6.6 Pound Smallmouth Bass, South Branch Raritan River Remembered

Just an average stream bass, South Branch Raritan River, fishing for about an hour. New water, but no bass in all the range I explored. I got the bass under the tree where I've caught a number before, where I set out today, hoping to uncover new opportunity elsewhere.

Well, I still want to try downstream from Darts Mill Road, and many other ranges besides. Today I realized that I've caught no smallmouths in the Musconetcong, Pequest, and Rockaway rivers, nor the Flatbrook. All of these streams have at least some bass. I get these moods when all I want to do is explore, but in reality I get these one hour stints and that's about it. Well, I take a lot of time for outings on weekends.

One thing I will do when my son packs up for college--fish from the confluence of the North Branch Raritan and Lamington rivers down two-and-a-half miles to Route 28, and back.

A 6.6-pound smallmouth caught and weighed in from the South Branch in 2010. Feel the mystery of that.