Smallie smackdown on the Raritan

[Lard Almighty]

I took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather we've had the past week to go after smallies on the Raritan River. My first stop was the Duke Island Park dam, and I found a bunch of smallies stacked up underneath the dam. Nothing big, but action was very consistent. Also, I was surprised by a leaping rainbow trout that was keen on the swimbait I was using. Shortly thereafter, however, I lost my last one on a snag, and the fish didn't want anything to do with the other lures in my tackle bag.

I stopped at Queen's Bridge looking for a kicker, and (surprise!) the only thing I got hits on was a buzzbait! Nothing committed, however, as all the fish were rolling behind the bait and not getting it into their mouths. Still, any action on a buzzbait in November is certainly noteworthy. Saw something HUGE splash downriver, and I don't think it was a carp, either.

All in all a successful fall outing. The bite is still on, don't put the gear away yet!