Passaic River fishing

[Grice53]

Hello all, I’ve recently joined because I am lost lol. I have been trying to catch some bass and pike in the Passaic River (stocked trout just don’t do much for me anymore lol) and I am 0-3 so far. My main problem is access. I do not have a kayak and am having trouble locating spots to fish from
Shore. I tried the Dundee dam and Pennington park so far and did not even see a fish swipe at my lures. Any tips would be much appreciated!

[thmyorke1]

i found they bite a bit more frequently come warmer water temps (and not too hot in summer's hot water temps) so dont get discouraged if youre 0 for 3 this season.
Also the higher water levels can be harder to find them if they can spread out farther such as some floodplains. finding access too might be harder when the water is up and over the normal banks that let you walk it freely.

I dont have much experience fishing those areas, but i do know there's a lot of angling pressure around there.

Id keep trying though, but keep exploring and familiarize yourself with whats around.

[Grice53]

Originally Posted by thmyorke1

i found they bite a bit more frequently come warmer water temps (and not too hot in summer's hot water temps) so dont get discouraged if youre 0 for 3 this season.
Also the higher water levels can be harder to find them if they can spread out farther such as some floodplains. finding access too might be harder when the water is up and over the normal banks that let you walk it freely.

I dont have much experience fishing those areas, but i do know there's a lot of angling pressure around there.

Id keep trying though, but keep exploring and familiarize yourself with whats around.

Yea I watched some YouTube videos after my trip and I saw the exact spot I was at and I didn’t realize how high the river was when I was fishing. I knew there had to be fish there by the looks of it. I am determined to catch a pike this season, may invest in a kayak as well.

[Jigman13]

Wait for the water level to drop... then wait longer. The passaic floodplain is massive. It also takes a long time for the water to clear up a bit and the banks to dry out enough to make them navigable without a mud bath.

[Grice53]

Originally Posted by Jigman13

Wait for the water level to drop... then wait longer. The passaic floodplain is massive. It also takes a long time for the water to clear up a bit and the banks to dry out enough to make them navigable without a mud bath.

Any tips on access points from shore?

[Doug Vitale]

Originally Posted by Grice53

Hello all, I’ve recently joined because I am lost lol. I have been trying to catch some bass and pike in the Passaic River (stocked trout just don’t do much for me anymore lol) and I am 0-3 so far. My main problem is access. I do not have a kayak and am having trouble locating spots to fish from Shore.

Get a kayak or a small boat. Fishing big rivers and lakes from shore often sucks, and once you start fishing from a watercraft, you won't go back to shore fishing.

[Grice53]

Well guys, I found some pike while bass fishing! Immediately snapped my line on a hook set using a jig…lol