Last Saturday I had made plans to chase some Shad up north, with a buddy & his son. Was really looking forward to wranglin` up a few fiesty Shad. But that didn`t happen. We called it a day around 10am as a steady rain stated to fall. Now I`m definitely not one to call it quits because of a little rain, but hell, when the fishin` sucks, I ain`t getting a wet ass & not catching anything!
So we said our goodbyes & parted ways for another day.
But I was still locked in that “fishing-mode” as I pulled into Dunkin` Donuts & grabbed a coffee.
As I headed back towards the house, they were calling for the rain to blow out by early afternoon. “Perfect” I thought to myself. Time to get my `Yak & head out to the Passaic River as I had some “New Territory” to scout out in the Great Swamp.
Got home, changed my gear, loaded up the `Yak & away I went. Forty-five miles to my destination to be exact. By the time I arrived, The rain had stopped & the sun burned off the clouds & it was turning out to be a beautiful Spring day in Jersey.
Tied down all of my gear in the `Yak & made my way slowly down-river working my Chartreuse Spinner-Bait among the blow-downs & submerged brush. As I diligently searched for those toothy river-Wolves lurking in the murky waters of the Passaic.
I was using my left-handed Gold Calcutta Spinner Bait Reel paired with an Ugly Stick Rod tossing the spinner-bait accurately in precise spots that I knew would hold a Pike……sooner or later.
Then……BAM! Pike on! And a nice at that, as my pole doubled over. As Esox thrashed on top of the water, I estimated it to be about three feet long.
Here`s the Go PRO Video I shot that day:
He was a dandy as he was 34″ & a little over eight pounds. Definitely a nice way to start the fishing season eh?
Had a little time to head on out to the Passaic River last Sunday August 2nd, to chase those Jersey “River Wolves” in the Passaic. Obviously as you all can tell by now, the Northern Pike is one of my favorite fish to go after and my goal is to hopefully, to wrangle up a 40 incher to hang in my office.
There are a few reasons I keep coming back to this river. 1.) I like the terrain,….. you have to work for the fish and getting around with the `Yak in some pretty heavy cover/obstacles, is certainly challenging. 2.) You never quite know what you may catch or come across in that mysteriously murky river. Hell just a couple weeks ago, they pulled an alligator out of it down around Elmwood Park! 3.) I know that there are River Monster Pike in there! Gotta keep tryin`!
Figured I`s start at around 8:30 and work my way down river for two or three hours. The river was lower than I had anticipated and it`s usual murky self. I worked the river ever so slowly. Casting with pin-point accuracy in various pockets and around submerged brush and logs as I head down stream.
After a an hour or so of fishing, nothing. Then I cam upon this stretch that just really looked “Pikey” with a nice deep pocket at the end of the pool. On the second cast a Pike swiped at the Bomber Lure. Two more casts…… and nothing. Then the next cast BAM! Pike on!
Turn up your speakers and enjoy this short clip I shot of the day`s adventure on the river;
That young Pike was the only one I found that morning. That`s ok……….. I`ll be back in my quest for that
Passaic River Monster 40″ Northern Pike!
The weather forecast was suppose to be warm one more day before a cold-front was upon us. I was getting itchy to take advantage of the short-warm trend so I text my boss at 8pm the night before asking if it would be ok to burn a half-day of vacation. He said, “Sure”……. so I loaded up my `Yak that night & drove my truck to work the next morning, all prepared to get a little NJ Pike Fishing in the next afternoon.
Now that day-light saving time was over, I had to strategically plan out my time that afternoon as I only would have decent light till 5:30.
So at 1pm I changed my clothes & headed for the river with the idea that I would attempt to film this adventure as I worked the Passaic River in my `Yak. I don`t have a Go-Pro Camera yet, so I
bought this head-band that actually holds Canon Powershot Cameras from eBay. As I put it on my head the night before at the house, Sharon said, “Are you really going to wear that thing on your head while you fish?”…………… ha! ha! I said, “Sure…..why not? No one will see me!”
Now I only caught one Pike that day & lost another, but I think you`ll enjoy watching my little NJ Pike
Fishing Video as I explain what I use & how I fish for Pike in the Passaic River.
