I catch and release pickerel. Their Y shaped bones are numerous and sharp. These bones are almost impossible to cut out. Some people cook pickerel by grinding the filets and making fish fritters.
Ed
Handling them is a problem. They bite. Their gill plates are very sharp, and can cut you. The slime getting in that cut can cause considerable infections, and even allergic reactions. Grab 'em by the tail and under the belly.
In Maryland, nothing under 15 inches is legal. They're good eating, but have some strange Y shaped bones. They fight good, and will leap a couple of times, but they give up pretty quick too. They hang out on the edges of weed beds, with the back half of their body in the weeds, waiting for prey to come by to ambush. Fish along the edge. Cast parallel to the edge, let the fly sink, and strip it back along the edge. You'll find the depth.
--- Steve, In Maryland
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