Oak Ridge/Clinton Rd 6/11 - NJFishing.com Your Best Online Source for Fishing Information in New Jersey

NorthJerzyG · #1 06-11-2012, 05:12 PM

Decided to check out Oak Ridge Resi this morning. Got there about 6am and not a soul in sight.

Tried a bunch of diff presentations. Cranks and spinners, nada. Culprit worms and senkos, nada. After a few hours we decided to move on.

Went over to Clinton Rd and fished a part of the lake I havnt tried yet. After a few average smallies I hooked into chubby 15/16in pickerel.

After the release of another small one I went on a rant about were the Big pickerel were hiding in this lake. Not even 5 minutes later, a sunfish hit my spinner. As I was bringing him in, few feet from the boat, and right at the surface, a HUGE pickerel took a run at him, and missed.

In my stunned state, I stopped reeling and waited. Sure enough, a few seconds later I saw him coming back. Bamm, he took it. I waited another minute then set the hook, again. It held!

Fight him all the way to the side of the boat were he proceeds to shake the lure loose and escape at the last second. Damn!!

In the end, he got the sunny and I got my lure back but it was exciting.

A little while later I also managed to hook up with a fat smallie while trolling. Thought I had a snag till I look up and see a bronzeback in flight. Good times...........

Here's the trolled smallie and the pick I actually landed.......

AndyS · #2 06-11-2012, 05:16 PM

Sounds like a nice day. Better yet, "not a soul in sight!"

Nice fish !

ken jan · #3 06-11-2012, 06:17 PM

Thanks for the report. I love those lakes

Gatto1227 · #4 06-11-2012, 07:13 PM

Nice man. Ive been wanting to live line some sunnies for big pickerel by me. Guess I'm def gonna have to give it a try..

Fishon1982 · #5 06-11-2012, 07:50 PM

That's a awesome story I have been there trolling for trout and last week we hooked up with over 10 smallies on the troll in 2 hr stay

NorthJerzyG · #6 06-11-2012, 08:42 PM

What's your method for trout trolling, if don't kind me asking? Down rigger, or just slow trolling spinners? Never tried big lake trout fishing myself.

Also, what's the forage base for Clinton? Just perch and sunnies or is there herring there? Saw a bunch of bait fish rising early this morning but couldn't buy a bite fishing through them.