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Happy hunting grounds |
Although the lakes receive most of the fishing pressure, Big Cypress River below Lake O' the Pines offers excellent pickerel fishing. The stretch between Lake O' the Pines and Jefferson is seasonally navigable, although it can be difficult to float because of fallen timber and other obstructions.
The 20-mile section between Jefferson and Caddo Lake can usually be floated year-round. Anglers should concentrate on confluences and quiet backwaters, oxbows and weedy pockets sheltered from the current by fallen timber and other structure. Of course anglers seeking mixed creels can simply fish the banks methodically and take pickerel, largemouth, and spotted bass.
Flood conditions and other hazards can make float fishing extremely dangerous; flow levels should be obtained from the U.S. Geological Survey prior to a float trip. Anglers should also remember that most of the land along the Big Cypress is private property.
A Bony Meal
While pickerel are much admired for their fighting qualities, they aren't highly sought for the table. They're bony and their meat tends to be dry. Yet some resourceful East Texans consider these only minor problems. TPWD Game Warden Mike Walker of Jefferson recommends pressure cooking to soften the bones so that they can be safely eaten right along with the meat.
"Basically, you can them just like you would tuna fish," says Walker. His recipe calls for the fish to be cleaned (head, tail, entrails and fins removed), scaled and cut into chunks—bones, skin and all. Stuff the chunks into a one-quart mason jar until only an inch of headroom remains.
Add a teaspoon of salt, then dill or other spices to taste. Put the lid on the jar, screw the ring on tight (make sure the jar rim is clean) and cook in a pressure cooker for 45 minutes at 15 pounds pressure. Some experimentation might be required to insure that the bones are adequately softened.
Properly sealed and cooled, canned pickerel will keep for years. It substitutes nicely for canned tuna in almost any dish. And like salmon, it can be packed into small patties, floured and lightly browned. Or it can be simply eaten on a cracker with a dab of Tabasco sauce.
There are no length or bag limits on pickerel. Yet even experienced bass anglers love to catch them. "They're a tremendous recreational resource," Mike Ryan says. "When the bass fishing is slow, a few pickerel can save the day."
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