Spooky Brook Pond

[JoeLongo]

Being new to the area up here, decided to look up on the NJ Wildlife places to fish. Tried out Sppoky Brook. Action all day. Used night crawlers and got a bunch of sunfish and lost a bass when he took to the air. I had no idea they stock the place. Interestingly, many fish are spawning. The entire time I was fishing, there was what looked to be a 4-5lbs bass chasing sunnies away from its bed. I threw everything at him. Worms, lures (banjo minnow), nothing worked. I even livelined a sunny. On the bed across from him, there was a trout sitting there and he wouldnt take anything either. Also caught a perch and a turtle. Glad I brought my wire cutting pliers, otherwise he would still have a hook in him. Looking forward to going back. Next time, a 12 pack will be with me!

[Lard Almighty]

I fished that pond a lot when I lived in Bridgewater. There are some surprisingly big bass in there. Also some nice catfish.

In the summer when it gets a little scummed over, a weedless frog twitched on top of the weed mats can get some heart-stopping strikes.

[JoeLongo]

Which pond is best? I fished in the one to the right of the paddle boats. I know down at the entrance to the park where i came in there was another one.

[catfishonthelake]

A couple things that you "can" try for bedding bass, although some people frown upon catching them off their beds. I don't. I like to catch big fish and I put them right back. You have the right idea with using baits and lures that might "threaten" their eggs. Every nest has a "sweet spot" that you can sometimes see. It's where the eggs are. If you get a lure close enough to it, the bass will attempt to pick up your lure and move it away from the nest, at which point, you set the hook. I use either Tube Baits or T-Rigged Salamanders and work them through the nest until the bass responds. If that fails, a drop-shot rig will also get a soft-plastic eye level and cause a bedding bass to react. Also, if you're a lure junky like me, Jackall makes a great sunfish imitation called the Giron that will sink and stand on its nose. Jackall designed the bait for bedding bass, and it works. BTW, I used to live down there and tried looking for that place a few times since I know there are channels in there. Is that the place by the golf-course?

[Lard Almighty]

BTW, I used to live down there and tried looking for that place a few times since I know there are channels in there. Is that the place by the golf-course?On one side you have Colonial Park, and on the other side is Spooky Brook Golf Course. Technically you're not supposed to fish on the golf course side, but I never got hassled about it.

Which pond is best? I fished in the one to the right of the paddle boats. I know down at the entrance to the park where i came in there was another one.The larger pond is best, but the pond with the paddle boats has some fish in it too. The one near the entrance to the park isn't very good, but sometimes it is stocked with bass and panfish for kids' fishing derbies.

[lunkertaker]

I live real near this pond and have had success there...lots of dinks to weed through.

They do stock this pond with trout (~ 250) and they can be great! Unfortunately, this is a very shallow pond and quickly becomes overgrown with moss and weeds making fishing difficult after May. They do not mow the grass near the pond so also look out for snakes....:eek: I found one last year choking on a bluegill...freed the bluegill and the snake swam away as well.

Two years ago I caught a trout there that had a tag in it's mouth. Part of the "Hook a Winner" program in NJ where ~ 1000 trout are tagged and released all over the state. Who new in spook brook pond!:rolleyes:

Unfortunately, this pond is poorly managed and fishing is only possible in early May and very late fall with anything other than a weedless rig due to the weed/moss bloom.

Perhaps they need grass carp?

[Moz]

I remember scouting this lake last summer as a potential kid-friendly spot to bring my son and it was looking pretty rough in July. Grass was overgrown, algae-scum on the surface, and lots of trash piled up along the downed trees on the opposite side of the lake.

I could see some sunnies swimming around but when I read that the state actually stocked it with trout I couldn't believe it. :eek:

[JoeLongo]

I find it hard to believe there are any trout in there or how long they live. While it does say it is stocked, it just looks like whatever is in there will die, trout wise. Had some scum on top today too. Do they allow canoes or anything?

[lunkertaker]

I have thought about contacting the Fish and Game Dept to find out WHY they stock this as I would think that the way this pond is unfishable by June that ALL the trout will die in the pond and not find their way to the skillet.