All’s quiet on the eastern front. Even some of the back bays of New Jersey are covered in ice right now. The saltwater fishing has ground to a hault for the time being. Tog fishing fizzled out in the cold temperatures, not that the weather has been conducive to fishing lately. Some fishermen are reportedly still getting out for ling and cod, but call ahead to the party boats to see who is sailing as many boats are resuming trips in the spring.
Freshwater fishing, specifically ice fishing, is going well however. New Jersey fishermen throughout the state are enjoying a rare, extended ice season, and are catching pickerel, bass and scores of panfish. The crew at Harry’s Army Navy in Robbinsville has been finding 4 to 6 inches of ice on the waters in that region. Big pickerel have been the prize at many lakes, but some good sized bass are coming through the ice as well. As always, don’t forget to pack a jigging rod. Drill a few holes and move around with the jig rod to locate schools of panfish.
Lake Hopatcong, the unofficial ice-fishing capital of New Jersey, has been producing good numbers of panfish and pickerel through the ice, along with a few catfish and bass. One angler even caught a pickerel-sized tiger muskie through the ice.
Despite the lackluster fishing options this weekend, fishermen can still get their fix by attending one of the two Garden State sportsman’s shows this weekend. The New Jersey Boat Sale and Expo is happening in Edison this weekend, and fishermen looking to update their ride should swing by to check out the new boats. For surf fishermen, the Jersey Shore Surfcasters will be hosting their annual Surf Day at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft. This show has a ton of great surf-specific vendors and a number of surf-fishing seminars. I’ll be there, talking about my favorite plug, the needlefish. Swing by and say hello, and don’t forget to subscribe to On The Water Magazine.