Non-Crappie Help.

Looking for someone to give me some Not-crappie (pun) advice. I've heard that Harris Lake has Chain Pickerel in it. I have not caught one before, and thought I'd try to use some free time this weekend coming up to knock another species off the list. I'll be in a kayak, so I am looking for somewhere to drop in, and fish somewhat near by. I've caught plenty of Northern Pike (they are everywhere back home), but want to add pickerel to the list. Thanks anyone that can help. On that note, anyone want to go kayaking at Harris this weekend? My wife is gone, so I'll be out both days if possible.

I have not targeted them but have caught several both deep and shallow when fishing for Crappie and Bass. All but one have come from the same area. Across the lake from Holloman ramp and up the creek that runs north where the power lines cross. In the winter they are deep around the power line towers and in the summer they are shallow in the lillys and around the aligater weed. Fun fish to catch and great eating. I don't think there is a large stock of them in Harris because it is not the right water condition for them and it is close to the west edge of their range in North Carolina. They like dark peat stained water.

I thought I would throw this in just for brag. Not in HarrisAttachment 235810

Nice! Thanks for the info!
My best pike in MN was somewhere around 36" and on an ultralight setup. It was a great fight. I've seen guys catch big ones up there on the little ice fishing rods. It's pretty comical.

Caught one up Little White Oak a few weeks ago and caught the one below up Buckhorn a couple of years ago. Both were in fairly shallow water around 6'-8' deep. The one a few weeks ago was caught with minnows and I don't remember what we caught the one below on. They are healthy fish and put up quite a fight. You can probably reach the upper end of Little White Oak if you put in a Hollemans. It's going to be quite a paddle and you may want to look at the upper end of other bays.

Attachment 235823

Bunch in Lake Waccamaw

I meant to ask... Sea Dancer, couldn't you find a bigger buoy for your fish grip? You could have used a stray "No Wake" one from a local lake! rotfl

Anthony,I don't know what part of NC you're frome,but in Hartsville SC there's a smallish lake,Presswood lake that is supposed to have a lot of the pickerel in it.I was told the folks that target them use shiney spoons and fish like you were bass fishing.Ive never tried it,but like you I'd like to add the pickerel to my list of fish caught.Good luck if you go and if you catch one,do like sea dancer and Jordan limit,,show us a picture.

There are a lot of them in the ponds on the Sandhills game lands and a kayak works great

I found that thing floating in the sound with nothing tied to it. Makes my gripper easy to find. Never used one until I had to have a Pop-R cut out of my thumb. Best tool ever made for landing fish.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MNKK

I meant to ask... Sea Dancer, couldn't you find a bigger buoy for your fish grip? You could have used a stray "No Wake" one from a local lake! rotfl

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Red roostertail shallow grass,is what I would do this time of year

Go to mayo in Roxburo

Go to mayo in Roxburo sorry hit wrong letter Roxboro

You're doing it wrong. In order to catch a certain species of fish you have to fish for a different species. If you say "I'm going bass fishing today" then you will catch pickerel.

BTW Cape Fear River is full of them, boat ramp is off of HWY 42, not far from the upper Harris boat ramp.

PPowell, I know that all too well. Any time I fish for something, I catch a lot of other things. mostly bass... I never fish for LMB, but they seem to find me. Last weekend, under one fallen tree, I was looking for crappie, and ended up with a LMB, several Cats (big ones too!) a couple bream and finally landed a crappie... oh, and the tree. I caught that a lot more than any of the fish. lol. I was impressed with all the different fishes that were under there. I think the only things I missed were both perches. I'm not sure there is anything else in Jordan, but I was going for the Jordan Lake Grand Slam for a while there. lol. Thank you all for the advice. I've got some spoons, jigs, spinners, etc all loaded up into a couple quick boxes. Of course I'll still be trying for crappie and cats, I just want to land one of them pickerels before the weekend is up. Weather looks nice, and I'm a bachelor this weekend. The wife is heading to a dog show. Just can't sit around the house.

Went to Harris this past weekend. Didn't catch much. A small cat and a pair of sunglasses that had apparently been down there quite a while. :) . No luck with Pickerel, but we didn't make it past those power lines. Next time for sure. Looking through the posts on here, I am thinking of a way to get to Mayo. Has anyone had good luck with anything else up there? Is it known for good sized fish? Just curious. Never hear anything about it on here.

Go 49 north go through Roxboro you will cross the lake take a left at the store it has signs up where to turn


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