loch raven pike fishing

[c-villefisherr]

Hey everyone im heading out with friends in the morning to loch raven for some pike fishing. Has anyone had any luck there this time of year? Ill letcha know how we do. Gonna be using big minnows for bait and possibly spinners and crank baits.

[MDmakaira410]

Keep us posted! Is this the time of year that they get pretty active? I've caught one on an 8wt fly rod in the cove north of merrimans from my kayak. He went about 25" plus and pulled me around quite a bit. I have no idea how I landed it with a normal mono bass leader. I have seen pictures of some real toads caught around that area from the shore.

[c-villefisherr]

i wish i could give ya a report but my buddies cancelled last minute. Ive never fished for pike and neither have my friends but there was something on the internet about a guy who goes every year. He said use a medium to medium heavy rod 8-12 lb test with bobber steel leaders and BIG minnow. Hopefully ill head out there sometime soon. Ill definately post when we go. o and my bud caught a 20 some inch pickeral there the other day.

[MDmakaira410]

i wish i could give ya a report but my buddies cancelled last minute. Ive never fished for pike and neither have my friends but there was something on the internet about a guy who goes every year. He said use a medium to medium heavy rod 8-12 lb test with bobber steel leaders and BIG minnow. Hopefully ill head out there sometime soon. Ill definately post when we go. o and my bud caught a 20 some inch pickeral there the other day.

If i never caught another pickerel again at loch raven i would die a happy man. those pickerel are a real nuisance but they are fun on the fly rod every once in a while, nothing like that pike though.

[c-villefisherr]

i heard that too MD. i rented a boat with my buddy mark one day and when we came in we asked how he did. He said he caught pickeral and i said cool and he said nope... they destroy the baby bass beds and every pickeral he catches he slits the bellies and throws em back.

[Capt.Nick]

i heard that too MD. i rented a boat with my buddy mark one day and when we came in we asked how he did. He said he caught pickeral and i said cool and he said nope... they destroy the baby bass beds and every pickeral he catches he slits the bellies and throws em back.

That's a real shame he thinks like that.

[HJS]

i heard that too MD. i rented a boat with my buddy mark one day and when we came in we asked how he did. He said he caught pickeral and i said cool and he said nope... they destroy the baby bass beds and every pickeral he catches he slits the bellies and throws em back.

C-ville : Was this guy in his 60s??? I grew up just a mile or two away from Loch Raven. Sometimes I'd hang out at the fishing center (~ late 1950s-1960s). Back then I'd overhear similar comments from middle aged and old fishermen about killing all pickerel and pike they would catch. Many fishermen condemned all the members of the pike family especially those the Fisheries boys stocked in Loch Raven.

I spend a couple of weeks each year fishing small ponds and lakes in Maine. Pickerel are everywhere up there and I'm in pickerel heaven. But when ever I mention to a local fishermen that I target pickerel I get a weird look back from them... like I'm nuts or something. So the contempt for pickerel is wide spread.

[Capt.Nick]

You're not the one who's nuts.Fishing is supposed to be just plain fun.Some people like to turn it into anger.

[c-villefisherr]

HJS he was middle aged.. i was kinda shocked to hear him say that.. there fun to catch on ultralight or light tackle it just sucks when they cut the line and you lose ur 4.00 lure lol. Are they ok to eat? I took one home one summer but genious me forgot to put it on ice.. yeahh not good lol it started to rot and i had to toss it.

[HJS]

The meat is quite tasty but the fillets are loaded with fine Y-bones... like a shad or herring. All the pike family are difficult to eat. Some say its like eating a hair brush that's been packed with fish meat... and I'd have to agree. I'm sure you've eaten lots of fish and have noticed that fish fillets are a series of flakes layered on top of each other. In pike meat there is a fine Y-bone positioned between each flake, and its not attached to anything. Each Y-bone has to be carefully removed as you eat the fillet... 100s of Y-bones per fillet. In the end its just not worth the hassle.