This year (and every year after) May 1st will mark the official statewide season opener for most of the coolwater sportfish species in New York. This includes walleye, northern pike, chain pickerel, and tiger muskellunge. (Muskellunge season opens on June 1).
These sportfish species provide fun, yet challenging, fishing opportunities across the state.
If you’re targeting members of the Pike Family- northern pike, chain pickerel and tiger muskellunge, you should consider using a steel-leader tied to the end of your line. This will prevent the sharp teeth of these species from slicing your line and ultimately save you some frustration.
Knowing what the habitats are for sportfish will give you a better understanding of where you should fish for them. For example, chain pickerel are generally found year-round in shallow, weedy areas, whereas northern pike move from shallow water flats after spawning in the early spring to deeper, cooler water sections of lakes and rivers as temperatures rise through late spring and summer.
To learn more about fishing for these species in New York visit our website or see the links below.
How to Fish for Walleye
Walleye Fishing in New York
Pike, Pickerel and Tiger Musky Fishing in New York
Photo at top: A fisherman shows off his catch. DEC photo.
Dill Pickle Pike: A fast camp favorite
My brother and I, circa 1969, at our Dock on the Sacandaga by our boat with a stringer full of walleyes we caught with our dad.
“While many a pickled pepper peck Peter Piper may have indeed picked, I ponder: How many pickled pecks would have Piper picked if perhaps Peter were picking dill pickle pike.”
My first youthful pike encounter was actually with walleyed pike, as opposed to great northerns. I’m not even sure Walleyes are technically really a true “pike”. Pickled or otherwise, I believe they are more a cross between a pickerel and a perch.
My Dad, younger brother and I used to fish the walleye run on the Great Sacandaga. We’d troll up and down, back and forth on the river, near where we kept Dad’s boat tied to our floating dock, out behind our rented grey stucco house, just above the bridge. We trolled with yellow bucktails in Dad’s little Starcraft, at first putt-putting along with my Grandad’s old 5 HP Scott-At-Water. Somewhere along the line, Dad upgraded to a new 20 HP Johnson that started a lot easier and worked a lot better.
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