Raritan River Striper 25lbs 13ozs 9/22

[FASTEDDIE29]

My first thought when I woke up this morning was, Damn I gotta get to the river today, its the first day of fall and it looks like a Striper kind of day. I couldn't get to the river unless I followed my wife to my daughters game in Keyport today. That plan worked out quite well. The game ended at 1130 and I shot up 287 to the SOUTH BOUND BROOK FALLS.

Pull up to the parking spot and of course nobody's there, nobody's ever there when I'm there. Anyway, I start casting A very large BOMBER, the largest they make. 2nd cast into the expedition I hook up with a..................................STRIPER, and its a BIG MOFO!!! I can't even begin to explain what kind of battle this was in the semi high chocolate milk stained water. The fish is swimming up and down, back and forth and just does not want to come in. I'll just play her and she'll tire eventually. The battle lasted approximately 10 minutes and this fish had me down to my 12lb mono backing. Finally got the beautiful STRIPER in and weighed her up, 25LBS 13OZS somewhere around 38-39 inches in length. WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

I LIVE FOR THIS STUFF! TIGHT LINEZ!!!!!!!!!!!! YEA BUDDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:D

[gwl2oneida]

Nice job! That's a hell of a fish.

[saxmatt]

Wow, you're on fire! Nice fish!

[Wilson]

And I was gonna hit that place today:p
I thought it might be a little crowded...guess not.

[AndyS]

DAYUM !!! 5 mins. from my house !!!!

[Gatto1227]

Nice fish. Must have just missed you.
Was down there in the morning. Only took a couple casts but it didn't look to great to me. Lol guess I was wrong

[basspilot]

Damn eddie that's a real solid fish...I guess the fall run has started already nice fish

[tjc76]

FKNA! What a COW! Awesome as always Eddie.

[NorthJerzyG]

HOLY SH!T:eek: Nice Fn Fish!!

[SkillfulAngler908]

Holy christ Eddie, thats an epic fish:eek: ! I was thinking the same thing last night when the rain started, but I had work today and I was too lazy to get out of bed early. You snooze you lose lol. SICK FISH!!!

[Duck or Bleed]

Very Nice!!:D

[cmoran719]

holy shit dude that's friggen amazing. A 25lber on 2nd cast, and less than 10 min from where I live! Why am I not there all the time?!

[GetANet]

MONSTER STRIPER BUDDY!!!! CAN I have some of that stuff your steppin in???
Great Catch EDDIE!!!! Must be a big fish kinda day!!! That's two of them that I know of this weekend!!!

[GetANet]

Hey Chris, that's because 95% of the time your not catching squat there but when it's ON it's ON!!
All about the timing and water level there!
Eddie can just smell em' when their there.
My olfactory senses are just not that good!!!LOL

[bowzonly]

unfrickinbelievable

[HerringKing]

You never fail to impress me!!!

[Skunk City]

Stripah! Very impressive pal! How much did the rain bring up the river down there?

[Mikey topaz]

Nice fish dude!!!! 😛😛😛 good stuff man!!!

[ScowardNJ]

You painted lines on the side of a carp and took that picture of that thing.
hahaha,

That's an amazing river bass!

[iceehot6766]

You've had some impressive year Ed.....Nice work and a year to remember!!...Congrats bro!!!

[Tommy]

Great fish nice to know the big ones are up there now, will try to get out in the canoe later this week.

[shucker]

Congrats ....Hands down that's the best freshwater caught fish this year!

[FASTEDDIE29]

Thanks guys!!! Thanks for looking and thanks for the kind comments!!! I appreciate it.

:D

[Fish n Jeep]

All I can say is, WOW!

[Jigman13]

That's f'n sick dude. You are having a year of epic proportions. Congrats on that big girl!

[bunker dunker]

sweet fish eddie!!!!!!!!!!! congrats and many more:D

[jimmythegreek]

u never fail to put sumthing epic on the books bro, all I can say is WOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO. Im gone for the weekend and I check in here monday morning to see whats up and all is see is a COOOWWWWWW!

[mlp1986]

every saltwater guy who secretly reads the freshwater posts (it feels dirty for some reason :D ) is DROOLING over that fish. congrats

[ChaosStarter]

every saltwater guy who secretly reads the freshwater posts (it feels dirty for some reason :D ) is DROOLING over that fish. congrats


Don't worry, the freshwater guys are drooling (and cursing) too. :eek:

[msgdan]

Beyond amazing....Great catch !!!!!

Danny V

[Mikew36]

Holy hell,

Awesome fish man!!!

[bigfishy]

Deinately WORTH posting:D Nice work ... edwrd fast fizzzsss

[kcritch]

Dude that's awesome....I took Sunday to work on my boat (new fishfinder for LH Hybrid fest) and spend a little time with the wife. After the rain Sat night I knew you would be at that spot....even told my wife that you would be there. When she sees this she's going to be pissed that I worked on my boat and didn't take her there.:D

Nicely Done.

[Bicey]

That's a great fish no matter where it was caught!!!!!! Eddie is having a ridiculous year of fishing.........keep it up man.

[FASTEDDIE29]

Thanx again guys. Gotta give it he'll every time out, no matter what!!!

[GetANet]

Shows it pays off !!!! Give it hell every time seems to be working reeeel good for you Buddy!!

[liveitup1.75liter]

Takes some skills to land that fish in those conditions!!! PROPS!! Just in awwe..
BIG BIGGIN

[surfrod]

so... have there been 200 striper anglers fishing that spot since the initial report? :D

[AndyS]

Like I said, standing in that spot you are fishing 1/2 of 1% of the river. Move around, the fish sure do.

[acabtp]

sick fish, eddie!

[tycomps]

So I'm sure nobody's noticed but I haven't been fishing this year cuz I took up photography and it's snowballed. One of my computer clients asks me to go to his house in Seagirt Saturday for linesiders from the beach. I figure I'll log on and check what's going on in the Raritan AND SEE THIS!!!

Dude, you were and still are the man and I think the Jets should reward you with a Superbowl win when it comes to the Meadowlands!

ps- I know I'm being lazy not googling this myself but how many dams came down this year and how far can they get up river now?

pps- good to see that after a brief break Andy and Wilson still prioritize their avatars! from now on mine will be examples of what I've been photographing this year that have distracted me from fishing : - )

[FASTEDDIE29]

[QUOTE=tycomps]So I'm sure nobody's noticed but I haven't been fishing this year cuz I took up photography and it's snowballed. One of my computer clients asks me to go to his house in Seagirt Saturday for linesiders from the beach. I figure I'll log on and check what's going on in the Raritan AND SEE THIS!!!

Dude, you were and still are the man and I think the Jets should reward you with a Superbowl win when it comes to the Meadowlands!

Tycomps, great to hear from you man. Thanx for taking a look! Your missing a lot of action this year. Fish all over the place.
Photography, gotta go with what's working. Jets are looking like a scrappy bunch this year, love it! Gotta get that camo JETS hat. I'm going to the SUPERBOWL!!!! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TIGHT LINEZ!!!!!

[Wilson]

[quote=tycomps]So I'm sure nobody's noticed but I haven't been fishing this year cuz I took up photography and it's snowballed. One of my computer clients asks me to go to his house in Seagirt Saturday for linesiders from the beach. I figure I'll log on and check what's going on in the Raritan AND SEE THIS!!!

Dude, you were and still are the man and I think the Jets should reward you with a Superbowl win when it comes to the Meadowlands!

Tycomps, great to hear from you man. Thanx for taking a look! Your missing a lot of action this year. Fish all over the place.
Photography, gotta go with what's working. Jets are looking like a scrappy bunch this year, love it! Gotta get that camo JETS hat. I'm going to the SUPERBOWL!!!! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TIGHT LINEZ!!!!!
Simmer:D

Welcome back Roger

[FASTEDDIE29]

Giants are playing well, no?!?! LOL!!!

[Wilson]

Giants are playing well, no?!?! LOL!!!
Yes

[tycomps]

[QUOTE=tycomps]So I'm sure nobody's noticed but I haven't been fishing this year cuz I took up photography and it's snowballed. One of my computer clients asks me to go to his house in Seagirt Saturday for linesiders from the beach. I figure I'll log on and check what's going on in the Raritan AND SEE THIS!!!

Dude, you were and still are the man and I think the Jets should reward you with a Superbowl win when it comes to the Meadowlands!

Tycomps, great to hear from you man. Thanx for taking a look! Your missing a lot of action this year. Fish all over the place.
Photography, gotta go with what's working. Jets are looking like a scrappy bunch this year, love it! Gotta get that camo JETS hat. I'm going to the SUPERBOWL!!!! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TIGHT LINEZ!!!!!

I've got one for you, I'm going to start fishing the Raritan again so I'll keep it in my car if I see you.

[Eskimo]

.


So I dropped by the dam pictured on page 1 of this thread yesterday to see if the fishing was still good there. I've never been there before. The water was very low and I could clearly see the bottom all the way across the river.

I don't know if it's this forum or if that location has always received the tremendous amount of fishing pressure I witnessed yesterday. There's a lot of garbage on the wall now. Styrofoam worm containers, tangled mono, walmart bags, empty blister-packs from various pieces of tackle, cans, bottles, etc.

I don't think that location was without an angler all Sunday. When I arrived there were already some guys there casting lures. They casted and casted and casted but never caught anything. I hung out at the end of the wall and waited for them to move on.

Then I moved into the spot. I casted for a while without any bites, then moved upstream.

I eventually caught a couple of small smallmouths upstream and decided to leave. The water just felt "dead" and there were too many fisherman walking around.

When I was leaving around 5:00 pm, there was an old bucket-sitter setting up on the dam wall with a big bucket of minnows. I don't know how many rods he brought with him, but it looked like someone set up a picket fence on the wall!

So that's my non-report. I don't think I'll be back to that location.



.

[Jigman13]

It's best when the water runs high... that's when the big girls are caught. Fish there when it's low and all you're doing is donating tackle.

[bigfishy]

Its always been a popular spot, but if you report it THEy will come....

[Gatto1227]

.


So I dropped by the dam pictured on page 1 of this thread yesterday to see if the fishing was still good there. I've never been there before. The water was very low and I could clearly see the bottom all the way across the river.

I don't know if it's this forum or if that location has always received the tremendous amount of fishing pressure I witnessed yesterday. There's a lot of garbage on the wall now. Styrofoam worm containers, tangled mono, walmart bags, empty blister-packs from various pieces of tackle, cans, bottles, etc.

I don't think that location was without an angler all Sunday. When I arrived there were already some guys there casting lures. They casted and casted and casted but never caught anything. I hung out at the end of the wall and waited for them to move on.

Then I moved into the spot. I casted for a while without any bites, then moved upstream.

I eventually caught a couple of small smallmouths upstream and decided to leave. The water just felt "dead" and there were too many fisherman walking around.

When I was leaving around 5:00 pm, there was an old bucket-sitter setting up on the dam wall with a big bucket of minnows. I don't know how many rods he brought with him, but it looked like someone set up a picket fence on the wall!

So that's my non-report. I don't think I'll be back to that location.



.
I live about 3 minutes away from that spot and I actually agree with everything you said. I've only landed one fish there in all my years of fishing and it was a channel cat on a husky jerk go figure. I have seen a couple fish landed but that's only because I happen to be down there when Eddie was there lol

[Gerry Zagorski]

Nice fish Eddie... You probably had to change your underware after seeing that fish hit your plug :D