Northern NJ Catfishing from the Banks
 

Looking for some advice on any good catfish holes in northern NJ. I was stationed in NC for the past three years and got hooked on Catfishing. I'm home on leave for a month before I head to West Point and I've been trying to catch some cats with my lady.

So far I hit the Passaic River at the Elmwood Park boat launch at night and got skunked besides an eel. I tried Garret Mountain during the day and got skunked again (besides my girl catching a sunny that I ended up cutting up for pair to no avail.) And today I tried Daherts in Garfield for about an hour without a single bite. Any suggestions/known spots up here would be much appreciated, also I have no boat so I will be bank fishing.

Also, if anyone has bait suggestions I'm open to them. In NC I always got at least a few throwing chicken livers on a 12-18 in leader with an egg sinker.
Haven't had any action with the chicken up here besides that eel.

Re: Northern NJ Catfishing from the Banks
 

The Delaware river is really good. Also in my area a lake called Columbia lake is real good right off exit 4 on rt 80. Also furnace lake in oxford is pretty good. I also use chicken liver and do just fine with it. Hope this helps Good luck and Thank you for your service.

Re: Northern NJ Catfishing from the Banks
 

Thanks for the tips Bill! I'm camping on the Delaware in a few weeks so I'll make sure to bring my poles. And it is my pleasure.

Re: Northern NJ Catfishing from the Banks
 

Always cleaned up with a bottom rig, catfish nuggets or liver. Try the boat launch up in lake muscenetcong. And if u don't catch there u could try the Passaic junction by two bridges road in Wayne/llincoln park

Re: Northern NJ Catfishing from the Banks
 

Round valley, spruce run, Monksville reservoir all got kitties in there.

Re: Northern NJ Catfishing from the Banks
 

Thanks man, I'll check both of those spots out.

Re: Northern NJ Catfishing from the Banks
 

Thanks! I've been told monksville can be good but it's also very hit or miss.

Re: Northern NJ Catfishing from the Banks
 

You're welcome anytime. If you're ever in the monks area give it a try you never know!

Re: Northern NJ Catfishing from the Banks
 

I think you will be hard pressed to find a lake or river in NJ without a healthy population of catfish. In addition to the previously mentioned spots, also consider Scarlet Oak Pond in Mahwah, Verona Park Lake in Verona (go figure, what are the chances of that?), Pompton/Potash Lakes, Pompton River, Barbours Pond (Woodland Park), Green Turtle Pond in Hewitt, Furnace Lake in Oxford. If you are planning on keeping a few for the table, you will need to pay a little more attention to where you catch them. I don't think I'd eat anything out of the Passaic, unless it was caught well upstream.

I've had good luck with chicken livers (if I can get them to stay on the hook), night crawlers and have done really well with hot dogs of all things. Always use Kosher dogs because you don't want to lose out on a giant channel cat because it was the wrong religion.

Re: Northern NJ Catfishing from the Banks
 

X2 on the hot dogs. They always get me bites