Waleyes & Pike

[Blackfish Doug]

Hey guys I wanted to try to get these 2 species off my bucket list. I live in central NJ I'm looking for area to fish for these critters. I don't own a boat but I'm willing to rent or even jump on charter if somebody's looking for a extra. I fish either Mondays or Thursdays if my schedule fits yours post or PM me. I promise I won't bring my blackfish gear or green crabs but those crayfish seem close.

[Eskimo]

.


I don't think you'll need a charter boat to catch pike or walleye.

They're actually not uncommon in central and north Jersey. It's just a matter of putting in the time, learning the techniques, and a bit of luck.

This past summer I caught my first pike. I got some approximate locations and advice on which lure were effective from the good people of NJfishing and set aside some time on the weekend to get out on the water and cast my lures.



.

[jimmythegreek]

hit the river(s) for pike and throw big plugs or spinnerbaits once it warms up, if you do a search for passaic river u will see tons of posts with details on lures and tactics.

walleye can be found in many rivers, the most stocked location in our area is the delaware, but not an easy fishery. Otherwise u would hit GW, SW or LH and theres also a reservoir by permit that holds them. eyeballs start hitting soon but they are C+R till may, I catch many from land u just have to put ur time in.

[briansnat]

Here is a map of pike stocked waters in NJ.

http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/ima...g/map_pike.jpg

[Blackfish Doug]

Thanks guys for the advice with this winter we had I'm getting cabin fever. The Salt water fishery has been really hit hard by this winter. I think things that I like to fish for wont be good for quite a while. I just hope things warm up for everybody. I know it effects fresh water as well but fresh water warms up a lot quicker then salt water does. I have been reading all the advice on this board it has been great.

[Bassload]

That pike map shows that Deal Lake has Pike. Has anyone ever had any luck landing a pike from there? Also was wondering how bad of a hit it took from Sandy seeing how close it is the ocean?

[Hoop79d]

The lake was inundated. Though the salinity levels have returned to acceptable levels, just needs some time. There's a write-up on the affected coastal lakes in the freshwater digest. You can also find a map of contours on the state site for reference.

[420*NightCrawler]

I'm not a walleye fisherman although I've caught a few, but as far as pike, 99% of my catches have been on #4 silver spinnerbaits or top lures like Jitterbugs or fake frogs/lizards on weedless hook setups. They're almost always hanging in the weeds or along the edges, and sometimes surprisingly shallow. Run a spinnerbait along the edges of the weeds and floating or weedless lures thru the masses of weeds. I've also had the most luck in late May thru June. I typically fish them in lakes, so the guys that pick them up in the rivers may have different approaches, but I doubt they vary that much. I'm in NNJ and have never fished central Jersey waters, so I can't help with what's in your area, but the fish will definitely hit the same baits. You can definitely catch these guys from the shoreline easily as well. Just look for water that carries pike and find yourself some weeds to cast. Each cast is a cast closer to catching one. My go to spinnerbait is the Blue Fox Vibrax #4, silver with a white bucktail. I tie in 2 strands of red thread with the white bucktail as well.

[kmaty]

Farmington has pike but are very difficult to come by i usually get 1 a yr

[Jigman13]

Originally Posted by kmaty

Farmington has pike but are very difficult to come by i usually get 1 a yr

I'm dying to get one there. Gonna start chucking stripers plugs in there soon lol... In brook trout pattern! I think I may have found an area that'll yield an elusive esox from there! Thousands a yr are stocked and they're seemingly rare...