Pickerel in south west mo

[Harps]

4 minutes ago, Flysmallie said:

?????

Fake news.

[snagged in outlet 3]

Internet ruins another hidey hole.

[Flysmallie]

18 minutes ago, Harps said:

Fake news.

Thank you Mr. Trump. 

[Harps]

42 minutes ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

Internet ruins another hidey hole.

Good job Smallieflys.

[Flysmallie]

24 minutes ago, Harps said:

Good job Smallieflys.

How’s that musky fishing going? 

[Harps]

3 minutes ago, Flysmallie said:

How’s that musky fishing going? 

Same as always — better than working.

[Gavin]

Think there are grass pikerel on the James drainage...They run small...like 12" is a big one...Chains get bigger...20-24" is not uncommon. Have only caught them at the spots I mentioned earlier. Supposed to be on the Black & St. Francis too, but never have caught one there. You should try the Namekagon R. or St. Croix R. up north if you  want to stick a Musky. Great floating up there.

 

[Chief Grey Bear]

Ahhh heck! I always get them mixed up. I would know one from the other if I caught one. I gotta do some studying on them.

[Al Agnew]

Chain pickerel, according to my Fishes of Missouri book, are only found in the Bootheel and in the St. Francis and Black river systems (Black River system includes Current, Eleven Point, and Spring rivers) so you won't find them in SW MO.  Grass pickerel are shown as being in Flat Creek, Crane Creek, and the upper reaches of the James and Finley, as well as being found in the North Fork.

Grass pickerel, in my experience, are scattered, with some small stream stretches having them and others with the same habitat and very close by not having any.  They are very small fish, hardly ever longer than 10 inches, so you just about have to fish specifically for them with small inline spinners and such, because you'll seldom catch them with ordinary bass lures.  They are interesting little critters.  I've caught them in a few creeks in SE MO that are direct tributaries to the Mississippi, and in some of the creeks feeding the St. Francis.  But at least two of the creeks where I caught them 30 years ago don't seem to have any today.  They always seemed to me to be fish of clear, cool creeks, but oddly enough, one of the areas where they are most common is in the tributaries to the Bourbeuse River, which are more like farm country creeks with inconsistent water supplies.

Gavin, I've never caught a chain pickerel on Black River itself, but have caught them in tributaries, especially McKenzie Creek around Piedmont.  I have yet to catch one anywhere within the St. Francis watershed, though they are supposed to be there.

[Gavin]

Have never caught one on the Black or SF mainstem. EZ on spots  mentioned earlier. Better odds of catching a channel cat on a lure on  the Black or SF.