Passaic 8/31

[crustyangler17]

Today i wanted to see what all the hype was about with passaic pike. Fished several different spots around the two bridges area. shoreline access was difficult but hip boots helped me hike through woods and mud banks. Used a white/chart spinner for most the day. first fish was around 18", which was my first pike ever two casts later got a chunky little bucketmouth. Hopped in the car and headed downstream; got another pike, this one bigger, in the low 20's (inches that is ) but flopped off the bank and back in the water before i could take a pic. Switched to an inline and had another pike sniff it before darting back into the depths. Headed back upstream, tied the spinnerbait back on and caught a dink bass, then a bigger one shortly after. After getting a quick bite to eat tried driving all over the place for more access points but no luck..finished off the day at spot where i got the last pike. managed one more baby plus a bonus jumbo perch. While walking across rocks i slipped and fell in deeper water and soaked my jeans still a good day but next time i need to find better places for shoreline casting!

[AndyS]

No longer a pike virgin !

[Eskimo]

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Last week I fished that river for the first time, too.
I even started at that same spot.

Unfortunately, I failed to pop my pike cherry.
I guess pike don't like plastic worms.

If I can steal a few free hours to go fishing this weekend, I'll have to try some spinners.



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[buzzbaiter]

First off congrats and secondly I'll give one piece of advice that I share with all first timers: try to keep the pike(or any fish) off the ground unless you plan on keeping it. Laying them down like that rubs off their protective coating and makes them susceptible to bacteria and fungal infections. Just take a side shot in the water if you can(while they are still hooked). I've seen far too many ground shots of nice fish covered in dirt, leaves and sand. This is a C&R no-no. Not trying to be pita about this but rarely are these great fish shown any tlc. I often think anglers care more about getting a picture than releasaing the fish relatively unharmed. If you must lay them down, just bring a plastic sheet with you(a folded up large garbage bag will work) and lay them on top. No damage done there other than maybe the bag with the pikes teeth ;-)

[NorthJerzyG]

Congrats your first pike!! Not a bad mixed bag either. Love the variety out there.......

[Fish n Jeep]

Originally Posted by Eskimo

I guess pike don't like plastic worms.

Maybe in the Passaic, but I've caught pike elsewhere on plastic worms.

[cmoran719]

how weedy was the river there? last time I was at the 2 bridges area the weeds were insane

[Eskimo]

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Originally Posted by cmoran719

how weedy was the river there? last time I was at the 2 bridges area the weeds were insane

It was bad. At one point I had to use my paddle as a push-pole because my kayak got stuck in the weeds.

I fished Two Bridges on Monday afternoon. I tell you, the NJfishing.com should get paid a commision for all the new traffic it's generating at that location.

I showed up around 2:30, and there was already one guy with waders fishing at the canoe-launch. He said he never fished this place before, but he's seen some huge smallmouths come out of this location on various internet social media sites.

I apologized for launching my kayak where he was fishing and suggested he go down the trail that paralells the river. At this point it starts to rain and TWO more people, both unfamilar with the river show up and start fishing at the canoe-launch.

I finally get the kayak in the water. The two new people both get their lures stuck in the rocks and ask me to paddle over and free their lures. At this point the guy I sent down the trail starts screaming. (I found out later that he caught an enormous pike and he was afraid to unhook it and was calling us over to help him).

Suddenly lightning strikes the ground somewhere downstream [Crack! BOOOOOM]!

Now I'm getting the hell off the water. I beached my kayak and waited in my car. The three new guys waited under the bridge. Apparently the fishing was very good, but I wasn't fishing in a lightning storm.

Eventually the rain stopped, the three new guys wandered downstream, and I re-launched my kayak. I don't know what changed after the thunderstorm blew through, but I couldn't catch shit. The whole evening, all I caught was a 12" Yelow Perch. That's one of the biggest perches I've caught, so I guess the day wasn't a total loss.





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Below 2 Bridges the weeds are a jungle.......I passed by after shopping at Willowbrook w/o a rod and saw a few guys above the bridges in either a canoe or a kayak or a small boat.......maybe it was you Eskimo?...It was @ 6:00pm

[Eskimo]

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Originally Posted by iceehot6766

...I passed by after shopping at Willowbrook w/o a rod and saw a few guys above the bridges in either a canoe or a kayak or a small boat.......maybe it was you Eskimo?...It was @ 6:00pm

YES - that was me!
At 6:00 I was fishing around the bridge procrastinating packing it up for the day. I knew I had to leave to be somewhere and the fishing sucked, but I just couldn't bring myself to stop fishing and load up the yak.




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