Split Rock Res. 6/9/13:

[AndyS]

Had the pleasure of fishing with HerringKing today. Yesterday I made bait and put the bait pen in the creek behind my neighbors house. The stream was awfully flooded and my neighbor assured me that where I put my bait pen was a good choice since there is always water there. HerringKing got to my house a little after 5am and our first stop was to get our bait. I get down to the stream and there is my bait pen high and dry, I guess the water went down that far that fast, and I know not to listen to my neighbor anymore. I usually keep my bait pen in a creek at another spot but that was running high and all over the place, no matter. 1st stop was to get more bait. 3 lifts with the umbrella net and we has our bait limit of small sunfish.
2nd stop, more bait. Hit the bait store in Netcong, as soon as I walk in the lady starts loading me up with herring. “ I said whoa!, it’s June, time to turn the page, it’s time for bayass”
Loaded up with large shiners ( which are now small, 10 years ago large shiners were 5 and 6 inches long) now large are 3 to 4 inches long, oh well.
We launched, tried a deep spot, one smallmouth. Moved toward the back, and various depths. We FINALLY found our groove around 11am and started getting a nice pick going. A smallmouth here, a crappie there and so on. Got the Jersey 5 today. LMB, SMB, crappie, yellow perch, and slime darts, all fish released. I think we found our groove just a little late as the sun was beating down and by around 1pm and it seemed the fish had gone to sleep. A 50/50 mix on hookup ratio between shiners and sunfish.
Got back and took the boat out, parking lot was packed, I think Jersey Paddlers had more to do with putting this place on the map than any fishing website. Lots of kayakers, and I can’t blame them, a beautiful sunny warm June day. I patrolled the parking lot and surrounding areas for trash,. Area was pretty well kept as I found very little trash except for a coconut husk, go figure.
Next stop, and it’s almost a must was the After in Flanders for a bacon cheese burger with onion rings on the side.
All in all a good Jersey fishing day.
On a side note I asked the lady at the bait store if it had been busy lately, she said no, no one is fishing anymore, and she was serious. I’m still trying to digest this. Then I talked to Wilson and he said Round Valley was a mob scene today. People not buying bait, I don’t know.

[HerringKing]

Thanks for taking me out Andy. It was a good time.

[FASTEDDIE29]

Sounds like fun guys. No pics today? Hell of a day to be out on the water.