Fall Night Bassin' in Union County...?

[logs22]

I have been doing a lot of night fishing these days, partly because its the only time I can escape for a few uninterrupted hours and partly because I have found I just really enjoy it. Anyway, I was having great luck in early fall at my closest ponds (day and night) - Nomahegan and Echo mostly, but also Lenape, Mindowaskin, Tamaques Reserve, UCCC Campus pond and one unnamed semi-secret honey hole. The past 2-3 weeks though I have been struggling with 2-3 excusrions ending in a skunk for every 1 where a fish is caught. I havent caught a single bass worth the effort of a picture since September.

Since I know there are a bunch of Union County or former UC guys on here i thpought I would solicit some help in finding some new lakes/ponds to check out. Not looking for any secret spots, I have spent enough time on google maps to know just about every pond worth knowing in UC and if I haven't fished it I have at least driven by to check its potential. Just wondering if any of the well known local lakes have been producing in Oct./Nov. The only prerequisite is I need to be able to access and fish possibly late into the night without getting arrested. With that said, I have no problem bending the "park closes after dark" rule if its commonly known to not really be enforced (as is the case in all the parks I named above where I have had no trouble fishing any time of night).

I think tonight I may check out Clark Reservoir, Ihave fished there 3 times during the day with zero luck, maybe I can do better at night. Where I access the lake also seems like I won't be bothered. Another pond where I know there is easy night access is Bloodgoods (winfield) lake. There are some office buildings on the south side whose parking lots go almost to the edge of the lake by the dam.

Sooo, any other ideas? Milton lake? Jackson Lake? Seeley's Pond?

[xDirty]

Private message sent

[Eskimo]

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Hmmm...well my favorite UC pond (Surprise Lake) is now a field.
I guess that's why it's a surprise lake. I stopped by to see how the bass recovered from the dam repair and the lake had been replaced by a field. Surprise!

The Passaic River in UC is small and especially low this season. Some of the locals still fish it and occasionally find pike that far upriver. I've never caught anything great up there, but most people are much luckier than I am.

There are those lakes in the Watchung traffic circle, but I would be surprised if bass can live long enough to grow in those ponds.


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[Jigman13]

Eskimo, are you referring to Best Lake and the other small impoundment across the street from it? They've got fountains in them, yes? The "lower" pond has huge bass in it. I've seen 5+ lbers in there during the summer, as well as gigantic carp and koi. They have signs on one side of the lake saying no fishing, but I've dabbled. I actually had a cop tell me to read the sign lol. He wasn't being an ass, more sarcastic than anything. He didn't chase me away either.

[logs22]

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Hmmm...well my favorite UC pond (Surprise Lake) is now a field.
I guess that's why it's a surprise lake. I stopped by to see how the bass recovered from the dam repair and the lake had been replaced by a field. Surprise! .


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What is taking them so long to dredge the lake and repair the dam? Both upper echo lake and nomahegan lake recently were drained/dredged/repaired and those projects were completed in under a year. Suprise Lake has been completely drained for going on two years now, did the county run out of funds? It just seems such a shame to drain a lake and then just let it sit idle. If they didn't plan on doing the work for another two years why didn't they just wait and drain the lake then?

[logs22]

So I didn't feel like going anywhere far last night so I hit up Black Brook Park Pond (Shallcross). Its great for night fishing as access is easy, not too many hazards or wildlife (one thing night fishing in cranford has taught me is that the town has more raccoons than anyone could possibly imagine, they are everywhere and can be nasty. They also enjoy night fishing, i have seen a dozen of them lined up along the banks of the Rahway catching crawfish).

Anyway, it was a complete skunk. The fishing in that pond has never been great for me but not even a bite...wtf...... I am in a downward spiral....

[jimcnj]

Don't feel bad. All the fish left in those ponds has been caught at least once.
They know better now not to chase our plastics, buzz baits and spinners!
After the long winter sleep, they will bite again. Like you, I'll keep trying until everything is frozen. Don't forget about winter stocking at Echo.

[logs22]

Don't feel bad. All the fish left in those ponds has been caught at least once.
They know better now not to chase our plastics, buzz baits and spinners!
After the long winter sleep, they will bite again. Like you, I'll keep trying until everything is frozen. Don't forget about winter stocking at Echo.

Jim - I may have cracked Nomahegan (once) but i have still not gotten even a nibble at either upper or lower echo lake. I have put in my time at the upper lake without question and have fished every inch of it (except for maybe the very middle where i cant reach from either bank). I have fished off the dam, off the paddleboat dock, flipped jigs under the paddle boats at night, fishedtge lilies, fished up the feeder stream, all for nothing. I dont get that place, it looks like it should be filled with bass and it really doesnt get that much fishing pressure since most people (and all the bicket brigade) target the lower lake. I very rarely see anyone else fishing the upper lake. Maybe it never recovered from the dredging a few years ago?

Have you fished much the past two weeks? The water temp hasnt dropped that low yet and i am still snagging on green weeds and spooking frogs so it shouldnt be slowing down already should it? I cant believe that i have gotten skunked three times in a row at my go-to spot where just a few weeks ago i i was getting hooked every few casts. At least i will be in Florida for christmas, I hear they may have some bass down in those parts....:-)

[Eskimo]

What is taking them so long to dredge the lake and repair the dam? Both upper echo lake and nomahegan lake recently were drained/dredged/repaired and those projects were completed in under a year. Suprise Lake has been completely drained for going on two years now, did the county run out of funds? It just seems such a shame to drain a lake and then just let it sit idle. If they didn't plan on doing the work for another two years why didn't they just wait and drain the lake then?

I did a Google search and can't find any explanation as to why the project is taking so long.
I found a Star Ledger article from 2014 stating the 3.6 million dollar project was scheduled to be completed before 2015.

http://www.nj.com/union/index.ssf/2014/06/lake_surprise_is_drained_so_construction_on_new_da m_can_begin.html



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[thomaskgrosvenor]

Tried Blackbrook Park Pond over the summer while making a run through that area. I did not get any bites or see any signs of fish. Saw only turtles. A fellow walking through told me that the turtles are all that is left. Reminds that I have to add that one to my list of unsuccess stories.