Until this past weekend I had not caught anything but bluegill this year. So I went out with the light setup expecting to catch more bluegill but then just for fun I decided to throw a texas rigged craw.
Well long story short I caught a bigger fish than I expected. I felt bad wrestling this fish and getting it all covered in mud. What is the safe way to hold a pickerel?
Posted by i-eat-lots-of-food
5 Comments
Under the gill plate is what I’ve been doing… Doesn’t seem to hurt them and no dropping it and getting yourself hooked in the leg like I did last year
not like that, the fishes heart is right in front of the area you are squeezing hard.
I don’t like AI answers but this sums it up pretty well
use the gill plate grip for maximum control, sliding your fingers under the hard, bony plate covering the gills while avoiding the delicate gills themselves. Support the belly with your other hand to keep the fish horizontal
or get a set of boga grips or fish grips
god luck
Like my first alligator gar. Very unexpected.
I grab em firm by the collar with thumb/forefinger, I did get nipped once, bled for a very long time
Depends. Do you keep it or do you release it? If you keep it, it doesn’t matter. Kill it fast and bleed it immediately. If you release it, try to not hanfle it if at all possible.