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RTownsend
Joined: 30 Jun 2013
Posts: 29
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 Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2013 10:40 am Post subject: Messerschmidt Pond 9/7 - LMB, and First Pike (with pictures) |
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Went fishing at Messerschmidt Pond in Westbrook/Deep River yesterday with my brother around 5:00 PM. Sun was shining and there was a light breeze, very nice weather if a bit on the warm side. We left the kayak at home and did some shore-fishing by the dam. Both of us were throwing 6" Senkos wacky rigged in Watermelon Flake and Oxblood Red Flake. Had a few nibbles over the first hour but no luck. Around 6:15 my brother decided to put on a live grasshopper that was hanging out on a branch by his spot. Second cast with the squirming grasshopper and he caught a 14" LMB.
It was starting to get a bit cloudy and darker outside so I switched to a neon green Senko. Wacky rigged it and tossed it out a few times working the structure by the dam itself. No luck and I was getting bored so I rigged the Senko in an unorthodox way, hook through the tip of the head and out the back, then tucked back in to the body again. It made the worm swim in a spiral pattern and this must have gotten some attention because a few casts later I felt a hard hit and had a fish on! It was putting up a nice fight, much more than the LMB I've caught here. I caught a glimpse of it when it neared the surface and could tell by the pattern and shape that it was no LMB... looked like a pike for sure! I was psyched because I have never caught a pike before. Finally got it in the net after a few minutes and was able to snag a few pictures but didn't measure/weigh it. When I went to release the pike into the water it took a liking to my net and chomped down and wouldn't let go for about 5 minutes but finally let go and swam away. Didn't get the best pictures but here's a few, any estimates on length or weight?
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Crest Daddy
Joined: 20 Jan 2011
Posts: 994
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| Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2013 11:26 am Post subject: |
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Everybody's first pike is ALWAYS a PICKEREL somehow...
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RTownsend
Joined: 30 Jun 2013
Posts: 29
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| Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2013 11:33 am Post subject: |
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| Crest Daddy wrote: | | Everybody's first pike is ALWAYS a PICKEREL somehow... |
Hey I said PIKE, not Northern Pike.... Pickerel is in the Pike family, right? 
In all honesty though I wasn't sure until I looked it up... I have to admit that I really like the pattern/colors on the fish I caught so maybe it was best that it wasn't a "true" pike.  |
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ripline
Joined: 26 Feb 2012
Posts: 121
Location: Shelton
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| Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2013 3:39 pm Post subject: |
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The proverbial good news bad news.
No, it isn't a pike but it MIGHT be a trophy pickerel! 5lbs and 27" is a CT trophy fish.
Congrats on a nice fish anyway. |
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avidangler
Joined: 08 Jan 2013
Posts: 469
Location: Forestville
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| Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2013 8:06 pm Post subject: |
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| RTownsend wrote: | | Crest Daddy wrote: | | Everybody's first pike is ALWAYS a PICKEREL somehow... |
Hey I said PIKE, not Northern Pike.... Pickerel is in the Pike family, right?
In all honesty though I wasn't sure until I looked it up... I have to admit that I really like the pattern/colors on the fish I caught so maybe it was best that it wasn't a "true" pike. |
some of the larger pickerel can put up a nice fight(like the one i caught a couple of days ago)
Walleye...Sometimes.called "pike-perch" and "walleyed-pike" although not related to pike.They are the largest North American member of the perch FAMILY.They are still refered to as their species (walleye)and not by family.
Brook trout are native but really aren't trout.They fall into the "char" family.
Same for Stripers...related to white perch but called striped bass.
A Chain pickerel is a Chain pickerel,a redfin pickerel is a redfin pickerel,A northern pike is a northern pike.....
The only true difference besides size and color pattern is that pike were introduced where pickerel are native.
Still a nice fish.
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...Randy...
Leeway and elbow room.There's plenty of water to fish!
avidanglingadventures.blogspot.com
"If we concentrated on the really important stuff in life,there'd be a shortage of fishing poles." |
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x182dan
Joined: 19 Mar 2009
Posts: 329
Location: Seymour, CT
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| Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 2:13 pm Post subject: |
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Pound vs Pound I think a pickerel fights better than a pike.
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PECo
Joined: 06 Oct 2009
Posts: 5203
Location: Avon, CT
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| Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 3:25 pm Post subject: |
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| x182dan wrote: | | Pound vs Pound I think a pickerel fights better than a pike. |
Ditto.  But a northern pike/pickerel hybrid has the size of a northern pike with the fight of a chain pickerel. Plus, they're one of the prettiest freshwater gamefish. Here's a hybrid that my daughter caught at Lake Champlain on a charter with Captain Mickey Maynard a few years ago:
By the way, and this isn't a criticism, but the photos of the chain pickerel in the net show why you shouldn't net chain pickerel or northern pike. Take a look at how the net split the fish's tail open. It's best to just grab the fish behind the head with one hand from above and squeeze. After you've tired it out, of course. 
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Michael
Joined: 28 Jan 2012
Posts: 3823
Location: Bridgeport
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| Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 5:30 pm Post subject: |
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| x182dan wrote: | | Pound vs Pound I think a pickerel fights better than a pike. |
I second!
I find even a small 14" pickerel to be very aggressive for its size and still fight hard. It has been said that pickerel are the most aggressive and hardest fighting fish pound for pound in the pike family.
I enjoy targeting pickerel while you get many largemouth fishermen who hate catching them. |
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avidangler
Joined: 08 Jan 2013
Posts: 469
Location: Forestville
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| Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 7:11 pm Post subject: |
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WOW!That hybrid is a beautiful looking fish!
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...Randy...
Leeway and elbow room.There's plenty of water to fish!
avidanglingadventures.blogspot.com
"If we concentrated on the really important stuff in life,there'd be a shortage of fishing poles." |
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avidangler
Joined: 08 Jan 2013
Posts: 469
Location: Forestville
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| Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 7:12 pm Post subject: |
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Correct me if I'm wrong.One of the guys at Dicks told me they tried stocking hybrid musky in Tyler pond.Yet I've read they put them into Woodridge..
On another note.I think that redfin pickerel look more like a musky.Anyone pull any of those out of any rivers ever?
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...Randy...
Leeway and elbow room.There's plenty of water to fish!
avidanglingadventures.blogspot.com
"If we concentrated on the really important stuff in life,there'd be a shortage of fishing poles."
Last edited by avidangler on Tue Sep 10, 2013 7:47 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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damage inc
Joined: 12 Feb 2011
Posts: 267
Location: New Fairfield
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| Posted: Tue Sep 10, 2013 7:12 pm Post subject: |
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Nice catch!
I caught a 27" 3.7lb pickerel at Mt Tom last weekend! Got bored of the Trout just nibbling and not eatin. Fought way harder than the pike from Bantam!
I had no idea they could get that big.
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Michael
Joined: 28 Jan 2012
Posts: 3823
Location: Bridgeport
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| Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 12:13 pm Post subject: |
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| avidangler wrote: | | On another note.I think that redfin pickerel look more like a musky.Anyone pull any of those out of any rivers ever? |
I've caught a few grass pickerel out of local rivers. They have that greenish color similar to musky. |
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ripline
Joined: 26 Feb 2012
Posts: 121
Location: Shelton
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| Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 4:16 pm Post subject: |
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| avidangler wrote: | | Correct me if I'm wrong.One of the guys at Dicks told me they tried stocking hybrid musky in Tyler pond.Yet I've read they put them into Woodridge.. |
I don't know of any DEEP musky program but the lake authority at Woodbridge did stock tigers there a few years back. I know guys who are fortunate enough to ice fish for them and the ones that are still alive are TANKS! |
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