Monksville Miracles
 

Played hookey today and I'm sure glad that I did. After many fishless days trying for them, I finally popped my cherry on my first WALLEYE...AT MONKSVILLE....at 11:30am on a sunny day!?!?!? You hear the one about the blind squirrel finally getting a nut, I'm living proof today! Also landed a personal best Smallmouth just shy of 19" but a big fat piggy beast. Just shy of 4 lbs, maybe call it 3.75? My scale is not digital (is it analog then?) The smallie had a buddy of similar size swimming alongside it up to the side of the boat. As much as I hate Monksville somedays, there's always been memories that keep me coming back there and today was one of those memorable days.

Re: Monksville Miracles
 

Ditch the Phillies shirt:p

Re: Monksville Miracles
 

That's a football bronze dude. And a nice eye to boot! Eating well in there.

And as Wilson so eloquently stated, ditch that shirt. Makes your fish instantly smaller regardless of what they taped out at hahaha

Re: Monksville Miracles
 

Sounds like the fall bite! Nice fish!

Re: Monksville Miracles
 

Awesome job, Fred!

Re: Monksville Miracles
 

I will as soon as hockey starts. GO FLYERS!!! :p

Phillies shirts aren't lucky for the ballplayers wearing them, but I'm starting to think it's gotta be lucky for someone...why not me?

The last time I wore it....
http://www.njfishing.com/forums/atta...9&d=1472341594

Re: Monksville Miracles
 

nice haul at a tough place.that's a really nice bronzeback.:cool:

Re: Monksville Miracles
 

Nice fat smallie! Great catch!!

Re: Monksville Miracles
 

good to hear the bronze are starting to buddy up, what did that one eat?

Re: Monksville Miracles
 

Very nice Smallie and great job with the Walleye! My buddy's first Monks 'eye was very similar to yours, mid September just before noon on a bright day, weird! Trolling or casting if you don't mind me asking?

Re: Monksville Miracles
 

Good catches! No skunksville for u
Ur smallie looks like a baby bronze tuna it's so plump-
Nice work- I'm more than a little bit jealous-
Yea I'm curious about the football and the drunk day time walleye- if u don't mind sharing-by the north launch or in the south(deep water)

Re: Monksville Miracles
 

Nice job with the fish. I remember the days when we use to be able to throw Jerkbaits and spinnerbaits around the lake.. that was before the 30 foot wall of weeds decided to take over.

Re: Monksville Miracles
 

A very large crankbait. I was actually tossing it and hoping one of them muskies would pop out of the weeds and nail it. It was cool to see "big fish eat big baits" to be true for once.

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Pretty cool, Skunk. Flatline trolling: rod in one hand, tiller of the trolling motor in the other hand. Tried to replicate my route several times after that with no luck, so I resorted to casting a large crankbait at the weeds and got the smallie.

Re: Monksville Miracles
 

So you caught the one bass and one walleye that live in Monksville, cool. Not many get both (at least on the same day). Too bad you missed the muskie (it's a nice one judging from the pics).

I hope you returned them to the water. There used to be a trout in there too, but someone kept it.

Re: Monksville Miracles
 

Check your pm's

Re: Monksville Miracles
 

Not many lakes in NJ that give you the feeling of accomplishment like Monks does after putting together a solid catch. Nice work!

Re: Monksville Miracles
 

I remember those days, people caught some good ones too. The state actually threw in a few hybrids in there and I've seen 2 photos of people catching them few years ago. Guess it was a test program but I guess that's not going to happen.

Re: Monksville Miracles
 

Yeah Frank, I really like it early spring before those weeds start to develop and the lake gets crowded.

Haha! I think the muskie ate the trout. I've read that it was like a feeding frenzy at the boat ramp when the state would dump the trout in there.

Yeah Scott! I lived on Ringwood Ave. in Wanaque a couple years back, so I've fished there A LOT. Mostly from land since this is only my 2nd year with the boat and the first year was mostly spent getting used to fishing on a tiny aluminum. I don't do great there, and have had plenty of skunked days, but I usually do better than average. This walleye was definitely hard earned.

Re: Monksville Miracles
 

I have a picture on my phone of a very large Hybrid caught at Monks in the spring. There are a few in there, as well as in Greenwood...

Re: Monksville Miracles
 

land one of the lake trout in there and i'll be impressed!

Re: Monksville Miracles
 

Great job @ the big SKUNKY. That place is the twilight zone of NNJ fishing holes, I guess that is part of the allure & attraction of fishing there. Just when you think you have it figured out the rule book gets re-written by the fish. The biggest walleyes that have made it into my boat have been during the day, on spinner baits slow rolled @ 15-25' in the channels leading into flats & bays with lots of weed & timber. Like Scott said to is a rewarding experience when @ best or a great place for a boat ride, a few brews & a throw a few casts.

You can still throw spinner baits & search baits but you just have adjust your speed & depth to just skim the tops of the weed bed. If they are hungry they will eat & there is a lot of food in there. Plenty to handle a robust stocking program of HBSB if you guys @ the F&G are listening. It may hurt the trout in there but really, that trout fishery has long been on the ropes since the musky were introduced.

There are some monster HBSB in there but are only active in the wee hours-try the ramps during those times with spooks & hold the f on...