Some Pickerel Fishing

Type: Nontidal
Region: Southern
Location: St. Mary's Lake

I loaded up the kayak and headed over to a tidal pond Friday morning 12/30/22 only to find it was covered in skim ice. So, I ran over to St Mary�s Lake hoping for open water. There were three other anglers on the lake! The lake was fishable but there was ice along the shaded shorelines and coves.

I headed across the lake, casting various baits without luck. I then headed up a cove feeling that it was already noon, and the water may be warmer back up in the coves shallower water. I saw a bald eagle working the water, as well as a blue heron and two king fisher, that could only spell one thing, BAIT fish!!!

I was trolling a #3 Mepps and it proved to be the ticket. I caught three pickerel, largest was a 23.5� fish.

I had no luck with crappies or bass. I spoke to two anglers who had been hunting crappie at their �holes� on the lake. They had been fishing from first light. But hadn�t caught a fish. They pulled off the water shortly after we spoke. I also spoke to another angler who was fishing upper lake. He said he had caught a few crappie on a twister tail. He was soaking minnows too, but basically catching bass (5) as the minnows were ignored by the crappie as they passed through the school only to have a bass dart off the bottom to eat the minnows. (He was watching on his gigantic fish finder screen)