I felt spring arrive in New Jersey two weeks ago, but plenty fish have been caught all winter, despite almost no ice. I just didn't get out much.
I posted in Fishing in New Jersey after catching a brown trout at Round Valley on my lunch break a week ago Friday. Caught it in the most conventional way--m&m's, marshmallow & mealworm--while reading Gray's Sporting Journal editor James R. Babb's book Crosscurrents.
Now I hear shoreline trout are being caught on small Rapala Husky Jerks, those suspending minnow plugs. Catch them any way you want to try. Next time I'm thinking of using shiners. (And getting some more reading in yet.)
That other scenic photo is Spruce Run Resevoir in March. Pike have been caught shallow for about a month now, and I suppose they spawned a while ago.
Tomorrow--if this line of what were major thunderstorms which bred killer tornados fades by noon--my son and I fly fish the Pequest. Heard of some five-pound browns on tiny zebra midges.
I love to read J.B. Kasper's Freshwater report in the The Fisherman each week (and Nick Honechevsky's Beach Talk in season). I am wildly impressed by South Jersey Fisherman Field Editor Mark Modoski having driven all the way up to Hopatcong and nailing musky at least 46 inches and 30 pounds. I know very well it's done consistently by certain people on the lake virtually every weekend, or more often, but for a guy to just come up from another region altogther and do it suggests a great ability to interpret new fishing technique and water right off the bat, although I am assuming the Field Editor is somewhat new to this. Reading about fishing for muskies on Lake Hopatcong in February piqued my excitement. It's not that I'm comfortable with this abnormal weather, but I guess the kid in me came out, the happy expectation I used to have of the coming season on mild late winter days. This year those days have been the usual and I sort of took them in all together symbolized by fishing a plug in February when normally we would be cutting a foot of ice. At any rate, to have a very generalized capability to acquire new fishing abilities is the grand life, and it is done by some, and also possible for more people given: 1. Gumption. 2. Some resources.
Sometimes to get some gumption you just need to hear a good story.
P.S. March 16, 2012: Read Mark Modowski's comments below to clarify some misinformation, most which I've corrected. I left the part in about him just coming up from South Jersey because he is new to musky fishing, so well enough. And especially check out his blog, Catfish on the Lake: http://www.catfishonthelake.com/ The story about the musky and photographs are worth appreciating deeply. Other posts are informative and have an original appeal.
Thanks Bruce. I appreciate it. I just want to clarify a few things though as there was some misinformation and that article. The fish was not trolled. I was casting to the weedline with a jerkbait on heavy musky gear. Also, contrary to the article, I did not "walk into the shop" with the fish. It was safely landed with a proper musky net and safely released. The fish was also at minimum 46-inches and probably in the neighborhood of 30 pounds. I just started musky fishing a year ago and have completely immersed myself in it. I've purchase all the right gear and studied these fish online for hours on end. This was my 7th musky in just over a year. It was my first from Lake Hopatcong and slightly larger than another trophy fish I caught on the Allengheny this past December.
ReplyDeleteMark, wish I had thought of simply replying the easy way, by clicking the word. Have been following your blog and news of muskies you catch. I was inexperienced when I wrote the story, being carried away by the assumption that you weighed it in, and perhaps I studied too much of just a little journalism in school. At any rate, I'm glad we got that issue cleared up, and while I still don't think I'm a very experienced blogger, I learn from others and that includes you. Thanks, Bruce
ReplyDelete