Redfin Pickerel Do Not Exist!!!

H

HerringKing

Scout
Jan 25, 2009
35
8
46
Mt. Laurel, NJ
I've been hitting every small strem, creek and swampy water I've seen in South and Central Jersey. I can't seem to find a redfin pickerel. It doesn't even have to be a big one, I just want to check it off my list. Part of the problem is that I don't know alot of the roads in the pines so when people tell me to try certain areas I get lost and can't find the lake. I think I might find the jersey devil or big foot before a redfin.

Sorry for ranting - I just had to vent!
 
dogg57

dogg57

Piney
Jan 22, 2007
2,912
375
Southern NJ
southjerseyphotos.com
Native%20redfin%20pickerel%20John%20F.%20Bunnell%20400%20copy.jpg


They are out there the problem is some people keep em at home in a tank. I believe in NJ the law says that it must be 15 inches. I heard lower parts of the Batsto river are good

http://www.landbigfish.com/fish/fish.cfm?ID=41
 
woodjin

woodjin

Piney
Nov 8, 2004
4,341
327
Near Mt. Misery
They are there HK. If you really want to catch one and don't care about the size and method, use a seine in the bog and you are likely to pick up a little one. By little we are talking 3" or 4".

Jeff
 
H

HerringKing

Scout
Jan 25, 2009
35
8
46
Mt. Laurel, NJ
Thanks Dogg57. I need to hit up Batsto. I keep hearing good things about it.

Jeff, I was hoping you would reply. I understand that you are a redfin expert. The problem is for me to check it off my list, it has to be caught on hook and line. Size isn't really a concern because I'm not keeping them anyway but a little bigger than 4 inches would be cool( but 4 inches counts as a fish caught). I tried a bog off of rt. 70 before and after being there for 5 minutes and truck pulled up and starting watching me. I figured that I wasn't allowed there so I packed up and left.

Out of all the different species I've caught, redfin is by far the hardest to get. Thanks again for your help
 
bobpbx

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,215
4,314
Pines; Bamber area
Ya know, I seem to remember seeing one last Thursday. I was on Springer's Brook, about 100 yards above the confluence with the Batsto. He looked to be about 5 or 6" long. He had a kind of reddish tint, and was very quick. Just a flick of his tail, and he moved upstream several yards in a flash. Then he stood stock still....like frozen.
 
bobpbx

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,215
4,314
Pines; Bamber area
HerringKing said:
Bobpbx I never heard of it before but it sounds like what I'm looking for. Any chance you can hook me up some directions from rte 70. You can email me if you would like - herringking@hotmail.com . Thank you very much. Brian
Click to expand...

Info sent. I also sent you directions to a chain of little ponds on "Deep Run". That water flows into Springers and the Batsto eventually. That is Hampton Road in the below link. The ponds are on both sides of the road.

http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.75533961218704&lng=-74.69720363616943&z=15&type=topo&gpx=
 
Gibby

Gibby

Piney
Apr 4, 2011
1,640
442
Trenton
Do you have a canoe or a kayak? A fun little spot is the small lake where Lacy Road crosses the Davenport Branch. If you can get into the backside of that where the stumps are it is so much fun. Its just outside of Whiting.
 
bobpbx

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,215
4,314
Pines; Bamber area
Gibby said:
Do you have a canoe or a kayak? A fun little spot is the small lake where Lacy Road crosses the Davenport Branch. If you can get into the backside of that where the stumps are it is so much fun. Its just outside of Whiting.
Click to expand...

Hi Gibby. Love that name. I lived with Gibby Giberson for several years. I live 3 miles from that lake. Did you ever see it drained? It is very shallow on the west side. That lake and the cedars has a lot of character. October mornings are the best, very photogenic.
 
Gibby

Gibby

Piney
Apr 4, 2011
1,640
442
Trenton
Gibby is my nickname Bob, to many Roberts in my family. I have never seen the lake drained. That little area has so much to offer and yes it is very beautiful. The trick is, as in any place you want to fish in New Jersey, that if you can get to an area with the greatest of ease dont even bother. More than likely its over fished. However, if you put a small amount of effort in and just go beyond where most people would go you will be suprised with what is in the waters. I hope im not to cryptic.
 
pinelandpaddler

pinelandpaddler

Piney
Apr 6, 2004
3,613
556
Galloway
When I was diving in the Batsto River the other day, I saw two rather large fish(about a 1 and 1/2 each) hovering side by side between the branches of a submerged cedar tree. They had long, narrow bodies and their heads were pretty rounded, and I'd guess that they are grayish/blueish in color. They are unlike any fish I can recall seeing in any Pine Barrens river. Any idea what they were?
 
46er

46er

Piney
Mar 24, 2004
8,837
2,143
Coastal NJ
pinelandpaddler said:
When I was diving in the Batsto River the other day, I saw two rather large fish(about a 1 and 1/2 each) hovering side by side between the branches of a submerged cedar tree. They had long, narrow bodies and their heads were pretty rounded, and I'd guess that they are grayish/blueish in color. They are unlike any fish I can recall seeing in any Pine Barrens river. Any idea what they were?
Click to expand...

Did they look like this?

Snakehead_profile.gif
 
46er

46er

Piney
Mar 24, 2004
8,837
2,143
Coastal NJ
HerringKing said:
Size isn't really a concern because I'm not keeping them anyway but a little bigger than 4 inches would be cool( but 4 inches counts as a fish caught).
Click to expand...

The state record is 1 lb 13 oz, so don't expect anything like a chain pickerel. FWIW, the record fish was caught in Lake Assunpink in Monmouth Cnty back in 1982 and not in the pines. :D
 
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