Editing Chain pickerel (section)

==Angling==
The chain pickerel is a popular [[Angling|sport fish]]. It is an energetic fighter when hooked. Anglers have success with live [[minnow]]s, [[spinnerbait]]s, [[spoon lure|spoon]]s, [[Topwater fishing lure|topwater lures]], [[Plug (fishing)|plugs]], and [[Artificial fly|flies]], usually tied with some kind of [[feather]] or [[fur|bucktail]] material.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pickerel Fishing Tips |url=https://www.riversearch.com/site/how-to-catch-pickerel-fishing-tips.html |website=Riversearch |date=14 March 2020 |access-date=7 April 2020}}</ref>  If the angler intends to release a fish, it is advisable use pliers to flatten the barbs on the lure's hooks. Chain pickerel can swallow an entire lure, so it will be much easier to free a deeply hooked fish and get it back into the water as soon as possible.{{Cn|date=February 2021}}
[[File:Chain pickerel - Cranston RI.jpg|thumb|A chain pickerel caught from [[Dyer Pond]] in [[Cranston, Rhode Island]]]]

Practically any bass lure can be effective for pickerel, although like most pike, they seem to be particularly susceptible to flashy lures which imitate small [[forage fish]]. Dragging a plastic worm, lizard, frog, or other soft imitation can also be extremely effective.  A [[Texas rig]] method is recommended with these soft baits for productive fishing in the weeds.{{Cn|date=February 2021}}

A steel leader is necessary for sharp-toothed and active fish at two to three pounds. The angler would also do well to use 12- to 17-lb-test line on an open-faced spinning reel.  Methods are similar to those for bass, such as dragging a lure through weeds in shallow water and jerking it side-to-side to give it the look of injured prey. Chain pickerel are voracious and opportunistic feeders, and will attack most any fodder that moves into their range of vision.{{Cn|date=February 2021}}

The [[International Game Fish Association]] (IGFA) all-tackle world record chain pickerel is a {{convert|4.25|kg|lb|abbr=on}} fish, caught in [[Homerville, Georgia]] on February 17, 1961 by angler Baxley McQuaig, Jr., while the IGFA all-tackle length world record is {{convert|65|cm|in}} long, caught in [[Henderson Harbor]], [[Lake Ontario]], New York on November 4, 2019 by angler Burnie Haney.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://igfa.org/igfa-world-records-search/?search_type=CommonName&search_term_1=Pickerel,%20chain|title=Pickerel, chain (''Esox niger'')|website=International Game Fish Association|access-date=11 December 2022}}</ref>