Last week I went fishing at a small local pond. I unload my Kayak and just before I get in I notice a local that was driving by slow down and roll the window down. I’m thinking, great here we go someone trashed the place. The guy asks if I’m going fishing, I say yes. He says if you catch any pickerel make sure you kill them! Cut them up, chop of their heads do whatever you have to! He said that they’re going to kill all the Bass in the pond so we need to kill off the pickerel. I just said OK and he drove off. Here’s where I’m wondering what your opinion is. I think that most people don’t like to catch pickerel because they’re slimy and can be difficult to get off hook. Not to mention the sharp teeth. My opinion is that when I fish I try not to kill anything but I don’t live on a pond or lake so maybe this guy has a point?
Your opinion?
Thanks in advance
Your opinion?
Thanks in advance
My opinion every fish has a right to life. They all serve a purpose even slime darts. If anyone should be an advocate for killing every one of those sob's is me. So many cuts n hooks thrown in me from them.Many of my favorite bass lakes are pick havens. Heck they may even help to weed out the week n help with size. Only the strong survive.
I agree with happyhooker. but what the guy said is true. pickerel can edge out the bass in small ponds. not so easy in larger bodies of water. I helped out a bit yesterday, 3 lb pickerel stole a jig with trailer from me.My two cents
I try not to kill anything I'm not going to eat. It wouldn't matter to me if I lived on the lake or not.
Ed
I was waiting for the mean people to step in 
I think these fears are unwarranted. The bass is still the superior predator over the pickerel. It will take far more underlings than the pickerel; and the bass is far more cunning, and much less likely to get hooked than the pickerel. The pickerel is an easy catch, which is why it was so popular with kids and in the old days, and would still be if you needed to survive off the land as a source of food. I remember catching 3 at a time as kid on a single treble hook.
If you want to help the bass population, why not see what you can do to prevent morons from dumping their trash and chemicals into the bass environment, and stop killing fish that are actually a source of food for the bass.
If you want to help the bass population, why not see what you can do to prevent morons from dumping their trash and chemicals into the bass environment, and stop killing fish that are actually a source of food for the bass.
Slime Darts are bass food too. It may seem like they are taking over some ponds, but who really knows. If all you catch is slime darts in a certain body of water, that doesn't mean that they are ruining the bass population in that pond, it just means they are the first to be fooled by your lure where you threw it.
I used to despise the things. Slimy little toothy creatures always soaking my ass every time I get one next to my kayak - now I take a small towel and wet it in pond water, drape that bad boy over my hand and grab the slime dart right below the gills - amazing how fast they stop flapping around, don't even have to hold them real tight. Pop the hook out of their mouth and let them go.....
I used to despise the things. Slimy little toothy creatures always soaking my ass every time I get one next to my kayak - now I take a small towel and wet it in pond water, drape that bad boy over my hand and grab the slime dart right below the gills - amazing how fast they stop flapping around, don't even have to hold them real tight. Pop the hook out of their mouth and let them go.....
is there any science behind this? it would be interesting to see some information on this since MA ponds are full of the slime dart.
there are several ponds I've gone to over the years where every year there are more and more pickerel. sure, they're more aggressive but the sheer numbers have been overwhelming to the point where you can't not catch them. not only that but the bass are all thin and stunted.
or maybe they're just growing in number over the bass and not reducing the bass numbers?
there are several ponds I've gone to over the years where every year there are more and more pickerel. sure, they're more aggressive but the sheer numbers have been overwhelming to the point where you can't not catch them. not only that but the bass are all thin and stunted.
or maybe they're just growing in number over the bass and not reducing the bass numbers?
I think these fears are unwarranted. The bass is still the superior predator over the pickerel. It will take far more underlings than the pickerel; and the bass is far more cunning, and much less likely to get hooked than the pickerel. The pickerel is an easy catch, which is why it was so popular with kids and in the old days, and would still be if you needed to survive off the land as a source of food. I remember catching 3 at a time as kid on a single treble hook.
If you want to help the bass population, why not see what you can do to prevent morons from dumping their trash and chemicals into the bass environment, and stop killing fish that are actually a source of food for the bass.
I like your thinking tacklesmith and agree with you. I also caught about 5 bass no pickerel so maybe this guys been busy. Interesting discussion and opinions.Thx
