Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Gave Bedminster Pond a Try


It was cold last night. The water might not have reached 45 degrees, but I really couldn't tell. It's unusually clear and the dark bottom of such shallow water absorbed today's sunlight, possibly enough to have warmed it more than last night's cold would make me think. 

As I write just after 4:30, it's 48 degrees. Maybe I'm the diehard--you be the judge of that--who just got in a little reel time, but I did see baitfish, surely sunnies, abandon their position en masse at the surface when I approached a beaver mess near shore. (Photograph is below.) 

Not as much of a breeze on the water as I wanted, but if I had taken Senkos along in my bag, possibly--not likely--I would have felt otherwise. Because I did get all the way to the back of Bedminster Pond where water is deeper, although no more than about five feet deep. This is a very shallow pond that becomes all but unfishable by May 1st. Right about now, though, it often offers some very good bass fishing. 

To hit it just right, water temperature should be about 50 or warmer, a breeze rippling the surface, and maybe some sunlight. Last March 31st, I caught eight largemouths, one of them over three pounds, all on the Savko Special, a homemade spinner weighted lightly so I can retrieve it slowly in shallows. Like today, I wasn't out much more than an hour, perhaps.

Intended to work on the rod, but realized I forgot about the epoxy to secure the reel seat to the blank. Rather than driving to Bernardsville Hardware and possibly not finding the 30-minute epoxy I need, I ordered Rod Bond on Amazon. That arrives on April 2nd at the earliest, but I have time to do the job on April 10th; I should have it done before we begin trout fishing.

Have to phone Steve Vullo in 10 minutes. Talk about fall fishing for very big bass. Soon I'll write an article for The Fisherman including quotes from him.


Sunnies or other baitfish hung by this timber in large numbers.

Sunday, March 24, 2019

NJ Bureau of Freshwater Fisheries 2018 Report

New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife, Bureau of Freshwater Fisheries, has released its 2018 management report. Lots of interesting reading and some stunning photos:

https://www.njfishandwildlife.com/bfwf_highlights.htm?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery#reports