Tons of Shad in Overpeck Crek

[Vlad2075]

Went to Overpeck in Palisades Park today to enjoy a nice outdoor lunch when I noticed A LOT of activity in the water. So I went to water's edge and saw tons of Shad! I had no idea there were Shad in there!

I tried to take a pic but the water was too damn dark for the photo to come out. :(

[The Sinker Man]

Carp

[Vlad2075]

No it definitely was not carp. Carp don't have that silvery lavender appearance and don't have as deeply a forked tailfin. At first though, I really thought it was Carp too.

[The Sinker Man]

Well you saw them and I didn't...Good sign if it was...Stripers, blues,,,why not shad...River is getting cleaner.

[Vlad2075]

That's exactly what I thought buddy, the river is getting cleaner :) I've never caught a Shad before and have no idea what I would use for bait. Maybe I can try nightcrawlers?


Anyone want to fish for some Shad? :D

[Duffman]

Hordes of white perch.

Guaranteed.

[Vlad2075]

I've heard that there are big white perch in Overpeck but the fish I saw were most definitely Shad. I'm determined to catch one to prove it to all of you lol :)

[The Sinker Man]

you are probably right Duffman..They are in there.

[tropics]

That's exactly what I thought buddy, the river is getting cleaner :) I've never caught a Shad before and have no idea what I would use for bait. Maybe I can try nightcrawlers?


Anyone want to fish for some Shad? :D

Try a Shad Dart

[Duffman]

Lived a 1/2 mile from, and fished their for 30 years before moving.

There are hordes of small 4-6" white perch. Have seen them school and surface more than I can remember. Looks like a bunker pod.

Used to catch em on worms and use them to trap snapping turtles as a kid.

[Vlad2075]

Duffman, I live in Cliffside so I'm super close to overpeck. It's definitely the closest fresh water spot to me worth fishing. And now with the new Overpeck park in Ridgefield Park, it's become kind of a hotspot for anglers. People are always fishing in there

[Duffman]

That new construction by Agfa and Samsung ruined the fishing the original shoreline used to offer.

[Vlad2075]

I actually worked for Samsung around this time last year and I remember when the park was all under construction but it's been completed for some time now. It's all VERY different now. They actually have small docks to launch boats from.

[Skunk City]

Duffman, I live in Cliffside so I'm super close to overpeck. It's definitely the closest fresh water spot to me worth fishing. And now with the new Overpeck park in Ridgefield Park, it's become kind of a hotspot for anglers. People are always fishing in there

I'm not too familiar with the Fairview/Ridgefield/Cliffside area, but my girlfriend just moved to Fairview and this sounds tempting. Is Overpeck fresh water or part of the tidal brackish hackensack? I fish Dekorte Park and Laurel Hill regularly and have caught tons of white perch, some small stripers, and a catfish here and there. Any Largemouth in there?

[Vlad2075]

Skunk City,

I believe it's brackish water in there. Sometimes even Stripers are caught in there. But now is the season Shad are spawning, which means LMB should also be in there feeding on the Shad roe.

If you're ever in the cliffside/fairview area let me know. I would be able to at least point out the good areas :) I'm not the most experienced angler I'm ashamed to say lol

[Vlad2075]

http://anglerweb.com/fishingspots/FishingSpotDetails.aspx?locationid=5704

[Vlad2075]

Anglerweb has Overpeck listed as Freshwater

[shucker]

gizzard shad

[skippy]

Duffman, what did you do with the snapping turtles after you caught them?

[Skolmann]

Lived a 1/2 mile from, and fished their for 30 years before moving.


I grew up in Teaneck. I fished Overpeck Park/creek several times. Duffman is correct, white perch. There are also carp and some catfish (not many) in there. Used to be a decent place for crabbing-believe it or not. Never once did I ever see shad in there.

Overpeck Creek is a branch of the Hackensack River and that part of the river is is tidal so it might be possible for schoolie stripers to be up that far (they catch stripers not to far downriver from there).

FYI, used to be a good place to trap killies, wonder if it still is.

[Vlad2075]

These damn shad are making me look bad. I went back there today and didn't see any at all at the Pal Park section. At the Ridgefield Park section I saw one and that's it. DEFINITELY NOT WHITE PERCH.

[The Sinker Man]

Keep a spinning rod and a bunker snag in the car...

[Vlad2075]

I just got off the phone with the Bergen County Parks department....it's been confirmed. There are Shad in Overpeck :)

[privateer]

Vlad, thats tidal brackish water.
I'd put my money on herring. stripers are right behind them.

Catch them and show some pics.

[Vlad2075]

Privateer,

I wouldn't be surprised at all if it was Herring since Shad and Herring are related. If the Stripers are right behind them, then I'm certainly getting my big rod ready :)

I tried to catch them today but no luck at all. I only saw one Shad today compared to the 20-30 i saw yesterday

[Duffman]

I just got off the phone with the Bergen County Parks department....it's been confirmed. There are Shad in Overpeck :)

I stand corrected then.........I've never heard of a govt agency being wrong, I apoligize......:p

Skippy, we ate em of course.

[bigchefguy710]

I believe it because a buddy of mine saw a school of them last year in a little creek off of kinderkamack which leads to the hackensack river. if there in the hacky they have to be in overpeck