Destroyer
01-07-2011, 12:02 PM
This is a direct copy/paste from the "On the Water" fishing site and all credit goes towards them. It's a good site to visit. Please support their advertisers if you do go there. www.onthewater.com (http://www.onthewater.com)
The Garden State should be shoveled out by now after the massive snowfall of last week. Anglers who’ve included “more fishing” among their New Year’s resolutions can get an early start by chasing tog or ling in saltwater and perch, pickerel, bass and even a couple walleye through the ice.
Fishable ice has formed on a number of northern New Jersey lakes, and the one getting the most anglers is Lake Hopatcong. Early action on Hopatcong has been with yellow perch almost exclusively, but the occasional bluegill, pumpkinseed, pickerel or bass has kept things interesting enough to justify a day on the ice.
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Other lakes sporting a sheet of fishable ice include Monksville Reservoir and Budd Lake. Once again, panfish are the primary catch, but anglers are still setting out larger live baits hoping for a muskie or walleye.
Tog fishing is tapering off a bit with the onset of extremely cold winter temperatures, but quality fish and limits are still being caught regularly. Pool winners over the past week included 10-, 12- and even a 14-pounder. In the cold weather, tautog restrict their feeding, and anglers are forced to move around to more wrecks to put together a good catch.
(http://www.fishermansheadquarters.com/)
At this writing, Saturday looks like a decent day to be on the water, while Sunday looks unfishable. Headboats are sailing to deepwater wrecks and structure far off the coast, such as the 28-mile Wreck and 17 Fathoms.
While green crabs are still catching plenty of tautog, when the bite gets tough in the coldest months, the white-legger or Jonah crabs really start to shine. Jonah crabs can be purchased on some headboats or even from a select few tackle shops, and can be well worth the expense.
With black sea bass closed down as of January 1, boats that had been targeting these tasty bottom dwellers are shifting their sights to codfish. The Big Jamaica out of Brielle will even be making special trips into New England waters in pursuit of these delicious groundfish.
[U]Best Bets for the Weekend
Tautog are the best bet on the saltwater side of things this weekend. Call your local party boat to see if and when they are sailing, and don’t be afraid to shell out a few extra bucks for the white-legger crabs to help give you an edge over the tough mid-winter tog. In freshwater, look to Hopatcong to provide the fastest through-the-ice action. Set a tip-up with a live shiner and then drop a small jig tipped with a mousie or waxworm through the ice. Drill a few holes in order to locate an area that’s holding panfish, and once you find them, the action should be steady.
The Garden State should be shoveled out by now after the massive snowfall of last week. Anglers who’ve included “more fishing” among their New Year’s resolutions can get an early start by chasing tog or ling in saltwater and perch, pickerel, bass and even a couple walleye through the ice.
Fishable ice has formed on a number of northern New Jersey lakes, and the one getting the most anglers is Lake Hopatcong. Early action on Hopatcong has been with yellow perch almost exclusively, but the occasional bluegill, pumpkinseed, pickerel or bass has kept things interesting enough to justify a day on the ice.
[/URL]
Other lakes sporting a sheet of fishable ice include Monksville Reservoir and Budd Lake. Once again, panfish are the primary catch, but anglers are still setting out larger live baits hoping for a muskie or walleye.
Tog fishing is tapering off a bit with the onset of extremely cold winter temperatures, but quality fish and limits are still being caught regularly. Pool winners over the past week included 10-, 12- and even a 14-pounder. In the cold weather, tautog restrict their feeding, and anglers are forced to move around to more wrecks to put together a good catch.
(http://www.fishermansheadquarters.com/)
At this writing, Saturday looks like a decent day to be on the water, while Sunday looks unfishable. Headboats are sailing to deepwater wrecks and structure far off the coast, such as the 28-mile Wreck and 17 Fathoms.
While green crabs are still catching plenty of tautog, when the bite gets tough in the coldest months, the white-legger or Jonah crabs really start to shine. Jonah crabs can be purchased on some headboats or even from a select few tackle shops, and can be well worth the expense.
With black sea bass closed down as of January 1, boats that had been targeting these tasty bottom dwellers are shifting their sights to codfish. The Big Jamaica out of Brielle will even be making special trips into New England waters in pursuit of these delicious groundfish.
[U]Best Bets for the Weekend
Tautog are the best bet on the saltwater side of things this weekend. Call your local party boat to see if and when they are sailing, and don’t be afraid to shell out a few extra bucks for the white-legger crabs to help give you an edge over the tough mid-winter tog. In freshwater, look to Hopatcong to provide the fastest through-the-ice action. Set a tip-up with a live shiner and then drop a small jig tipped with a mousie or waxworm through the ice. Drill a few holes in order to locate an area that’s holding panfish, and once you find them, the action should be steady.