Tough Season In Nj

[BrianSnat]

So far this has been the worst season of fishing I've ever encountered in my 45+ years of bass fishing.  Normally bass are practically jumping in the boat in late spring and I can do OK throughout the summer.  This year spring was slow and summer has left me wondering if there are any fish out there.

 

I think the weather has affected things.  The  wild temp fluctuations in late spring with a few days of unseasonably cold weather followed by a few days of very hot weather. Then it went right to very hot for most of the summer and now it's chilly again.

 

My catches the last 10 times out:

 

0

0

1 small sunfish

1 perch, one 9" bass and one 12" pickerel

0

1 8" bass, one small sunfish

0

0

1 14" bass

0

 

I don't recall getting skunked so many times, ever.  I've tried everything, shallows, deeper water, night fishing, on the water before sunrise. Plastics (unweighted, C rig, dropshot), surface lures, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jigs, you name it.  Even my go to spots on my home lake aren't producing.  There was one spot where I could practically guarantee a  bass or two even if the rest of the lake wasn't producing, Now even that spot is dead.

 

I even switched species and tried nearby impoundments famous for their trout fishing, bought lead core line to get my lures down and still nothing.

 

If it was just me I'd think maybe I was doing something wrong, but the other fishermen I speak with on the water seem to be doing just as poorly.

 

Has it been a tough year where you are or is fishing pretty much normal?

[Zach Dunham]

It has been more difficult this year than it has in the past 5 or so for me. I don't think I've had it as bad as you have though. The weather early in the year and even this summer has been different than past years. It has actually been an extremely cool summer except for one 5-day period of 90s. It hasn't been over 90 since early July now and really in most of August it hasn't been much above 80, and with nights in the 50s or lower. Weather may be it.

[einscodek]

NJ is a pretty big place.

Places I fish along the 78 corridor includes local rivers, ponds, reservoirs, up to Round Valley & Spruce Run.. been a terrific 2013.

Caught 3 largemouths > 20" this fishing season the largest 4.5 lbs 22 in.. which was a big long fish but to me is kind of light

Caught probably 10+ largemouths in the 14-19" range and about the same from 9" - 13" range.

Fishin was better in the spring but I'm still catching 1-2 quality fish per trip and only been skunked once and that was after a heavy rain.

I really think NJ soon will surpass that 10lb largemouth record.. lots of the reservoirs and lakes are stocking with trout.. that means largemouths are being well fed.

 

Where are you fishing and perhaps something happened to your particular body of water.. pollution, lower water levels?

I know when you switch to a new fishin hole sometimes it takes a while to get to know how things work there.  So yer new fishing holes may just need a lil more scouting.

I know this year the spawn was a bit delayed or at least elongated.  A 18" female I caught had eggs oozing out of her while I was handling her and this was in late-July.

 

 

 

[AK-Jax86]

Sandy still has an effect on NJ fishing. I lived in Monmouth County and a lot of the fishing around there was ruined by Sandy

[tomustang]

Haven't heard it being bad.

Only been salt fishing there now, the shore has been very good.

[einscodek]

I dont go down to Monmouth and usually if I'm that close to the shore, I'm going saltwater..

but some guys I know who fish reservoirs in the Freehold area been catching fish down there

[JayKumar]

Tougher here on some lakes, like Round Valley, but Spruce Run is okay.  With warmer, wetter spring, spawn seems to be less concentrated too.

[BrianSnat]

Tougher here on some lakes, like Round Valley, but Spruce Run is okay.  With warmer, wetter spring, spawn seems to be less concentrated too.

 

My three trips to Round Valley this year produced 2 rock bass total.  Not a trout or largemouth or smallmouth bass to be had. Come to think of it I've never done well on Round Valley. I was 0 fer on Merrill Creek  this summer too.

[einscodek]

I think yer rubbin off on me.. I was skunked this morning..

And on my last trip I was nearly skunked as well but pulled out a skinny 19" bass using a topwater close to 11am and decided to leave on a high..

Gotta think positively.. Ah but its still nice to be with nature for a few hours anyway..

[BrianSnat]

Got a 4 lb smallmouth at Cannistear Reservoir Saturday. That and pickerel and a rock bass, but the huge smallie made it worthwhile.   My partner boated 4 smallies and a rock bass, but his were all about a pound or less and he got his on live bait. I prefer not to use live bait.

 

Before that my last two times out last week on my local lake I got 1 small bass each outing. I was recently going through a Facebook photo album from 2011 where the caption under a photo of me with a bass said  it was 1 of 16 bass we caught that evening on the local lake.  It was  the 2nd week of Sept in 2011.  I don't think I've caught 16 bass in total this year. Well maybe a few over that but not by many.

[einscodek]

Nice catch..

Must be close to 20 inches or a bit over.

Glad yer breakin out of your rut slowly