Raritan river quickie 7/29/18:

[AndyS]

Back onto the Bound Brook flats just minutes from my house. Waded up from the Queens Bridge a good distance before I started throwing. The veracious bluegills were tearing apart my 2 1/2" Keitechs, stopped working the edges and started working the middle. The mid day sun was brutal. Hooked a heavy fish out in the middle, big head shakes and it was gone, felt nice. Worked my way down to the bridge and started throwing into the shade, nailed 3 or 4 dink smallmouth in short order along with some huge bluegills. Fished the fast water below the bridge and got 3 or so more dinks, good to see small fish in river as well.
Thanx Ken for the loaner camera, double zip-locked and I had my wading stick with me as well. Water was a little off and high.

[Bruce Litton]

Nice try at the nice one, Andy. Fished Neshanic about a month ago at first light. Three-pounder threw my little topwater plug.

[AndyS]

Summer fishing is tough for me to get into the "zone" as I am a primarily trout guy, but doing my best in the blazing sun and warm water.
Spring, fall and even winter I like. Glad you saw some life on the S Branch which can get tough this time of year with the amount of weeds.

[DanH]

Good to see the river back to normal after all that rain!

I've never had much luck in that stretch of the river.

Always nice to catch smallies, drinks or not!

[AndyS]

Amazing how river fish can hold in just a few feet of water. I'm still learning watching Luke rip smallmouth out of a foot of water on the N Branch. Gotta fish that shade or early morning or in the late afternoon. Cloudy days are the best in the summer, dare I say even night fishing. Some spots are quite deep above the bridge, had to back out a few times as water was getting up to my waist (good thing about summer wading- shorts and sneakers) So 3 or 4 feet of water is more than enough. Nice gravel, rocky bottom there.

[Lard Almighty]

I've done well at that spot at first light, both above and below the bridge. You'd be amazed at how many big carp are in about a foot of water at dawn! :eek:

[thmyorke1]

I was just downstream in piscataway; skunked. Had some strange nibbles while I fished the big run. Guessing just redbreast.

Very good work picking out the fish while I continued to be a hack, Andy. :D

I best try and get up super early next time I dare to fish without overcast.