A wire leader with a clip on the terminal end will provide the fly with additional action. Lake Hopatcong Muskellunge Information (Includes Stocking Summaries) John was fishing in Pompton Lake, Passaic County when he reeled in the lunker, eclipsing the old record caught 32 years earlier in Spruce Run Reservoir by 6.5 ounces. Hey!.that was a Muskie that just breached out theredid you see that? Andrew looks at his buddy and says, Ahhhhhhh let`s stay here maybe Ken will be good luck! Then he introduced me to his friend Javier and we all started setting up to launch. anyone ever fish it i know they have tournaments there and its listed as a trophy musky lake. Since shad do not eat during their migration, no one knows why they strike lures floated in their midst. Most anglers in New Jersey abide by an unwritten law of catch and release for muskies, but in any case, Mountain Lake does have a March 20 to May 20 closure on harvest. Once you have made the same cast twice, focus on casting to new pieces of water. Bowfin! Our and other states' stocking programs are constantly evaluated for success, so changes aren't surprising. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Then when I got older we did some musky fishing there. As the water warms, emerging weedbeds will also be prime fishing areas. $425,000. Sterile (unable to reproduce) Tiger Muskie have been introduced in mountain lakes to remove Brook Trout. Fly lengths should vary between 3 and 6 inches. Fishing at Mountain Lake? It has happened. Shallow weedy areas of lakes warm up first in the spring and are a good bet for early season. Largemouths and crappies position among weeds, too, and especially the flats of the lakes two ends can be productive for bass this time of year. Select options. The lake covers 929 acres and is located near Meadville in Crawford county. Round Valley Reservoir: Known for pristine blue waters, this is a 2,350-acre artificial lake with some incredible views and fishing opportunities. Low Country House Plans With Wrap Around Porch| When targeting muskies on the fly, either a floating or slow sinking line will work, with a tapered 6- or so foot leader and 6-inch wire leader on the terminal end. 2. In New Jersey, the state record was caught by Bob Neals at Monksville Reservoir in January, 1997, and weighed in at 42 pounds, 13 ounces. Penn-Jersey Chapter 50 Muskies Inc. Staff from the Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery recently completed this year's stocking of fall fingerling (10") and yearling (12") muskellunge in nine waters: The Fall Fingerlings were hatched April 1, 2020, growing to 10 inches in 6.5 months. Same thing with walleye. More muskies are being caught today than ever before. The experience I had catching my first muskie is a case in point. However, more recently established fisheries inLake Hopatcong, Mercer Lake and Mountain Lake are coming on strong. Chandelier In Master Bedroom| Work back slowly with lots of soft twitches. . Back in the day, I knew two very good musky fisherman from Sussex County NJ. Spring Holdover Yearlings (12") Sinai, NY 11766 The Essentials to Getting Started. Trout Stocking Raised with pride at NJ Fish & Wildlife's Pequest Trout Hatchery. $94.99 . Wed, 07/14/2010 - 14:07 -- jmaslar. A large male can be 40 inches and 15 pounds whereas females can reach 50 inches and 35 pounds. 116 Shore Rd. The steepest is to the left of the launch ramp. 237 views 0 comments. Lewis was fishing in Mercer Lake, Mercer County, when he reeled in the fish, unmistakably beating the previous record, caught in 2005, by 13 ounces. . We returned home to Bedminster. The Fall Fingerlings were hatched April 1, 2020, growing to 10 inches in 6.5 months. The whole flock is safer when the wolves can't tell the difference between the lions and the lambs. A $5 fee is due at a well-constructed ramp for boats limited to electric power. Fifty pound + , Striped Bass live release club, http://www.newjerseyhunter.com/article99751.htm. Favorite Lake or River Smith Mountain Lake, Lake Gaston. Statewide (exceptions below) Tiger Musky & Muskellunge: 40 inches. Up to that point, I had never ever caught a Muskie on the Figure 8 and it was absolutely thrilling! Muskie and their hybrid tiger muskie cousins have been called the fish of 10,000 casts due to the patience and determination required to catch them. They kind of float on top of the water, just swimming with their mouths open. And, believe it or not, eels make their way up the Delaware from the Atlantic Ocean, many times well up into the Paulins Kill and Musconetcong. Andrew took a bunch of pictures and measured the Muskie, then I quickly released the 39.5 inch monster back into the murky depths. home | about That's several pounds over the state record. No matter how large the body of water that you are fishing, 90% of the fish will occupy depths of approximately 1 to 3 feet in these coves. Public boat launch facilities, maintained by the National Park Service, are located at the "Gap", Smithfield Beach, Bushkill, Dingman's Ferry, and within the boundaries of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Description for Mountain Lake, Warren County, New Jersey. Weve dropped the stocking rate on muskies from two fish per acre to one fish per acre. Since fewer muskies are getting stocked now, bigger may be likely in the future. Cory Ramsey was working 6- to 8-inch gizzard-shad baits along a rocky bank in the upper . Some favorites are the Harasser, Grandma and the Reef Hawg respectively. In-state destinations include the Delaware River, Greenwood Lake, Monksville Reservoir, Echo Lake Reservoir, Lake Hopatcong, Mercer Lake and Mountain Lake. Good fishing locations are straightforward and fairly easy to locate. Used to trout fish it as a kid during the stocking season. Whippany, NJ 07981. (Source NJ DEP), Lenny Saccente holds the state record brown trout he took out of Round Valley Reservoir in 1995. Maybe I'll try for Musky. Stop the retrieve all together two or three times during each retrieve. The current New Jersey State record weighed in at a whopping 42 lbs., 13 ounces. W, Mt. Weed beds are consistent areas throughout the summer. My PB: Between 5-6 lbs. And they do use an anesthetic called Tricane. A 21-day withdraw period exists after a musky affected by the drug is released during this closure period. Timonty Jako of Monroe Township holds his state record white catfish caught on August 14, 2004 in Dallenbach Pond, East Brunswick. That record fish was also from Curlis Lake. (source: NJ DEP), There are two separate records kept for carp in New Jersey: one for fish caught by rod and reel and another in the archery division. Last Updated: Focus on Fishing: Muskellunge Get our newsletter, This Week in the NJ Skylands, with updates, special offers and good ideas! Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). 1 combined . Depending on the depth, the distance from shoreline for casts will vary greatly. Hamilton says samplings dont assess alewife herring populations, but she believes from reports they are present. 116 Shore Rd. Home Depot Parts And Accessories| These fish are beastly strong so take your time and enjoy the fight. 602. The fresh water record is held by John Christian, who was fishing from the shore of the Great Egg Harbor River in Mays Landing on April 26, 2002, when he caught the record bass. Fall Fingerlings (10") 330 Passaic Street. Once it gets to warm their tough to find, even in the hole. Slack water areas are the key. Spruce Run Reservoir. We quit stocking lake trout because natural reproduction had taken over so we had some room and started bring the salmon back here to raise bigger to fourteen inches, says Lemon. Muskie Fishing Adventure on the Mountain. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. 8 oz., surpassing the previous record set in 2008 by Homer Tye by one pound, one ounce. Below is a list of lakes in VA that hold musky populations as well as a rating of their population health from 1-3 Stars. 4 - City of Passaic Department of Recreation. Pequest began operations in 1981, when trout production was transferred from the Charles O. Hayford Hatchery in Hackettstown, the only other state-run hatchery in New Jersey. What Kind Of Paint To Use In Garage| If you are considering a guide, be sure he is licensed and has a reputations for being a good instructor as well as being able to put you on the fish. View our maps and read detailed fishing reports from nearby anglers. Some stretches contain deep holes, gravel bars, weedbeds, islands, and tributary stream. Bob Eisele's state record lunker was taken from Menantico Sand Wash Pond in Cumberland County in 1980. People think they see alligators out there, says Ron. Remember big plugs and big plastic baits bring in less fish but when you hook one it will be a giant.. 7"-10" spinners, plugs, plastic swim baits, etc.. I went to Mountain and cast a huge lure for 3 hours until my arm was just about worn out. Shad have also recently been spied in the Musconetcong, where dam removal has cleared their path through the ripe riffles of spring. Remember that you will be targeting these fish in shallower depths, so flashy, bright lures that attract attention are your best bet. Living in Mountain Lake offers residents a rural feel and most residents own their homes. A North Carolina angler got a welcomed surprise last month when he hooked into a gigantic musky while fishing on Fontana Lake near Great Smoky Mountains National Park.. Jopko died in 2009. Fishing In Warren County New Jersey. However, night fishing can also be productive. Mountain lake used to be one of the best largemouth bass lakes in Northern NJ. Mountain Lake is in Warren County. The recent survey lists 14 musky 28-41 inches and 52 northern pikes 20-38 inches. That's a lot of Unagi. Located in Liberty Township, Warren County, its maximum depth is 38 feet, mean depth 17 feet. Chasing trophy muskie in the spring is totally within reach, especially given most of us already own much of the equipment that is needed. Tiger Muskie, as you would guess from their name, are agressive predatory fish. The first stocking of Muskellunge occurred in the New River in 1963. One productive method to entice a strike is to swirl the lure around in the water in a figure eight along side the boat at the end of the retrieve. The muskies are smaller and more numerous in Mountain Lake. She added, Weve been overstocking the lake. For general park information about Virginia State Parks click here, contact the park office at 276-699-6778 or email New River Trail at NewRiverTrail@dcr.virginia.gov . It took Gregory Young an hour to reel in this monster lake trout from his boat in Round Valley Reservoir in May 2002. Cranberry Lake has a reputation for its quality brook trout fishing, stocking 20,000 brook trout annually. Classic red and white is very productive although many other color variations will work as well, again with an eye on matching the hatch. $23.99. The user is on notice that neither the State of NJ site nor its operators review any of the services, information and/or content from anything that may be linked to the State of NJ site for any reason. These are available in many bait shops and tackle stores along the river. are caught there each summer despite limited survival of . All those houses used to drain their waste right into the lake! Cool thanks. Ashleys Furniture Ad|. 24 | 2012 New Jersey Freshwater Fishing Digest Buy your license or permit online at January 2012 NJFishandWildlife.com. Mercer Lake These areas may become choked with weeds in the summer, but . Cave Run Lake is one of the top 10 destinations to catch a trophy muskellunge. No yellow perch turned up during these efforts, either, though historically they have existed here.