I have an old 15 acre mill pond with everything in it: bass, bream, jackfish, crappie, mudfish, golden shiners, etc. The past several years we have caught a lot of jackfish, but this year we have only caught one. The other fish populations seem unchanged. Are jackfish susceptible to cold winters (we've had two straight here in SC)? Do their populations typically boom and crash? Any opinions would be appreciated.

I don't know what a Jackfish is, so let's see what others have to say.

Me too

Sorry about that. I should have said Chain Pickerel instead of jackfish.

There is only one recognized subspecies of chain pickerel(CP). CP are found up to Canada and are actually considered a cool water species. Up north they're a common ice fishing catch so cold weather is unlikely a factor... Any other variables change in the last couple years?

Jackfish aren't usually susceptible to winterkill, especially in South Carolina. They actually prefer cool water and bite better in cooler months. I bet catch rates here are not a reflection of the actual population. I bet those fish are there. Don't give up on them. They just don't typically dominate.

Thanks for your replies.

We normally fish with Mepps Minnows in Feb and March for crappie. Usually, we tear the jackfish up, too. But this year, despite catching a ton of crappie and fishing almost every week, we've only caught one jackfish.

In past years, the pond has been full of Golden Shiners (or Rudd). It's a terrific pond for big bass when it warms up. But this year it seems like we've seen fewer shiners / rudd and more bream. We'll keep fishing it and see if we can't raise up a few jackfish (we like to call them Southern Pike).

They surely are fun fish to catch! Especially when they get over that 20" mark and start packing on some girth.