My friend Oliver's been getting out a lot and catching pickerel. Photo is of nice one he caught at Aeroflex. Just about everywhere it's been eight or nine inches of ice. That doesn't include Round Valley Reservoir. I was there shooting photos on Tuesday and there wasn't even skim ice in the back of Ranger Cove. These past couple of weeks would have been good ones to pursue lake trout from shore. I assume Merrill Creek Reservoir isn't frozen, either. It's deeper than Round Valley, but does have a much smaller surface acreage. Aeroflex is pretty deep, too, at 110 feet, but it's well frozen.
This winter's ice season got underway earlier than last year's. A year ago yesterday, Oliver and I fished on five inches of ice at Lake Hopatcong State Park. The last ice fishing I did was in early March, on a foot of ice remaining over Aeroflex. Wonder how thick it will get this year and how long it will last?
Plan on going ice fishing with Oliver on Sunday morning.