New guy questions

[flint guy]

Trying to learn to catch fish in th nsr within edm city limits. So far I lost a bunch of tackle and had one bite. I have settled on a sort of pickerel rig. I tried frozen shrimp, like coctail shrimp. I tried some rubber minnows, now I have some preserved minnows. Any of these baits work for burbot, walleye or pike? I have yet to catch anything. On an unrelated note any tips for fly fishing this river? I know pics or it didnt happen but i did hook something on a scud on my fly rod. I thought it was weeds, then ice, then it ran ... A fish! I lost it, all I seen was a small shiny possibly flat fish. Is there gold eye year round? Somebody told me I must have sniffed the powerbait, gold eye only run certian times of the year.

[embury93]

Use spoons for pike, pickeral rigs with dew worms for pickeral and sturgeon and use minnows for goldeye. If you fish at the outflows usually there are lots of fish in pools of deep water. Some other good spots are downtown at Dawson Park on the east side of the city Hawrelak Park is really good and there is a trout pond as well, also on the west end across from Fort Edmonton Park under the Quesnell Bridge. Last season this was all I had to use and just placed my rod in my rod holder and placed a bell on the end of my rod and every time you hear the bell ring just pull up and reel em' in. Everyday I went out I caught tons of fish. Try to get out when its warm or when it's raining. Fishing after it has rained can be slow for the next couple days.

[embury93]

The key to not losing so much tackle is once your line has settled on the bottom, try not to touch your rod and drag on the bottom as there are lots of rocks and objects you can snag on with the fast flowing current. Also the ice is just coming off so the fishing will be slow, wait until about mid-may and if you follow my advice you will catch lots of fish.

[BBJTKLE&FISHINGADVENTURES]

Rivers pretty tough going right now with all the ice coming down I haven't been out but lots of good places open .

[Fishing_Junkie88]

Use spoons for pike, pickeral rigs with dew worms for pickeral and sturgeon and use minnows for goldeye. If you fish at the outflows usually there are lots of fish in pools of deep water. Some other good spots are downtown at Dawson Park on the east side of the city Hawrelak Park is really good and there is a trout pond as well, also on the west end across from Fort Edmonton Park under the Quesnell Bridge. Last season this was all I had to use and just placed my rod in my rod holder and placed a bell on the end of my rod and every time you hear the bell ring just pull up and reel em' in. Everyday I went out I caught tons of fish. Try to get out when its warm or when it's raining. Fishing after it has rained can be slow for the next couple days.

We don't have pickeral here.... This is very scattered and amateur advice.

This time of year can produce good fish, just have to be patient ajd find the right spots. Jigs are cheap if you lose them and you can catch most species with a jig. Experiment with slip sinker rigs also, alot less snags with them. If your new to fishing the river you can't expect immediate success, you must learn where the structure is and place your lures or bait rigs accordingly to have better success and lose less gear. Good luck to you though

[jaystev]

We don't have pickeral here.... This is very scattered and amateur advice.

umm ya we do. pike are abundant in the nsr. walleye and sauger are often called pickerel as well but they arent. Im still trying to figure out why young guns info would be classified as amateur? sounded good to me. Other than he said hawrelak instead of hermitage. This is the elitist attitude that i just dont understand and would most often expect from someone in highschool. Whats our world coming to if we cant even offer help without coming under fire? Especially from someone who claims we dont have pickerel here..lol

[Fishing_Junkie88]

Northern pike are not the same as pickeral. They are closely related cousins but not the same. and he said pickeral as if walleye are the same thing.. wrong agaib.. do sone research and find out for yourself..

[tonypower]

We don't have pickerel here. We have walleye. Anyway the only thing I would suggest is to get some frozen minnows and some worms. 1 oz weight on the p-rig. Worm on bottom and minnow on top. Cast out just where the current breaks. Let it sit on bottom and tighten up your line. if the current takes your weight down steam your to far out. Sit and wait. Good luck

[Fishing_Junkie88]

We don't have pickerel here. We have walleye. Anyway the only thing I would suggest is to get some frozen minnows and some worms. 1 oz weight on the p-rig. Worm on bottom and minnow on top. Cast out just where the current breaks. Let it sit on bottom and tighten up your line. if the current takes your weight down steam your to far out. Sit and wait. Good luck

This is a lot better advice... Maybe now jaystev you'll see why I called it amateur...

[flint guy]

Thanks for the tips, some good advice. I'm only using a light rod with 10lb test. Not lookin for monsters, ill be around goldbar mostly if anybody wants to say hi. I used tofish rivers for salmon and steelhead, everything in the nsr is a mew species to me.

[Red Neck]

The whole function of social media is for mass comunication. That is why we are all here.
Let not make anyone feel they there is a dumb question or answer? (My soap box moment):snapoutofit:The great thing about the river is you really dont know for sure what you are going to get? we use all of the above mentioned options, but we have our best results with a slip bobber with a jig and a minow bouncing along or arond a back eddy. Oh and dont forget the cold bevrage almost mandatory.:):)

Red Neck Out:scared0018:

[huntsfurfish]

Wikipedia

"In some parts of its range, the walleye is known as the Colored Pike, Yellow Pike or Pickerel (esp. in English-speaking Canada), although the fish is not related to other species of pikes which are members of the family Esocidae.

:snapoutofit:

So yes people fish for pickerel in Alberta:)

Some might actually call them walleye though.

[waterninja]

We don't have pickerel here. We have walleye. Anyway the only thing I would suggest is to get some frozen minnows and some worms. 1 oz weight on the p-rig. Worm on bottom and minnow on top. Cast out just where the current breaks. Let it sit on bottom and tighten up your line. if the current takes your weight down steam your to far out. Sit and wait. Good luck
i agree with this advice. i also cut a small piece of the rubber (whites my favourite) of a jig and attach just above the bottom hook before placing a big fat worm.

also throw away the hooks that come with the p-rigs and replace with good quality #1 or#2 snelled hooks. good-luck.

[embury93]

@Jaystev cause you know everything about fishing...right your mister pro angler. Look it up, its says a walleye is also known as a pickeral and I have fished the river for many years now the key is just keep it simple if your looking for results. Yes jigs works great as well and I found 8-12 pound test works really good as well as its a good middle weight for catching lots of different species of fish, If your after the big pike or lake sturgeon I usually go with around a 20lb test. Please go troll another forum if that is your intentions but yes I meant Hemitage not hawrelak on accident, my bad. @Fishing Junkie I never said pickeral and pike are the same, pickeral and walleye are the same and yes we do have them in the north sask river as well as many other species. Also walleye(pickeral) and sauger are two different species. I was just trying to give the guy some basic advice no need to be a "Guppie".

[jaystev]

I think everyone has a bit of the old cabin fever. Flint guy if you want to hook up and fish the nsr shoot me a pm. .

[BBJTKLE&FISHINGADVENTURES]

Throw away the Pickerel rig and re tie your own , You cannot find a crappier hook or materials then what them things come with . Very simple to tie your own . X 2 on what Tony said .

[ssyd]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chain_pickerel

Other names

It is also known as the "federation pike" or "federation pickerel". Pickerel is often a name given to walleye, although the true name belongs to the chain pickerel. Common nicknames in the southeastern United States are the "southern pike", "grass pike", "jack", "jack fish", and "eastern pickerel".

Consider it settled :)

[58thecat]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chain_pickerel



Consider it settled :)

Would the fat lady please sing and end this?:happy0180:

[embury93]

sorry about that Jaystev mis-read what you were saying...didn't mean to throw yah under the bus. I was accusing Fishing Junkie for his false information, I just disagree when people say your wrong and tell you to look it up and there the one that is wrong lol.

[pickrel pat]

You kids fight nice!:)

[chriscosta]

chain (pickeral) are a kind of fish on their own a walleyes a walleye and a pike a pike just sayin i dont really care what people call them but a chain pickeral looks like a small pike i believe aaaanyway yes worms and minnows work good make sure they are spot tails good luck

[huntsfurfish]

Grew up catching pickerel in Southern Alberta. Get over it.:)
Up to about 15-20 years ago that's what people called them. Many still do.

[NSRfishing]

i like to use worms the suckers will start soon best fishing of the year

[Chewie66]

Does anyone use leeches or beef heart for bait? That's pretty much all I've used for Walleye, but that's in a lot smaller rivers than the NSR.

[ssyd]

Grew up catching pickerel in Southern Alberta. Get over it.:)
Up to about 15-20 years ago that's what people called them. Many still do.

For the same reason that this thread got derailed, I say Pike instead of Jackfish, even though I grew up calling them that. Saves the hassle. You'll still never hear me say Pike or Northern out loud. I prefer to use the names jack, big toothy bastard and prairie porpoise.

[embury93]

Yes I've used beef hearts and worms they both work really well also when I lived in northern Saskatchewan we used to always call northern pike(jackfish) and walleye(pickeral) as well.

[dodgeboy1979]

Does anyone use leeches or beef heart for bait? That's pretty much all I've used for Walleye, but that's in a lot smaller rivers than the NSR.

Leeches and beef heart work great for walleys, i typically put a leech on the top hook of a pickeral rig, and a gob of worms on the bottom, the sturgeon love the worm gob.

[Fishing_Junkie88]

Yes I've used beef hearts and worms they both work really well also when I lived in northern Saskatchewan we used to always call northern pike(jackfish) and walleye(pickeral) as well.

Thats great for you, im just saying that those fish you call jack fish and pickeral are actually fish in their own species.. i dont care that you "call a spade a heart". i call a spade a spade, therefore a Northern pike is a northern pike, a walleye is a walleye, pickeral and jackfish are their own respective fish. meant nothing bad by it, im just more specific and detail orientated than most and thats why youll never hear me call a northern pike anything but its respective name. same with walleye, goldeye, burbot etc.. not to bring race or anything into this but you wouldnt call a chinese person japanese,simply because they look alike would you?!

[huntsfurfish]

Fixed it for you



Thats great for you, im just saying that those fish you call jack fish and pickeral are actually fish in their own species.. i dont care that you "call a spade a heart". i call a spade a spade, therefore a Northern pike is a jackfish, a walleye is a pickerel, pickeral and jackfish are walleye and pike. . not to bring race or anything into this but you wouldnt call a chinese person japanese,simply because they look alike would you? !

Had trouble fixing this part so just a comment - pickerel is another name for walleye, nothing racist about that but your comment kinda makes it racist

[jryley]

Northern pike are not the same as pickeral. They are closely related cousins but not the same. and he said pickeral as if walleye are the same thing.. wrong agaib.. do sone research and find out for yourself..

Out this way many folks refer to walleye as pickeral. Regardless as to whether its correct terminology or not most of us knew right away what he was referring to. But thanks for the waste of web space with your post.

[jryley]

This is a lot better advice... Maybe now jaystev you'll see why I called it amateur...

Nothing amatuer about it. Some of the best most experienced hunters i know refer to deer antlers as horns. Give your head a shake.

[CK Angler]

I like chicken fingers.... Dipped in hot sauce :bad_boys_20:

[EZM]

I like chicken fingers.... Dipped in hot sauce :bad_boys_20:

Ranch is good too - I also like orange pop to go with such an amatuerish lunch like chicken fingers.

[CK Angler]

Ranch is good too - I also like orange pop to go with such an amatuerish lunch like chicken fingers.

Lol

[ssyd]

Nothing goes better with chicken fingers and orange pop than crinkle cut fries!

[flint guy]

Im at the river right now. The rain sucks and i have yet to get a bite. I do feel better havin bait though lol. Whatever you want to call the fish they are all still cool to catch.

[embury93]

Thats great for you, im just saying that those fish you call jack fish and pickeral are actually fish in their own species.. i dont care that you "call a spade a heart". i call a spade a spade, therefore a Northern pike is a northern pike, a walleye is a walleye, pickeral and jackfish are their own respective fish. meant nothing bad by it, im just more specific and detail orientated than most and thats why youll never hear me call a northern pike anything but its respective name. same with walleye, goldeye, burbot etc.. not to bring race or anything into this but you wouldnt call a chinese person japanese,simply because they look alike would you?!
@Fishing Junkie, please do your research before posting irrelevant false information

Wikipedia

Northern Pike: The northern pike (Esox lucius, known simply as a pike in Britain, Ireland, most parts of the USA, or as jackfish in Canada or simply "Northern" in the Upper Midwest of the USA)

Walleye: In some parts of its range, the walleye is known as the Colored Pike, Yellow Pike or Pickerel (esp. in English-speaking Canada), although the fish is not related to other species of pikes which are members of the family Esocidae.

[flint guy]

I didn't catch F all. I did read in another thread the outfall could be on bypass, gross. Anyways there seems to be a lot of water boatmen in the water. Do pike, walleye, or anything else eat those? If it was a trout stream I'd be stoked

[wetchimo]

For the same reason that this thread got derailed, I say Pike instead of Jackfish, even though I grew up calling them that. Saves the hassle. You'll still never hear me say Pike or Northern out loud. I prefer to use the names jack, big toothy bastard and prairie porpoise.

X2 lol I think this thread was about the NSR.

[pikergolf]

Walleye's are just small pickerel's. If you caught a pickerel you'd know it.

[Geezle]

Nothing goes better with chicken fingers and orange pop than crinkle cut fries!

I respectfully disagree...curly fries all the way! http://www.madcastgaming.com/forum/images/smilies/smilies3/yumyum.gif

[BBJTKLE&FISHINGADVENTURES]

Does anyone use leeches or beef heart for bait? That's pretty much all I've used for Walleye, but that's in a lot smaller rivers than the NSR.

I will use leaches say if after I was out trolling for walleyes using lindy rigs or something , pretty expensive bait to be using on the river , but they work well .

I am not one to use funky bait for catching fish , I use Minnows , smelts, worms , once in a blue moon leaches .

[Speckle55]

In Alberta we have no true Pickerel

here is some Picture's of the 4 fish in question

Northern Pike

Chain/Grass/Redfin Pickerel
Walleye

Sauger

David:)

Chain pickerel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chain pickerel
Scientific classification
Phylum:
chordata
Class:

Actinopterygii

Order:
Esociformes
Family:
Esocidae
Genus:
Esox
Species:
E. niger
Binomial name
Esox niger
Lesueur, 1818
The chain pickerel, Esox niger (syn. Esox reticulatus), is a species of freshwater fish in the pike family (family Esocidae) of order Esociformes. The chain pickerel and the american pickerel belong to the Esox genus of pikes.[1]
Contents
[hide] 1 Range
2 Other names
3 Physical description
4 Diet
5 Angling
6 Edibility
7 References
8 External links
[edit] Range

Its range is along the eastern coast of North America from southern Canada to Florida, and west to Texas. On the Atlantic Coast, in Maine, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, the chain pickerel extend as far as 46 degrees north latitude. The fish inhabits freshwater from the Mississippi Valley into southern Wisconsin. It also is commonly found in Lake Michigan and the lower portion of the Great Lakes.[1] They also range to the Florida Panhandle.

[edit] Other names

It is also known as the "federation pike" or "federation pickerel". Pickerel is often a name given to walleye, although the true name belongs to the chain pickerel. Common nicknames in the southeastern United States are the "southern pike", "grass pike", "jack", "jack fish", and "eastern pickerel".


70953

70954

[Fishing_Junkie88]

@Fishing Junkie, please do your research before posting irrelevant false information

Wikipedia

Northern Pike: The northern pike (Esox lucius, known simply as a pike in Britain, Ireland, most parts of the USA, or as jackfish in Canada or simply "Northern" in the Upper Midwest of the USA)

Walleye: In some parts of its range, the walleye is known as the Colored Pike, Yellow Pike or Pickerel (esp. in English-speaking Canada), although the fish is not related to other species of pikes which are members of the family Esocidae.

Oh I've done my research dont worry. Please see Speckles post for clarification..

[embury93]

Oh I've done my research dont worry. Please see Speckles post for clarification..
Ok so obviously my definition wasn't clear enough, Walleye is commonly known and called the pickerel by many in Canada although its not truly related. It's a name that people give it for it being very similar, and good on you for relying on another persons posting as research instead of just trying to prove your own point. This forum has been completely trolled based on the fact of a commonly called name that people call northern pike and walleye here in canada and accusing other peoples advice as amateur and chicken fingers lol. Now can we just drop the subject already, people call it different things and there's no reason to have even brought it up, all you were looking to do was stir the pot with many other fishermen.

[BeeGuy]

Yellow pickerel is what Canadians call them.

Walleye is what mericans call them.

It only matters, if you get confused easily, as some apparently do.

[fish gunner]

Common names create confusion as this thread demonstrates. Latin names benifit the naturalist in clarifying species . Esox , perca . See its easy and every one is on the same page. Try telling the co the pickrl on the banks is not a walleyr. Lol

[Fishing_Junkie88]

Ok so obviously my definition wasn't clear enough, Walleye is commonly known and called the pickerel by many in Canada although its not truly related. It's a name that people give it for it being very similar, and good on you for relying on another persons posting as research instead of just trying to prove your own point. This forum has been completely trolled based on the fact of a commonly called name that people call northern pike and walleye here in canada and accusing other peoples advice as amateur and chicken fingers lol. Now can we just drop the subject already, people call it different things and there's no reason to have even brought it up, all you were looking to do was stir the pot with many other fishermen.

precisely my point... i.m.o. youd look real foolish if you were fishing in waters with walleye and pickeral and were calling them both the same thing. I wasnt relying on his information as you think. its commonly found on wikipedia or through a basic google search. i didnt feel the need to argue about something that i know is right. you might call it this or call it that, BUT THATS NOT WHAT IT IS. so my original post was simply pointing out an observation that we dont have pickeral here. and you get all hostile telling me im wrong and i dont know my facts when in reality, i do.. so again keep on calling it whatever you feel like. but also know that, by a techinicality, you are wrong by calling them that...

[BeeGuy]

Nail on the head gunner.

Common names are sometimes acknowledged by professional associations, however more often they are unofficial and just part of the local vernacular.

Any argument regarding common names needs some common sense and some basic research on taxonomy.

Elk or Wapiti?
Brown Bear or Grizzly Bear?

Should we argue about a Lake Trout not being a trout?

Should we argue that rainbow trout should be called salmon based on their phylogenetic placement?

Maybe "we" should be paying a little more attention in class. Highschool doesn't last forever. :thinking-006:

[fish gunner]

Nail on the head gunner.

Common names are sometimes acknowledged by professional associations, however more often they are unofficial and just part of the local vernacular.

Any argument regarding common names needs some common sense and some basic research on taxonomy.

Elk or Wapiti?
Brown Bear or Grizzly Bear?

Should we argue about a Lake Trout not being a trout?

Should we argue that rainbow trout should be called salmon based on their phylogenetic placement?

Maybe "we" should be paying a little more attention in class. Highschool doesn't last forever. :thinking-006:
Hay now I splet pikerl wrong . Lol might of been on the river for that class lol.

[B_Type13X2]

Personally I'm going to disagree with all of you grape soda is best. That is what were discussing here right?

[BeeGuy]

It's called grape drink where I come from!:argue2:

[B_Type13X2]

It's called grape drink where I come from!:argue2:

its actually grape drank but I was trying to be civilized.... Don't make me get all crazy up in here I'm all jacked up on Jolt Cola and pop rocks.

[BeeGuy]

Bro yer gonna explode!

[B_Type13X2]

Bro yer gonna explode!

If by explode you mean have a gastrointestinal show stopper then your absolutely correct. Not even pepto can undo what I have done.

[BeeGuy]

Paper thin wafer cracker?

[huntsfurfish]

The heck with this, Im goin pickerel fishin.:thinking-006::sHa_sarcasticlol:

[BeeGuy]

The heck with this, Im goin pickerel fishin.:thinking-006::sHa_sarcasticlol:

Make sure you read the reg's:thinking-006:

[huntsfurfish]

Make sure you read the reg's:thinking-006:

lol:) there are regs for pickerel?:);)

[catchandeat]

lol:) there are regs for pickerel?:);)

pickerel are an invasive species in AB and are not listed in the regs as a sportfish. kill em all! :thinking-006:

[Bud W]

Need some of the lakes to open up so guys can go out fishing not reading and writing this crap.

[ssyd]

Nobody forced you to register for this forum.