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Aroostook Outdoors
by Wayne Selfridge, Caribou
I've been blessed in
my angling life, fishing all over the world and country during
my 23-year Air Force career. Catching different species of fish with a variety of
equipment in diverse water topography has led to my multi-disciplined approach to this
sport. 
It's sad when I
encounter a purist, you know, the ones who stubbornly assert that if the fish is not a
trout, or a bass, or a landlocked salmon, it's not worth fishing for. They are missing out
on lifetime's broad angling picture. It's all relative, whether landing a ten-inch brookie
on a light fly rod, wading a favorite brook, or a couple-hundred-pound billfish trolled up
behind a boat in the South Pacific. It's the sporting experience that's important, not
just the type of fish.
One fish I truly enjoy
is the pickerel. They're big, sassy and give a tremendous fight. Another important aspect
of angling for this ultimate underwater predator is that during those days when fishing
for other breeds are slow, the pickerel, with its insatiable appetite and tendency to
attack anything that moves, can save the outing. They're all native-wild fish, not as
sensitive to water conditions as other species tend to be, are prolific breeders, grow
fast on a menu that includes anything that can fit in its maw, and the list of attributes
goes on.
They like structure, and lots of it.
Boulder-littered shorelines harbor this underwater carnivore, but their favorite haunts
are the weedchoked parts of a waterway. The best example of their habitat in Aroostook
County is Drews Lake. This body of water is better known for its brown trout, but at the
west end of the lake at the confluence of Bear Brook there is a pickerel bed encompassing
about thirty acres of weeds, tree stumps, and rocks with just enough interweaving
navigable water to allow access to all of it.
Early in the morning, or during late evening, when
the wind is light and the surface calms, I always use topwater lures. If the weather
cooperates, I may never change to anything else. The excitement of watching a
torpedo-shaped fish explode the surface at your presentation, that you proudly made work
like a natural prey, is akin to a partridge bursting from bramble-choked terrain. Hula
Poppers, soft-bodied weedless frogs, and buzzbait offerings are my standard. In most cases
you'll see the V-shaped wake of a charging pickerel before it strikes. This anticipation
adds to the drama, like
watching a bear come into a bait.
When the surface gets rough and topwaters become
less effective, I switch arsenals to my underwater pickerel exclusives, weedless Dardevles
and Johnson Silver Minnows. These bullet-shaped lures cast farther than the topwaters, so
don't be afraid to go back to covers you've already tried, casting deeper to the points
you didn't reach earlier. Battling a 26-inch pickerel through that much vegetation is
tricky, so use stout rods to manhandle them towards open water.
Regardless of whether you use floating or
submersible lures, I always use a six-inch wire leader with ball bearing swivels attached
to 12-pound-test-or-stronger line. This will keep you from losing expensive lures, not
only from structure hang-up, but the teeth of these freshwater sharks will lacerate even
our newfangled braided lines. The pickerel is made for kids. A child's span of attention
is limited, especially when angling for species not known for its willingness to provide
day-long action. Introduce your offspring to this fish and you'll have a sporting partner
for life and a world of memories to go with it.
~Wayne
Selfridge is a seasoned outdoorsman who has hunted and fished throughout the world as a
military veteran. He works in law enforcement and also
serves as the Sporting Journal's Northern Sales Manager. He is also a member of the Friends of Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge.
© 2000 Northwoods Sporting Journal
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