fishing the Rockwood bogs

[woodjin]

Today I got out to do some fishing in the rockwood bogs. My first time fishing these particular bogs. Two weeks ago I had the fortune of hitting one of my favorite fishing holes just after a fast. (pickerel fast for long periods of time and when coming out of a fast are particularly active feeders). I was getting nothing out of that hole all summer and then.. Bammm. I caught 27 fish in 50 min. No, I'm not making that up. That might have been the hottest frenzy I ever experienced.

Anyway, in the rockwood bogs today there was no frenzy. In fact the fish in this body of water might have been in a fast. But there was some action. First off, the bog...beautiful...

the main channel

Within the bog there was little action but when I neared the mouth of the sleeper I got one very strong hit. this guy was a real fighter and I expected him to be larger by the time I got him up to the boat. some action photos:

Upstream a bit there were some magnificant beaver lodges

I heard some unusual sounds from the neighboring bog. Sounded like a woman screaming and then a gurguling sound, followed by a soft "help me" type noise, just kidding about the "help me" part. It was accompanied by "wings flapping in water" type sound. Didn't sound like a duck but many were present. Does anybody have any thoughts on this?

Finally, I packed up the kayak and headed to another fishing hole of mine upstream to land this guy

Great fall day to be in the woods!!

Jeff

 

[Teegate]

Nice fish and the usual nice photo's! You picked a great bog to visit.

Guy

 

[MarkBNJ]

Beautiful pics, Jeff! Thanks for sharing your day with us.

 

[whippoorbill]

This is the nicest time of the year to be in the bogs, in my opinion. The maples, especially, are magical.

I'm dying to make some bog-time this weekend, but one son has a weekend-long baseball tournament (here in Bridgeton) and my other has a weekend-long soccer tournament at Fort Dix (which is right near where I want to be!); figuring how to make the two tourneys work and getting swamped has been impossible. My only chance of getting up there to relax this beautiful weekend is tonight, which could still happen. Even if, I don't think I'll see too much color in the bogs at night-- though the moon is waxing fine, so maybe.

Thanks for sharing the photos and fishing tales, Jeff. I'm not sure about your "help me" creature, though. A blue heron, maybe? Mystery sounds are neat! They're one reason why I get a big kick out of field recording.

Bill

 

[RednekF350]

Great pics Jeff.
I got a pretty good idea about that creature noise.
About 10 years ago me and a buddy were setting decoys on Wescoat bogs in the predawn.
As it got light, we heard a blood curdling screaching/crying noise out towards Sleeper.
It would start every few minutes and then stop.
About a half hour after light, we worked our way closer to Sleeper and in one of the ditches we found a heron held by the leg by a huge snapper. We tried to intervene and slugged at the snapper with a log but he wasn't letting go and the heron was going crazy.
We acknowledged that it was all part of the big picture and decided to let it play itself out.
After another 15 minutes, all was quiet.
My son and I hunted Wescoat Christmas day '07 and found a shredded heron in roughly the same area. That one was a fox or coyote victim because it was far too cold and too late for turtles.

 

[woodjin]

Great pics Jeff.
I got a pretty good idea about that creature noise.
About 10 years ago me and a buddy were setting decoys on Wescoat bogs in the predawn.
As it got light, we heard a blood curdling screaching/crying noise out towards Sleeper.
It would start every few minutes and then stop.
About a half hour after light, we worked our way closer to Sleeper and in one of the ditches we found a heron held by the leg by a huge snapper. We tried to intervene and slugged at the snapper with a log but he wasn't letting go and the heron was going crazy.
We acknowledged that it was all part of the big picture and decided to let it play itself out.
After another 15 minutes, all was quiet.
My son and I hunted Wescoat Christmas day '07 and found a shredded heron in roughly the same area. That one was a fox or coyote victim because it was far too cold and too late for turtles.

That could explain it. It was an alarming noise. Inncidently, after I moved upstream to catch that last fish, a medium sized snapper stuck his head out of the water nearby to check me out and quickly submerged once his curiosity was satisfied.

While still in the rockwood bogs and heading up stream in the kayak, I heard a low grunt. I never identified that noise but did see beaver wakes in the water shortly after. I never knew of a beaver to make a sound but I assumed it might have been them.

Jeff

 

[james ungehajer]

Nice catches Jeff, excellent pics, what a great day to be in the Pines yesterday.

I had the opportunity to watch the Cranberry Harvest with the Lee Brothers in Speedwell yesterday, saw everything that i wanted to see.

Jim

 

[bobpbx]

Nice photos and nice fish Jeff.

I've heard that a really big Pickerel will take a duck down. Could be a tall tale.

 

[RednekF350]

Nice photos and nice fish Jeff.

I've heard that a really big Pickerel will take a duck down. Could be a tall tale.

A long-gone friend of mine from my club who used to fish Canada every year, showed me a lure he used for northern pike.
We were at his house for his 80th birthday and it was like show and tell with his old fishing equipment and photo albums.
The lure was a small harness/saddle with two trebles attached to the bottom.
What do you put in the harness you ask?
A duckling.
Cruel but effective on northerns and I am sure it would work for our chainsides.

 

[Trailhead00]

What are you using to catch pickerel? I haven't fished in years but after seeing your pics it made me want to get out there again. I used to really enjoy catching pickerel in the pines. Thanks for any info.

 

[woodjin]

What are you using to catch pickerel? I haven't fished in years but after seeing your pics it made me want to get out there again. I used to really enjoy catching pickerel in the pines. Thanks for any info.

Minnows (killi fish) are very good. Lately I have been using artificals: Plastics like curl tails and shad. The thing is this...here is the secret...nope, just can't bring myself to give it away...okay, I'll give it up...the color white. enough said.

Treble hooks are bad news so I go with single hooks and crimp the barb, keep the line taught and they'll never throw it. I would stay away from spoons and spinners unless you are fishing the lakes.

Jeff

 

[woodjin]

Nice photos and nice fish Jeff.

I've heard that a really big Pickerel will take a duck down. Could be a tall tale.

yeah, I have heard that also. Clearly Scott has also. I haven't seen it. I did see a chainside go after a watersnake though. That must say something. I'll tell you, during that frenzy I experienced a few weeks back I wouldn't stick a finger or toe in the water. Literally they were hitting the lure before it was hitting the surface of the water. I few low flying birds might have been at risk that day.

Jeff

 

[grendel]

A long-gone friend of mine from my club who used to fish Canada every year, showed me a lure he used for northern pike.
We were at his house for his 80th birthday and it was like show and tell with his old fishing equipment and photo albums.
The lure was a small harness/saddle with two trebles attached to the bottom.
What do you put in the harness you ask?
A duckling.
Cruel but effective on northerns and I am sure it would work for our chainsides.

I got one crueler. I worked at the shipyard with a guy from buffalo NY, he was a real serious fisherman. He said to catch the monster pike in the big water nothing worked better than kittens.

 

[mike242424]

nice pickerel. Nothing beats a good day of fishing

 

[manumuskin]

barn owls make a woman scream as their call but after reading the snapper reply i would say thats probably it.You'd be surprised how many animals death screams sound alike.I never knew salamanders could make sounds till one day i grabbed a red eft and it screamed at me.Toads scream,mice scream why not a duck,makes sense to me.I screamed when the yellow jackets got me last august.scream does sound better then bitchsqueal doesn't it?
Al

 

[BlueMoonMuskrat]

that heron story is crazy, and the kittens being used for bait is just downright cruel... although i guess it's better than using puppies, right?

 

[grendel]

that heron story is crazy, and the kittens being used for bait is just downright cruel... although i guess it's better than using puppies, right?

I feel bad hooking a frog. Takes a special kind of person to hook a kitten

 

[LARGO]

Jeff,
I've read and followed this and enjoyed it and I thank you. Your photographs whilst on hook and line impress. This morning it prompted me to pop your C/D in the car. It's been a while.
Your images shared here and the pleasantries of your music took the edge away from what Monday had to offer. Peace out brother.

g.

 

[woodjin]

Jeff,
I've read and followed this and enjoyed it and I thank you. Your photographs whilst on hook and line impress. This morning it prompted me to pop your C/D in the car. It's been a while.
Your images shared here and the pleasantries of your music took the edge away from what Monday had to offer. Peace out brother.

g.

Cool George! Thanks

 

[TEEJ]

I've seen/heard snapping turtle hits, and it sounds about right...although nothing is more chilling than a rabbit getting it...the scream sounds WAAAY too much like a human baby.

Pike and Muskie hit ducks and so forth regularly...chainsides would probably do the same on a wee duckie I'd think.

I'm hoping the kitten bait story is just to get your goat. :happycat: