[buzzbaiter]

You never know if someone or a group just went through there. They can put them down. So can the Jetskiers who go through that area. Its like your fishing blind not knowing what's ahead of you.

Its not so much the trees and liedowns as it is the slack water behind and in front. They are not in the current fish and will often sit in the slack areas. They are also sit and wait feeding fish. They are not hunters like bass which swim around most of the time looking for food. Pike wait for food to come to them often lying right in the weeds. Weed beds are just now emerging. In a month or so they'll be in full bloom and they're best areas to target. I get more strikes in/around them then by the trees or deeper pools. Not all areas of the river have weeds. Some stretches have none for miles. You kind of have to explore during low/clear water to find them and remember when the water is higher/cloudier. Pike also like shade which acts as a sort of cover for them. In all honesty they can be anywhere except the main current. They do strike in the current but only because they were following it from their hiding spot. Inside of bends is good too since the current tends to hug the outside of bends. Lastly since they are mostly sight feeders, the clearer the water, the better. Of course on the Passaic clear water is an anomaly. Most days its running turbid at best. Little better in the early fall as the water chills and also midday when carp settle down and are less active.