much of a fight with a musky rod and 80-pound braid. I did think it was a musky when I first saw it.

geez chill out Jeremy wade!!!!!!!!!!!! :p

[bunker dunker]

i'm with you catfish.i just let them go unless i'mm fishing one of the contests.congrats on the grand daddy slime dart.

[catfishonthelake]

geez chill out Jeremy wade!!!!!!!!!!!! :p

Lol. Almost...but not quite. The heavy line for musky fishing is more for the lures than the fish. Believe it or not , when you're tossing 3 to 8oz. baits, 65-pound braid can actually fail on you if you get a backlash or a snag. I've had it happen, which is why I use 80.

[catfishonthelake]

i'm with you catfish.i just let them go unless i'mm fishing one of the contests.congrats on the grand daddy slime dart.

Thanks man!!

[AndyS]

My 36" from Round Valley was a hair under 7lbs. Don't forget the State Record is 9 and change. Nice Pick btw.

[HerringKing]

Impressive as always.

[kcritch]

Very Nice Indeed....I know a lot of guys do not think much of them but I love catchin those toothy bastards. :D

[catfishonthelake]

Thanks guys! Thanks Andy...I'm getting married this weekend and going to Costa Rica, but let's catch-up sometime soon.

[Wilson]

Thanks guys! Thanks Andy...I'm getting married this weekend and going to Costa Rica, but let's catch-up sometime soon. No comment on the marriage thing:rolleyes: but catch one of these if you have the chance.:)

[catfishonthelake]

Thanks Wilson!! There will be some fishin' going down. We have a 1/2-day guide on Lake Arenal fishing for machaca and guapote and then a full-day, whole nine-yards charter with Tamarindo Sportfishing for a morning of bottom fishing for cubera and grouper followed by a day troll for marlin, tuna, mahi and maybe a rooster. I'm so stoked.

[Wilson]

Guapote is a cool looking fish too.
BTW congratulations.

[catfishonthelake]

Thank you Wilson!! And they are cool looking. The guapote are called "rainbow bass" and are similar to peacock bass. The machaca get a bit bigger and are pretty cool-looking to. We're fishing for both just like bass. Topwaters in the morning followed by spinnerbait fishing. All with the backdrop of the Arenal volcano. Did I mention how frickin' stoked I am?:eek:

[Wilson]

Watch out for those choppers!
Make sure you have lots of batteries and a good camera.

[jmurr711]

just teasing ya buddy you know that, and bring one of those guacomoles and machete bass or whatever home for me to eat!

[catfishonthelake]

just teasing ya buddy you know that, and bring one of those guacomoles and machete bass or whatever home for me to eat!

Lol. I know buddy. I'll ship u some dart frog or puff adder, I'm sure it tastes just like bergall.

And thanks for heads up Wilson. Hopefully I can't one this size....