The summer funk has set in

[Sleeper-6]

I think the summer funk has officially set in for me. Got skunked a second time in a row at Spruce on Sat morning. So naturally I was dead set of revenge Sunday morning.

I changed it up a bit and hit Merrill Creek instead of Spruce Run. Never been there before, Looked promising and it was nice to be able to see some structure and weeds. I picked up 2 Large mouth bass, little guys, prob only 1 Lb each. At least I shook off the skunk. Once the sun got a little higher in sky it was game over for me. Nothing was interested in what I had to offer after about 9 AM. I did see some Nice size fish follow the lure a few times, but they wouldn't take a pass it. Once the wind kicked up around 2PM I threw in the towel.

I can beat the banks all day long and do OK, but once the bass leave the shoreline I get lost. I need to get better a reading my depth finder, locating submerged structure and fishing it. I'm also going to try some drop shotting next time out.

[jimmythegreek]

my advice is to start fishing productive waters....spruce is the last place Id go to fish LMB. I have seen many bass tournaments w die hard guys come up w small bags and skunks, its better suited for other species. If you have water access via kayak/boat the best bet is the newark watersheds, great smallie and LM fishing there. small ponds and backwaters are the best due to the least pressure on them, look at how many guys on here post decent fish and are all fishing from shore. I could hand 99% of fisherman a tournament loaded Ranger and stick them on Hopatcong and they couldnt catch a bass to trade for the boat for their lives. Merrill is a great place but after the spawn its a open water game, fish are suspended in no mans land chasing herring, u missed the shallow water bite. Do some research on where u plan on fishing and fish it the way it needs to be fished....remember follow the bait and you will always find the fish....In a place like SR and MR the bait isnt in 5 fow anymore its in 15+

[Eskimo]

my advice is to start fishing productive waters....spruce is the last place Id go to fish LMB. I have seen many bass tournaments w die hard guys come up w small bags and skunks, its better suited for other species. If you have water access via kayak/boat the best bet is the newark watersheds, great smallie and LM fishing there. small ponds and backwaters are the best due to the least pressure on them, look at how many guys on here post decent fish and are all fishing from shore. I could hand 99% of fisherman a tournament loaded Ranger and stick them on Hopatcong and they couldnt catch a bass to trade for the boat for their lives. Merrill is a great place but after the spawn its a open water game, fish are suspended in no mans land chasing herring, u missed the shallow water bite. Do some research on where u plan on fishing and fish it the way it needs to be fished....remember follow the bait and you will always find the fish....In a place like SR and MR the bait isnt in 5 fow anymore its in 15+

Great advice Jimmy!

The only correction I would make is that kayaks are not an option in the sheds. They are banned and I'm considering hiring Al Sharpton and filing a discrimination lawsuit against the state. They be discriminating against us for being in short boats.

Overall, I would say the summer funk hasn't set in. The rainfall as been god and the water levels are good. The waters are warm, but not hot and fetid.



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[Chrisper4694]

Summer funk...dog days of summer...it's all a myth. Go early or late. Get your lure in the thick stuff or deep under top cover and you will be in the bass zone! Summer is my favorite time to bass fish but you need to be on the right lake with plenty of surface cover... That way you've already found the bass! Open deep lakes will be tougher to find the bass in my opinion.

[UglyStick]

What Jimmy said about MC also goes for most larger bodies of water, especially the Sheds. They get lowered so much by the end of each summer you never really get any appreciable weed growth to support a shallow bite during the heat of the summer. Sure, you can pick up some fish early and late but it is really a deep structure game right now. For bass right now, I would suggest trying the small no-name heavily weeded lakes / ponds / bogs on the WMA's, especially the ones you need to hike and drag a yak to.

[briansnat]

Great advice Jimmy!

The only correction I would make is that kayaks are not an option in the sheds. They are banned and I'm considering hiring Al Sharpton and filing a discrimination lawsuit against the state. They be discriminating against us for being in short boats.

Overall, I would say the summer funk hasn't set in. The rainfall as been god and the water levels are good. The waters are warm, but not hot and fetid.


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I know there are several paddling groups trying to get Newark to reconsider the ban on kayaks and canoes. Feel free to add your voice. I wrote a letter earlier in the year. Pretty silly ban if you ask me.

[XXlyakattacker]

I'm in, where should I send that letter. I can get at least ten people to do it also. Also I think spruce is a pretty dam good place to large mouth bass fish. You just need to avoid what I call you to yoyo time. That starts at 7am and ends around 7pm in the warm months.

[Sleeper-6]

I should have said the summer funk has set in for me.

Any other recommendations besides the Sheds? I live literally 5 mins from Spruce Run, So that's why I always land there. I'm really not looking to drive over an hour to find fish. I've been checking out google maps and not really seeing anything else somewhat local besides Round Valley, but I believe I would be in the same situation there.

[Chrisper4694]

are you only interested in bass? find some small ponds and hit them with frogs and weedless punching jigs.

[Sleeper-6]

I really am primarily set up for Bass. I'd be glad to catch most species, but they're not really what I'm targeting. I'm an ADD poster child, so sitting around with live bait waiting for a bite drives me nuts. I'm all for smaller ponds by boat. I get really frustrated bank fishing. Between the snags in all directions and the potential crowds, I'd rather be boating.

[Sleeper-6]

I just remembered Oxford Furnace Lake. That's an option for me too. Any decent cover there?

[acabtp]

I know there are several paddling groups trying to get Newark to reconsider the ban on kayaks and canoes. Feel free to add your voice. I wrote a letter earlier in the year. Pretty silly ban if you ask me.

i think it's an awesome ban. i know the kayak-only fishermen are screwed and that's a bit of a bummer, but it's a small price to pay to keep the 'sheds the way they are. i really, really hope they never allow kayaks up there. that's the last thing we need... recreational kayaks screwing around cutting between you and the shoreline you are working while smiling waving 'hi' and asking how fishing is.... and taking up the whole trailer area of the parking lot with subarus (think splitrock, but with much smaller parking areas). NO THANKS it's nice to have a couple lakes that are just for fishing, and there would be no way that would last if kayaks were allowed. plenty of other places in the state to drop a 'yak in.

i don't hate kayaks or anything (i have 4), i just like the different rules at different lakes around the state... keeps everything from being the same everywhere... the 'sheds have an awesome thing going. no reason to screw it up. i guess i'll write a letter to add my thoughts too.

[briansnat]

i think it's an awesome ban. i know the kayak-only fishermen are screwed and that's a bit of a bummer, but it's a small price to pay to keep the 'sheds the way they are. i really, really hope they never allow kayaks up there. that's the last thing we need... recreational kayaks screwing around cutting between you and the shoreline you are working while smiling waving 'hi' and asking how fishing is.... and taking up the whole trailer area of the parking lot with subarus (think splitrock, but with much smaller parking areas). NO THANKS it's nice to have a couple lakes that are just for fishing, and there would be no way that would last if kayaks were allowed. plenty of other places in the state to drop a 'yak in.

i don't hate kayaks or anything (i have 4), i just like the different rules at different lakes around the state... keeps everything from being the same everywhere... the 'sheds have an awesome thing going. no reason to screw it up. i guess i'll write a letter to add my thoughts too.

I find that the permit requirement keeps a lot of the yahoos out, so I doubt it would change all that much. Most people just don't want to be bothered obtaining permits and would rather just go someplace else. It's why the hiking trails are pretty empty, while the hordes are just a few miles away at Wawayanda. I suspect it would be pretty much the same with paddlers.

[XXlyakattacker]

I agree with briansnat. I personally can't stand the bass boat guys who barrel over you to get to "the spot" before you, Cruz the shoreline shore line at 10 knots hoping there are tuna fast enough to chase their lure, or my favorite - the Richard head that uses his trolling motor to cut off my fishing and makes me paddle around him. The permit eould ensure only serious kayaker are there fishing. Not the $200 Dicks sporting store sit inside kayaking group

[UglyStick]

The simple fact is that the parking is already DRASTICALLY insufficient at the Sheds and adding kayaks simply isn't realistic in the current paradigm. We can't even get them to address the dangerous aspects of launching a boat so expecting any parking expansion is completely unrealistic.

[The Birdman]

The simple fact is that the parking is already DRASTICALLY insufficient at the Sheds and adding kayaks simply isn't realistic in the current paradigm. .

Exactly.

I too agree that the No kayaking rule is awesome.
and I yak fish all the time.
hard enough driving the access roads with those crazy road bikers. i can only imagine trying to launch w/yaks all over.

sleeper- ofl has some good bass.

[Eskimo]

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This is a civil rights issue and we're planning a sit-in protest in the parking of of the Newark Watershed office.

I'm drawing up signs that say "I Can't Paddle" and "#Kayak Lives Matter". Maybe even "Hands up - Can't Paddle", but we're still working on that one.


http://nord-host.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/96d58b3f79.png


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[acabtp]

i'll admit that is a good point about the permit keeping out the dicks $200 crowd (exactly what i had been picturing)

... but also a really good point about the parking already being awful and adding any more vehicles only making it worse (especially when the extra cars are from people who probably have limited trailering experience and are therefore likely to inadvertently park in the way)

here's a thought. if they allowed kayaks, maybe if could work if they made one of the other pull-offs around each of the reservoirs the kayak launching spot and the boat ramps stayed just for boats.

[XXlyakattacker]

That sounds good. I never like using the ramp. Always go off to the side somehow. Could also do it like the Hunterdon county parks do and limit petmits. $200 a permit would keep only serious fishermen going there.

[briansnat]

That sounds good. I never like using the ramp. Always go off to the side somehow. Could also do it like the Hunterdon county parks do and limit petmits. $200 a permit would keep only serious fishermen going there.

Even a $22 fishing permit, plus the $30 boat fee already cuts significantly down on the traffic and you'll only find serious anglers there. It doesn't need to be $200. I agree that the lots at the ramps are already inadequate, but I think a portion of the people who own paddle craft AND boats, may choose the convenience of paddling when they go solo, instead of dealing with launching and taking out a boat alone. And paddlers don't need the ramps. So though there may be more people using the ramps, I don't think the numbers would increase all that much. And it would open up the water to those of us who can't afford $1,500 for a used boat, electric motor and trailer.

And the sort of people who who shell out $52 for a fishing and boat permit are generally serious anglers. I'd rather be on the water with serious paddle anglers than dealing with 10 ft jon boats, or 8ft inflatables, packed with four "fishermen" tossing their empty beer cans in the water. I see some of that at Split Rock and a lot of it at other places.

I'd rather share the water with serious paddling anglers, than some of the yahoos I see in boats on the water elsewhere.

[iamtheavalanche]

Was at Merrill last on July 24th in balmy heat from 7:30am-4pm...fish were caught in 15-25 feet on 8xd and 6xd crankbaits and dropshotting my buddy and I had our best 5 go for 18.65lbs. We lost a nice 4lb plus smallie at the boat. Trust me we weren't in a Nitro with expensive electronics like some of the dudes there. I mean I would take a Nitro if it was offered to me but I feel like there is better bass boats out there haha.

Another way to catch them out the deep is the ole ball and chain Carolina Rig.

By one dam in a sandy break in the weeds where it dropped fast we sighted a wolfpack of smallies just hanging by the sand break.

[iamtheavalanche]

I just remembered Oxford Furnace Lake. That's an option for me too. Any decent cover there?


Good nice grass grows there!