Passaic River
 

The spot I fish on the Passaic was the best I've seen it in a looong time. The water was down and although the banks were still pretty muddy, it was very fishable. I started tossing a BIG perch-colored husky jerk and at first didn't have any love. After snagging that one and busting the lip off getting it out, I switched to a shad color of the same bait. A short while later, I had what was easily a 35-inch pike sniff the bait all the way to the shore without opening its mouth. I took a few more casts, but it didn't show it's face again. A bit later, I hung that lure in a tree. Not wanting to lose any more of my good stuff, I tied on a small saltwater mackerel colored X-Rap. I fished another half-hour and was just about to leave when I felt a small tap as I was reeling. I figured it was just another snag and didn't pull so I could let the bait float out of it. However, as I was waiting I felt a huge headshake that shook my rod. I pulled back but it was too late. After sitting there stunned for second, I realized a fish must have had my lure in its mouth, figured out it wasn't food and shook it free as I was sitting there NOT setting the hook. I would have loved to have had some bait, or more importantly some more time, but I had to head home to write. I fished a total of an hour and a half. I think I would have eventually scored a pike if I kept at it. River was stained, but it always is and I've caught plenty of pike out of the chocolate milk. Water level was fantastic. I'll be back soon.

Re: Passaic River
 

I have been out on the Passaic River 4 times this year since Jan 15 with today being the 4th time... I have caught a total of 25 Northern Pike (with 1 possible tiger musky which I can not completely identify if it was or wasnt)....

Anyway, today I got out fished for about 3 hours... I fished for 2 hours at Pia Costa Lake in Lincoln Park and I caught a 27 inch Northern on my very first cast and then nada.....

I then hit the Passaic River at 2 bridges and I caught another Northern Pike (21 inches).

I caught both Pike today on Rapala jointed fire tiger (floating). I reel it semi fast just so it gets about 2 feet depth and I work shoreline areas.

The rest of the pike on previous outings this year were all caught on silver spoons.....

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Re: Passaic River
 

Thanks for the good info. I've always wanted to fish Pia Costa but was under the impression that you had to be a town resident with a "sticker" to fish there?

I'll be fishing the river this week as well downstream of you guys. The rain we got should help, as well as it getting closer to their spawning time.

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interesting and good to know, i didn't that body of water was pia costa. i used to drive past that when i was golfing at Twin Willows a bunch. do they care if you park in the swimming area lot when it is not open for swimming? most towns don't seem to care about that as long as the facility is closed.

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how far up the river can u catch pike. really want to get after the bigger fish. i live right over boarder into ny. any other places were you think would be a good place for a biginer to go.

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I'm sure the gentlemen in this thread can attest to the fact that pike can be caught in a majority of the Passaic River, from as far upstream as Summit/Berkeley Heights, through Wayne and Lincoln Park, down to Elmwood Park and Garfield. Some spots are hotter than others, but as a fishery, the Passaic is doing well. There are a ton of reports out there; do your homework and you'll catch 'em.

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Don't forget the Millstone River, it gets 1000 pike a year from the state.

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I wouldn't go as far as calling me a gentleman Skunk, but I can attest that there are pike in that river from Chatham to Brick City.;)

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As far as I know theres Pike from the Great swamp, The beginning of the Passaic River, all the way to the parkway bridge where they catch the stripers. Also they used to have bass tourneys on the passaic river, not sure if they do anymore. Im pretty sure the Pike rule the riva!!! Theres a 40+ incher swimming around 1 of my favorite holes with 5 of my 5 inch swim shads in its mouth!!!! F@#KER is big strong and fast Ill get him this year, NO DOUBT!!!:D

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FE - those lures don't count toward official length when you catch him ;)

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Northern Pike can be caught from the newark/nutley/lyndhurst area of the Passaic toward Dundee falls/lake (garfiedl) all the way to 2 Bridges (great swamp area) and into the Pompton river all the way up to Pompton Lake area.

I have personally caught Northern Pike in all these areas. The best area being Dundee lake (above the dundee falls/along rt21) in the back channels of the islands which I accessed by portable canoe. I have landed many 36inch plus Northern Pike as well as very nice size smallies to boot in this area.

Shore Areas of the Passaic into Pompton that have produced well for me was 2 bridges areas and beginning part of Great swamp area.

The best places to search for Pike are areas along the shore line are inlet areas or pockets that have no current/very little current. Pike are ambush predators and dont like to exert energy fighting current so they will find areas that are slow and sluggish waiting to ambush prey.

Bait of choice for Pike. I personally use 6" silver spoons and double jointed rapala's (fire tiger color) also I switched the stock treble hooks on the rapalas to 2 to 3 time bigger ones. I use only 30lb braid w/ 6" 20 or 30lb steel leader. Ironically this setup does not prevent me from catching smallies as well.

Somebody was asking about Pia Costa Lake.. You do not need a permit to fish Pia Costa Lake. Its best to park by the school and just walk around to the lake. I am not a resident and I usually park in the recreation area during the early months (Jan, feb, march, april) when the recreation lake is closed. Ive never had a problem with the POPO yet knock on wood. I have talked to many people that claim they had caught giant pike 40" plus. I have only recently caught the Pike I mentioned earlier (20 something inches) at Pia Costa.


Since I have provided some very good info for catching Pike can someone give some info on how and where to fish for Stripers in the Passaic. I have never caught a striper yet and I would like to accomplish this year.

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that is good info flyboy, thanks for posting. as far as the stripers in the passaic, i don't really know too much except that their path upstream is stopped at the dundee dam, so work downstream from there.

do you have a boat too or just a canoe? there are a couple boat ramps in the lower passaic where you could launch either

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I only began fishing the Passaic a couple of years ago. The main areas I fish are the Two Bridges area and under Rt.80 off Fairfield Rd. I've also fished the Little Falls area. I've done well in the spring and summer in the above mentioned places. I've caught pike, largemouth, smallmouth, and perch. I've done exceptionally well with the smallies at Two Bridges, mostly rapalas for them. I have tried to fish other areas of the Passaic like in Garfield but just find myself driving in circles trying to find access but from reports I've read the pike fishery in this area is great. I for one am glad to see the river so lively.

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With all the talk of pike and the passaic I'll have to give this fishery a try:D

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I live near the Great Swamp area and have fished in Berkeley Heights and Chatham. There's trout in Lenape park in Chatham but I've only seen Carp unstream from that. I'll have to try the Great Swamp area for Pike. 2 Bridges area is great but I haven't busted my Passaic Pike Cherry yet. Still trying.

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Bro if I'm correct (and I may not be), the Great Swamp is upstream from the small dam on River Rd. in Chatham. I'm sure a few pike have made their way up those falls, but I wouldn't waste your time up there. I have caught a pike a hundred yards downstream from those falls on River Rd. and every other pike I have gotten has been downstream from there. Hop on GoogleMaps and start looking for shoreline in between River Rd. in Chatham although way down to the confluence with the Pompton and even further to and past the Dundee Dam. I have done EXTREMELY well in parts of the river from Chatham to the Great Piece Meadows, but you're going to have to do the rest of the homework on your own.;) Good luck.

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hey mark,

is it going to be hard to take a day off after your year is done? the fish are rewarding your efforts this week with a string of catches. i guess my question is if you dont have to blog will you still be fishing this saturday?

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We shall see...;)

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look forward to hearing about your saturday. either way i just wanted to thank you for the entertainment this last year. i enjoyed following your quest

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hey all,

been fishing the river in new providence for 40 years now and just heard about the pike. trying to place that dam/falls in chatham, is it down from
the little park on river road next to the old railroad overpass? any help is greatly appreciated, thanks in advance!

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You're quite welcome man. Thank you for tuning in.

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Welcome to the site tycomps !! What have you been catching in that area, just asking, thanx.

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nevermind, I found it. here's how, I went to zillow dot com and entered an address in new providence. this gave me the overhead image picture and I
moused down to where the river was. I zoomed full and followed the river along until I saw the falls where I had thought they were. I'm going to use this method to find access points as well and keep track of which spots are most productive. more to come......

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Carp, cats, trout, bass and a 25lb snapper that wouldn't let go of a small catfish I had hooked at Oakwood Park. Many nights spent drinking beer with friends next to a fire and catching big carp on corn with the rod in a y stick.
After a while you forgot to pay attention to your rod and quite a few flew off the banks into the river, the good old days!

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I was at Stanley park on River rd a week ago and witnessed 2 large pike jumping the falls and heading up river!!!

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Pike stocking stats-
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/2...cking_np11.pdf
anybody know where they were put?

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I was driving past Garfield the other day and I saw 2 guys below the Falls fishing. I took a walk over and noticed that once that construction is finished that there will be a walkway that goes right down to the water right below the falls, I'm not sure if that has been open in the. Hopefully there will be access to the river from there when it's opened.

And since I had time to kill I parked on a side road a little North of the falls and crossed the road to get under a bridge. It was a real pain because the road was extremely busy. Fished for 30 minutes but nothing was biting, BUT, I saw some HUGE fish breaking the surface of the water. I mean HUGE. Not sure if they were Carp or Pike.

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I fish that area regularly, in fact, that may have been my buddy and I out there. The construction has definetly made accessing there a bit more difficult. Above the falls over there is carp city. I roll through there in my kayak and regularly end up spooking "schools" of big carp. I've never really targeted them, but landed one a few weeks ago while pike fishing.

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stopped at the dam at stanley park today and fished with this guy-
Attachment 47930
he didn't catch anything either.

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checking the satellite images on google maps shows another dam below the one at Stanley Park in Chatham next to Canoe Brook Reservoir-

Attachment 47938

If pike are being caught upstream of Chatham that's two dams they're hurdling. Has anyone caught them up from Chatham and if so how far? I'm trying to determine if they're migrational or were stocked above the
Stanley Park dam. May even head up to the hatchery with my son and see if I can get any info on where they were put. As always any help is greatly appreciated, thanks in advance!