My Love/Hate relationship w/Monksville Reservoir

[Skunk City]

With the bite pretty good right now at the states other Walleye lakes, I headed up to Monksville for some after work fishin'. Got on the water around 7:30pm and headed to an area I felt should hold some 'eyes. Set up shop in 5-15ft of water and started tossing Jointed Rapalas and some stickbaits. The lake was as alive as I've ever witnessed it with herring popping constantly all around me, with some cannonballs falling from the sky mixed in every couple of minutes of so. Fished until about midnight, ended up with a few Smallies, including this handsome guy. While Smallies smashing topwater is one of my favorites, I still can't figure out these damn Walleye there :( . As always though, I'll be back... I apologize for the water on the GoPro lens, fish went crazy at the boat.
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h252/QuikSilverSRT4/GOPR0204.jpg

[BottomBouncer13]

Nice smallie!!

[Skunk City]

Thanks!

[kcritch]

Nice Smallie....I've never fished there. Is it electric only and do you need a special permit for that place?

[Skunk City]

Nice Smallie....I've never fished there. Is it electric only and do you need a special permit for that place?

Nope, the lake is public, open 24-7. 9.9hp limit. Gorgeous place.

[FASTEDDIE29]

One of the best lakes in nj. Nice Smallie!!!

[JerryC]

nice job!!! i still havent had much luck there.. i almost gave up going there but i think you made me a believer again.. almost caught a monster musky in there a few years ago.. scared the living crap out of me when it hit my lure!

[urbnimports]

i got a monster 5lber large mouth there two years ago...it was awesome!!!

[Skunk City]

As much as it frustrates the crap out of me, I absolutely love the place. Besides the Passaic, I've spent more time there than anywhere else. I've landed tons of Largemouth there and lots of nice Smallies, especially at night. But as much time as I've put into Walleye fishing there, I don't really have much to show for it. The problem I believe is the HUGE amount of natural forage there. Seeing how the water almost looked as if it were raining the other night with so many herring swirling, I think this fish are being fed well. The competition our lures are up against probably stacks the odds against us.

[Skunk City]

nice job!!! i still havent had much luck there.. i almost gave up going there but i think you made me a believer again.. almost caught a monster musky in there a few years ago.. scared the living crap out of me when it hit my lure!

Last September we pulled an all-nighter there doing the bass/walleye thing. Once it got light out, I saw something HUGE floating in the shallows by the standing timber. It ended up being a recently deceased 52" Musky...FIFTY TWO INCHES lol. They're in there, just gotta find 'em...

[flyboy1]

Monksville is hands down one of the toughest places to fish period... Very deep (instant 5-10-15ft drop offs just a foot from shore and mass vegetation and weeds so forget about cranks anywhere near shore lines. Top water has always produced for me in the early mornings and at dusk. Ive caught plenty of smallies and large mouths and almost landed my first Muskie about a month ago....

[urbnimports]

i faired pretty well with a chatterbait there...anything with a treble hook is pretty much worthless