I was back in my `Yak doing a little fishing for a couple hours up at Merrill Creek the other morning. Thursdays I go in to work at 1pm, so I got up at the crack of dawn and headed over to the beautiful Reservoir located in Warren County NJ, which is less than a half hour drive from our house.
The water was as smooth as glass as I paddled my way across the scenic water. Barely any breeze at all, as temperatures were expected to climb in the mid-eighties later that day.
The combination of warm Summer air, with the sun rising over the mountains, and seeing a few deer drinking water along the banks, as you paddle your way out, is very tranquil at that hour in the morning.
Wasn`t too long before I set the hook into something that felt really decent in the scenic, crystal-clear water of Merrill Creek! I thought I might be in trouble of losing this battle, as the fish repeatedly dove around the standing, half-sunken trees out there, making the drag scream on my reel!
I managed to tire out and net this beautiful, 24 inch, very thick Chain Pickerel! The only other time I had ever caught a Pickerel with similar girth, was while I was in the Air Force back in 1985 down in Louisiana.
Quite the Chain Pickerel!
Turn up your speakers, and enjoy this short clip of the day`s adventure out on Merrill Creek Reservoir-
After a little “C,C & R” (Catch-Click and Release) that beautiful Chain Pickerel was on his way back into the clear depths of Merrill Creek.
It was certainly a good morning to be out and about at Merrill Creek for a NJ Kayak Fishing Adventure!
Then again, anytime in my `Yak is just fine by me!
Fishing Merrill Creek Reservoir today seemed like the perfect answer to a rainy day forecast. The forecast was calling for on and off showers early in the day and very heavy rain was expected late in the afternoon.
Temperatures weren`t expected to get much above seventy degrees.
My favorite fishing weather…..Cloudy, rainy and cool.
Loaded up my gear and `Yak in my truck on Friday night, figuring I`d make my way to Merrill Creek Reservoir at first light on Saturday morning. Merrill Creek is only about a half hour drive at the most from our house. I must say, living in Warren County, affords me very short drives to many awesome fishing waterways. Spruce Run Reservoir, Round Valley Reservoir, Mountain Lake, Oxford Furnace Lake and Merrill Creek, are all within twelve miles of where we live. Not to mention, the Pequest, Musconetcong and the South Branch of the Raritan Rivers are all also only minutes away.
I arrived at Merrill Creek Reservoir at 5:45am, parked my truck and chatted with the gentleman in the guard house as I unloaded my `Yak. He told me he was surprised as to how few fishermen were out here today. The forecast definitely was keeping them away. He said that tomorrow would be packed, as there was a Bass Tournament going on.
As I made my way across the Reservoir, I was suprised at the calmness of the water. Much calmer than I was used too. Seems like whenever had I come up to Merrill Creek, there is always a strong breeze blowing across the water.
Working my way along the line of dead trees, it reminded me of when I was stationed in Louisiana at England Air Force Base. My old Air Force roomate. Boyde and myself fished out on Kincaid Lake chasing pickerel and bass around protruding, old dead trees just like these at Merrill Creek.
Wasn`t long before the first Big Largemouth Bass erupted from the water around those dead trees. And it was a really good fish at that! A nice 5.5lb Largemouth!
It was indeed a “Hawg” Bass!
I proceeded to catch three more “Bucket-Mouths” over the course of a couple of hours. All were really nice size Bass.
So here is the Video of the day`s adventure up on Merrill Creek Reservoir….I think you`ll enjoy this one!
Yep, fishing at Merrill Creek Reservoir for a few hours, was quite the ticket today! Definitely will be heading back out that way to try my hand at some of those monster trout that are in there also.
