Fishing help

[ecampbell]

I would like to try fresh water fishing, but have only fished salt before. I am interested in fishing bogs and some streams such as Batsto, Wading, and Oswego and their lakes. I have a kayak and a telescoping rod.

I have seen others casting and retriving lures, and others fishing statically using a bobber. What's best, type of lure and bait? What can I expect to catch?

Can you point be in the direction where I might be successful?

I am looking forward to waisting some beautiful days.

Thanks,
Ed

 

[wis bang]

WoW, we could fill a whole forum and not scratch the surface.
there are different lures for different fish and different methods of presenting similar things, just like fishing salt.

This early you can do OK w/ minnows and a hook & bobber. I've fished prospertown in March w/ minnows catching pickerel. Same hook and a bag of 'Gary Yammmoto' worms hooked thru the center & allowed to sink works well on largemouth bass but you'll need to wait; I think they are catch & release thru the spawning mid march into may and they won;t start biting till mid april.

I know these two combinations work. So do thousands of others. Watch a few fishing shows on OLN...

 

[bobpbx]

I would like to try fresh water fishing, but have only fished salt before. I am interested in fishing bogs and some streams such as Batsto, Wading, and Oswego and their lakes. I have a kayak and a telescoping rod.

I have seen others casting and retriving lures, and others fishing statically using a bobber. What's best, type of lure and bait? What can I expect to catch?

Can you point be in the direction where I might be successful?

I am looking forward to waisting some beautiful days.

Thanks,
Ed

I (cough!) was a champion pickeral fisherman in my day Ed. I have fished 'em with almost everything under the sun. But I gave them all up for Mepps Spinners. I would cast them out and bring them back quickly on top of the water (just submerged, but keep the blades spinning). The pickeral would strike like torpedos, you could see their wake streaming in towards the lure. Shallows and weedy edges are best for pickeral. Fish them parallel to the shore about a foot beyond the edges of the weeds. I have got more hits with this color than anything under the sun: (its deadly)

http://www.mepps.com/mepps/library/lures/productinfo.asp?ID=238&Origin=Lures&Uniq=1646

Of course don't use one that big, just showing you the color. A lot of people like to use killies but I never found a lot of satisfaction doing that.

Woodjin is a pickeral fisherman too.

Here is a great article on spinners:

http://www.mepps.com/mepps/library/article.asp?ID=73

But I also think they bite because the lure mimics a moth or bee that dropped from a tree into the water and is trying to fly out.

 

[woodjin]

Fishing...Did someone say fishing? All right, now we're talking! During the warmer months I fish 3 to 4 times a week. I mostly fish bogs as a preference but I've fished the lakes and streams as well. The information below pertains to pickerel:
1)go with a light, short pole
2)lures will work, spinners (as Bob mentioned), semi floating rapalas (they sink when you reel them in) or surface (better for fishing at dusk), white plastic worms.
3) that being said. Nothing beats live bait (minnows) and it is easier to manage in tight weedy bogs. Also, the single hook is less damaging to the fish than the treble hooks on most lures.Hook the minnow just behind the dorsal fin and leave at least 15" of slack between it and the bobber. If you are going deep.put a sinker on the line about 15" from the minnow. A fresh minnow will pull against the resistance of a bobber or weight. The sinker will keep it from heading to the surface, but will keep it from the often muddy bottom.
4) If fishing live bait, count to 5 before setting the hook.
5)#4 hooks with a leader. Don't forget the leader, they have sharp teeth. 6lb test line is good.
6)If fishing active bogs, fish the reservour, not the bogs with flucuating water levels. The irrigation ditch along the bank is deepest and has the biggest fish in inactive bogs
7) Some bogs produce monsters some none
8)The streams typically have smaller fish but can be very plentiful.
9) As Bob said. Fish about a foot from the weeds, pickerel weed, and they love lilly pads. Especially lilly pad islands in deeper water.
10)Try not to handle the fish much when extracting the hook if you plan on releasing it. When releasing, pull backwards on its' tail lightly till it swims away. Use long nose pliers to extract hook.
11) Don't over fish a hot spot.
12) You can expect chain pickerel (chainsides) red fin and Hybrids between the two. Chainsides are the biggest. Pickerel are extremely agressive, will eat bait 3/4 their body length, are cannablistic, attack mostly sight-based, and almost always attack head first. Basto lake is pretty consistant for starters. Lots of bass in there too. Pickerel are ambush attackers. They don't cruise for food, but wait for it to come to near them. They don't stare and contemplate either. It is all or nothing. If you are not having luck, try a different spot, even if it is only a few feet away. Good luck!

Jeff

 

[RednekF350]

I liveline minnows most of the time and use a medium size broken-back Rapala when I don't have any bait.
Rapala has a yellow perch pattern minnow that works really well too.
Livelining seems to work the best. The minnow is free to swim where he wants and makes a lot of evasive moves when he is getting inspected by a fish, which almost gurantees a strike.
This time of year the live bait is the most enticing for any fish.
Spinners work well as Bob said, I just don't like them in most places in the pines because of the snags
My personal best pickerel was taken on a no. 4 hook, livelining a minnow on 6 lb line in the back of Batsto.

 

[ecampbell]

Wow, great response, it will get me started. I'll revisit this after the weather breaks and I can get out.

Thanks,
Ed

 

[woodjin]

Hey Bob, how is the fishing in Bamber lake? worthwhile?

 

[bobpbx]

Hey Bob, how is the fishing in Bamber lake? worthwhile?

One day about 10 years ago; me, my buddy Don, and my son Nick caught about 100 in 4 hours. But; every one was 15" or less, with most in the 13'" range. Good fun though. Bigger ones are there but wily. My largest in Bamber was 19". I have lately seen bass here, one kid caught a four pounder 3 years ago.

My neighbor's kid got a couple pickeral at 25" inches many years ago, and an old piney friend used to tell the old saw about an army guy from Fort Dix who caught one 32" long using bologna. He used to say, "yeah, there are big ones in there, they can open their mouth wide as the top of a mason jar. Swallow a duck whole".

How much is the license this year Jeff? I used to buy them, but in 20 years I never got checked, so lately I just fished.

 

[wis bang]

How much is the license this year Jeff? I used to buy them, but in 20 years I never got checked, so lately I just fished.

Two seasons ago my neighbor started fishing and I took it back up after a 30 year layoff. Fished the whole season w/ out buying a licnese. Last year I got one the first time we stopped to get bait and was checked later that same day! I'm sure the $22.00 it cost [no trout stamp] was alot less than the fine!

 

[Trailhead00]

I always did well with just minnows but the biggest pickerel I ever caught was with a fairly bright crank lure, kinda like a wiggle wart. Don't really know much about fishing but it was this time of year when I caught it. Largest bass was with a simple worm. A friend of my fathers, Frank McGovern, caught the largest pickerel ever in NJ at Lower Aetna Lake in Medford in 1957. My father was there when he caught it and said it was a monster. It was around 9lbs 4 oz. I think it was a world record but was beaten in the 1990's, it still stands as the NJ record for weight anyway. There are some good websites on fishing in NJ, just look around. I know the Woodshed on Rt. 72 in Woodland Township used to have a pickerel tournament every year. I heard it was for sale though, I imagine someone there would know where to go or at least get a few good stories. 9lb pickerel is rediculous though.

 

[wolfspider05]

Yeah thats a big fish, and the world record is only 3 ounces more!

 

[woodjin]

Trailhead, that is pretty neat that your Dad knew Frank McGovern. I've been aware of that record and it is amazing that it still holds since '57. The guys at the bait shop get talking some fish stories from time to time (all right, all the time) and some of them claim they've beat the record but don't want to report it till they beat it by alot (yeah, right).

Bob, 100 fish in an hour is ALOT. It is funny, sometimes pickerel get into a frenzy and it is just crazy. I've had times when my bait barely touches the water and bam, one after the other. I've even recaught fish I released again within minutes during these frenzies. You got me beat at 100 in an hour though, I never got that many.

The tall tale of pickerel eating ducks might not be that far from the truth. One time I was fishing in a bog and I saw a water snake crossing the entire bog. Which is kind of unusual. Anyway, he is out in the middle when suddenly, splash. It was like a cannon ball landed in the water. I look and in the wake of the violence is the water snake tearing back for the shore. Of all places, he came up on the shore right over my feet. I just stayed still and watched him and he had no visable wounds. I was going to catch him to check closer but figured he had a stressful enough day as it was.

So anyway, my first thought was snapping turtle, but I don't think so, a snapping turtle wouldn't have missed him. He was moving too slow. And a snapping turtle would have absolutley cut him in half. It must have been a pickerel. Going after a snake!! It was crazy. Before the attack I had seen some rises out there. they are extremely aggressive.

Jeff

Oh yeah, Lee at Pine Barrens Stoves and bait shop is still having pickerel contests.

 

[bobpbx]

Bob, 100 fish in an hour is ALOT.

No Jeff, you misread. In 4 hours!

In 1 hour, no.........igfly:

 

[woodjin]

I was gonna say...cheez, what were you using for bait.

 

[strom]

Nothing Warms An Old Pineys Heart Than Talk Of Pickeral Fishing.......never Had Any Luck At Bamber Although Others Have.........ive Never Seen Anyone Fishing The Pine Barren Streams,and Wonder If Anyone Has Hadany Luck On Them.........the Water Is Often So Clear,it Seems Unlikely. My Big Day Was At Oswego....caught A Large One On My Second Cast.........days Dont Come Better Than That...........yes, The Woodshed Still Has A Pickeral Contest............costs Ten Bucks This Year To Join..........i Didnt Join........i Would Urge You Youngfellas To Use Catch And Release.....the F Ishing Pressure Is Steadily Increasing On Our Favorite Places............do Stop In To See The Woodshed Though..........the Pickerals Mounted On The Walls Are The Largest Ive Ever Seen,and The Rattlesnakes Also..........and They Still Have Country Music On The Jukebox.........another Favorite Sight There Are The Tatoos On The Backsides Of The Barmaids............last Year My Favorite Was A Large Black Spider Design...........todays Girl Had A Lovely Red Sundisk......worth Ordering A Beer From The Cooler Even If You Dont Drink. Let Me Hear Some More Pickeral Stories.......strom

 

[strom]

Forgot To Add This One. The Barmaid Mentioned That Her Brothers Had A Lot Of Luck With Pickeral At Pemberton Lake.........on Hot Dogs...........shucks,id Be Embarrassed To Admit I Caught One On Those.......i Wonder If They Used Beef Or Pork.......strom

 

[woodjin]

I've had luck with Bass and catfish over at Pemberton lake. It is a pretty popular fishing spot. I've heard of the hot dog thing to, there is probably some validity to it but, I don't know, it just seems wrong somehow. Pork or beef, I wonder...

Jeff

 

[Windsor]

I saw this thread and just had to resurrect it. As the weather is starting to cool now, the Pickerel fishing should increase. I usually start out on Quaker Bridge Road and just drive all around through there, finding streams, etc. to fish at. I use all ultra-light gear, with 4lb. test. I may have to change that or use a leader. Pickerel teeth slice through that like a hot knife on butter. For bait, I normally use a 4" slider worm rigged texas style with no weights. Those Rapala's work wonderfully too, but they are often snagged and I hate de-hooking a Pickerel that has a mouth full of treble hooks!

 

[woodjin]

There are tons of little areas along the streams that will produce pickerel. Glad to see you are enjoying the activity. The fishing is real hot right now with the drought and the cool evenings. I know the bridge you were refering to in the Jersey devil post. There is usually a bunch of egar small pickerel on the north side to the left by the lilly pads right?

I usually use 6 to 8lb line because the fish often wrap the line up on branches or vegetation during the fight. I use #4 snell hooks with leader already attached. The leader is a must and I have never noticed that it deterred the fish in any way. I mostly use tail hooked minnows with a bobber. The bobber helps keep the minnow from the snags and keeps it fighting against the resistance. I will occasionally use weights and no bobber if I am going deep. I set the weight 8" to a foot from the minnow to keep the minnow off the bottom. White plastic worms work good also.

The streams seem to mostly have small pickerel, but I have found a few spots that produce fairly good size ones. Have fun.

Jeff

 

[Windsor]

Yes, it sounds like you know that bridge. I usually cast directly into those lilly pads. This is my first year fishing in the pines. It was a fairly productive area in the beginning of the season and I'm really looking forward to what the fall will bring.

Earlier this year, I was fishing off of that broken concrete structure and just as I lifted my rubber worm half out of the water, a pickerel jumped out of the water as he went for it! I wasn't expecting that and completely missed setting the hook. So, I cast back out in the same area and tried again. He did it again! I also missed him again. heh...

There's a spot with a large body of water around N39 45.759 W74 41.563 on Hampton Rd. heading up to Hampton Furnace. I've landed a couple there too.