PB Smallie from the SBRR

[logs22]

I had Monday off and since it was raining off and on for most of the day I decided it wasn’t worth it to launch the boat so instead I decided to check out a pond in Hunterdon County I have been eyeing since I was a kid growing up in the area. This pond was always off limits even then since it was owned by a private hunting club and those guys don’t mess around - not like sneaking on to the golf course at night and getting chased by groundskeepers.

Anyway, I recently learned that a preservation society had purchased a large tract of land in East Amwell and the crude map of the parcel appeared to encompass this elusive honey hole. I obviously needed to investigate. I parked on the shoulder of a gravel road in the middle of nowhere and started bushwacking the mile or so to the pond using my phone as a compass. Unfortunately when I finally reached my destination (which was even more pristine than I imagined) I found it surrounded with fresh no trespassing/posted signs. I wasn’t 100% certain these signs were legit as I still felt I was within the preservation, so I took a few casts, but my heart wasn’t in it after seeing those signs. On my first cast a big bass snapped my line on the strike (a good sign) and I caught a dink on each of my next 3 casts before packing it in and making the long, wet, tick-infested trek back to the car. I will need to research this spot a bit more to see if any part of the lake is open to the public.

After that disappointment I knew I only had time for one stop on the way home and one chance to redeem my day. I decided to hit the south branch in the Neshanic Area to see if I could salvage the day with a nice smallmouth or trout. I started casting small plugs and spinners for trout with no takers so I switched it up and rigged up a wack senko for smallies. I cast as far as I could and the Senko landed just a few yards shy of the far bank and almost immediately it was fish on. The river was running high and the current in this spot is very strong. I hooked the fish a good 20-30 yards away and getting her across the river in that current was nail biting. I think the only reason I was able to land this fish was because about a year ago in the exact same spot I lost a huge trout right at the bank when the line snapped because I got over-eager. I took my time getting this fish in and my patience paid off. My 6 lb test held up and when I finally got her up on dry land I knew I had a new PB Smallmouth courtesy of the good ‘ol South Branch.

[hartattack]

Nice Phish

[thmyorke1]

Great river smallmouth, get a length or weight? Those bridges on the SB are splendid. I never saw one that didn't look fishy. Hope you keep up the smallie work. You pull out some great lmb and for sure you know how to find them smb.

[AndyS]

Congrats on the PB SMB from the SB !!!
When I see this I can only think of this, and many other piles like this came out of the South Branch. Once we can restore the bottom and get the water quality to where it should nature can take over from there.

[logs22]

Originally Posted by hartattack

Nice Phish

Ha, Its my lucky t shirt:-) I actually have another with the same GD quote from in your signature, had it since I was 17.

[logs22]

Originally Posted by AndyS

Congrats on the PB SMB from the SB !!!
When I see this I can only think of this, and many other piles like this came out of the South Branch. Once we can restore the bottom and get the water quality to where it should nature can take over from there.

Wow, thanks Andy, looks like I have you and many volunteers to thank for the quality of that spot. I am happy to report that besides some graffiti under the bridge the stretch around Neshanic Station is still looking good. The bottom is excellent in this section as well probably because of the current under the bridges. I know if you go upstream about a half mile though the bottom is heavily silted and it is carp heaven.

[logs22]

Originally Posted by thmyorke1

Great river smallmouth, get a length or weight? Those bridges on the SB are splendid. I never saw one that didn't look fishy. Hope you keep up the smallie work. You pull out some great lmb and for sure you know how to find them smb.

Tried to get a weight but my scale wasn’t cooperating and I couldn’t locate my tape before I needed to get the fish back in the water. My educated guess would be around 19”/4 lbs. All I know is that it was def. bigger than my previous best caught on the main stem RR at Duke Island. What made this fish special though was the fight it put up. I can’t remember last time my adrenaline got pumping like that!

[JimmyL]

Good job on the PB.

[FASTEDDIE29]

That’s an absolute beast man! Remember this, there are bigger to be caught! I’ve seen some of the biggest Smallies of my life in that area. Congrats on the PB!!!

[Bruce Litton]

Always good to hear of nice bass from the river. I never forget a J.B. Kasper Freshwater Report from the Fisherman in 2010: a 6.6-pound smallmouth bass from the SB weighed in at Efinger. Before 1990, that would have been the state record.