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  #1  
Old 07-02-2016, 11:12 PM
Jake Owen Jake Owen is offline
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Join Date: Jun 2016
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Default Not catching anything, I need some help.

Hey guys, My name is Jay Cohen. I recently moved to Rutherford, I fish from the shore, no boat, no fishfinder. I catch and release, I pick up trash. I leave no footprints.

I used to fish a lot when I was younger, and am just getting back into it. Had to learn my baitcaster all over again. I use a Curado, and a Falcon Cranker. Mostly throw cranks, but learning other things. I have a little ultra light that I use for finesse under trees and things. Will soon pick up another rig for frogs and jigs.
I grew up next to the Swimming River Reservoir in Lincroft, and I knew every inch of that place, and I knew what the fish liked. I would love to go back there, but they used 9/11 as an excuse to keep people out.

I have been fishing a little bit in the Passaic, south of Dundee. I caught a little white perch, and three tiny smallies. I was there this evening in a little spot in a neighborhood in Wallington. Fish were jumping, and boiling up everywhere.I could'nt catch anything! I tried many lures, top water sammie, popper, a frog, a big fat slow crankbait, spinners, spoons, square bill, jerk baits, senko. Lost two good lures to a tree, then went home.

I have also been going up to the Ringwood area, and trying a few of the ponds and lakes up there. I caught two dinks in Green Turtle, before a bear scared me away. I caught two sunnies in the river that leads into Monksville. I know they call it Skunksville, but I thought I would give it a try. I would like to make the hike to the other side of where the timber is, just don't know if it would be worth the effort, and now I'm scared of bears. I would also like to fish off the dam, in the deep part. Not sure If I'm allowed? Probably no bears there.

So I don't know if all my lures suck, if I suck, if my locations suck. I am getting really frustrated. I just want to catch a fish.

I have been fishing for largemouth most of my life. I would love to catch a pike, a muskie or a Walleye, but a big bass would make me very happy.

Any words of encouragement? Iaconellis "Don't Give Up" has been resounding in my head.
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  #2  
Old 07-03-2016, 03:36 AM
Bill Willix Bill Willix is offline
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Default Re: Not catching anything, I need some help.

Don't give up sometimes it is good to down size and go with your ultralight and some smaller soft plastics. Gulp makes some great littler soft plastic minnows about 3 inches long that would work great in those ponds. Go as early in the day as you can or in the evening. I know it is scary if you aren't use to bears but they really do not want to hurt you. Just try and make noise when walking in areas where you expect them to be. If it makes you feel more comfortable they do make mace for bear attacks. Good luck.
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  #3  
Old 07-03-2016, 04:02 AM
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23cardinal 23cardinal is offline
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Location: Haskell
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Default Re: Not catching anything, I need some help.

Lot of the local (ring wood) is very weedy, so some salamander action, some senko, or the little fish gulps work too. Maybe a scum frog early or late. That little river into monksville is a great trout stream spring and fall. If your local, lot of guys swear some of the smaller lakes with less fishing pressure are better. Fish aren't as spooked. What ever u fish, go with where ur comfy and safe. Could always walk pompton lake, or ramapo. Dunno where your at, exactly, but don't be afraid to dip a line everywhere. I hit a lmb behind the holiday inn in Wanaque last week- fish live in lots of strange places
Monksville u can't fish from the damn, but if u head north of the boat launch there's a big drop off. Maybe give some herring swimming lessons. There's also on the west side an old boat laudnch that u can shore fish from. Near the dam. I don't do well over in stump city, but I see a lot of guys there. Prob fish there.
As for gators- know there are big ones in pompton lakes. If you find the secret to Muskies, let me know.
Edit-pompton lake is undergoing soil remediation by dupont
Dunno what access will be like
Keep ur head up, we all have slumps and bumps-beats working!

Last edited by 23cardinal; 07-03-2016 at 04:29 AM..
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  #4  
Old 07-03-2016, 09:19 AM
liveitup1.75liter liveitup1.75liter is offline
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Default Re: Not catching anything, I need some help.

If ur fishin prime time in am or pm I'd go BIG!!! Try a rapala skeeter walk n bounce ur rod tip back n forth to get that irresistible walk the dog action.. faster can be better 2 for reaction bites that are savage..(trow in a long pause here n there) at least when u go big u no the fish see ur offering up to u n ur retrieve to get em to go!!! Some of my biggest LG mouths were caught burning musky lures
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  #5  
Old 07-04-2016, 09:52 PM
Jake Owen Jake Owen is offline
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Default Re: Not catching anything, I need some help.

Thanks for the advice guys. I had another weekend of no fish, anger and frustration. Tried two new lakes. Too many bucket brigades, obnoxious people lighting off fireworks, throwing shit in the water, and the liter is overwhelming. I do not enjoy going to places like this. I am starting to think the fish are just not there. I have not even seen anyone catch a fish in any of the lakes i've been to, except the bucket brigade with half a dozen dead perch on a stringer, that they caught with live bait. I might be done. If I ever fish again, it will be back at my home reservoir, where there is none of this bullshit. I'll risk the ticket.
Later,
Enjoy your summer.

Sorry Ike

Last edited by Jake Owen; 07-04-2016 at 09:55 PM..
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  #6  
Old 07-05-2016, 03:16 PM
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jimmythegreek jimmythegreek is offline
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Default Re: Not catching anything, I need some help.

go on craigslist and get a cheapo POS kayak and start fishing some better waters. shore fishing in this state is tough unless you got good spots. the passaic is a good shore fishery but I honestly wouldnt bother fishing anymore if i couldnt use a boat. As said sunrise and sunset are prime time and when all else fails bring a second rod and use a slip bobber and catch a few fish, shiners/worms always work for bass/panfish
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  #7  
Old 07-05-2016, 07:01 PM
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briansnat briansnat is offline
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Default Re: Not catching anything, I need some help.

Shore fishing can be tough. Even if you go with the right bait at the right time, in many places you are standing where the fish are in the shallows and casting out to the deep water where they aren't. In certain seasons and times of the day that can be productive, but it can also be counterproductive at certain times and in certain seasons.

If you are looking for bass, cranks work, but it's hard to beat plastics. Yamamoto Senko and Swim Senko, Zoom Trick Worm, Zoom Speed Worm, Yamamoto Kreature, Rage Tail Thumper, Rage Tail Space Monkey, Keitech, Zoom Flukes and many others. Hook them wacky or with a 4/0 EWG worm hook (or 2/0 or 3/0 for smaller baits) through the nose Texas rig style. Go to Youtube and learn the dropshot rig. That will get you down into the zone (depending on the situation) from shore.

A lot of people here do well from shore but most of them have years of experience in the region and know the go to locations the way you knew Swimming River.

I agree with the Jimmythegreek. Get yourself a beater kayak or canoe for a hundred or two and to quote our governor, "Get the hell off the beach".

Last edited by briansnat; 07-05-2016 at 07:05 PM..
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  #8  
Old 07-07-2016, 11:30 AM
goodfishin goodfishin is offline
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Default Re: Not catching anything, I need some help.

To get off the schneid and get your mojo back in no time, I'd suggest picking up a couple packs of Senko plastic worms. Keep it simple. Get a package of black and a package of green. Make one of them the regular variety and make the other the "Pro Senko" variety (the tapered ones). 4" is perfect.Then, fish them here, there and everywhere. Float them down the Passaic. Hit up your town pond. Throw them around any bassy looking spot you find. Scan Google Maps for puddles you wouldn't have thought of...

Basic Senko's will find you bass all over the place. If they're in there, you have as good a shot by just plunking a few casts of a Senko as you do with any other bait IMHO.

If you're mojo gets down in the deep red, there's always hot dogs, a treble hook, a comfortable chair and a comfortable sit as you wait for a catfish to hit in just about any good-sized lake or river...
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  #9  
Old 07-07-2016, 04:23 PM
Bruce Litton Bruce Litton is offline
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Default Re: Not catching anything, I need some help.

I get a lot of bass on Senkos, even more on slower sinking Chompers worms, just a 2/0 inset hook (snagless rig) with no weight, a fluorocarbon 15-pound test leader tied directly to 15-pound test braid by uni-to-uni splice. That slow descent works on summer bass. You can rent a rowboat at Shepherd Lake near Ringwood, and I highly suggest this. 72 acres is easily rowed. Get there at 8:15. They say they open at 8:00, but you're dealing with the state, so don't expect the truth, but anyway, get there early, and just don't let the beachgoers spoil a good time. Fish towards the back and forget about them. Hit those cove-like depressions midway to the back. Fish weed edges, and as deep as 17 feet or so. A weightless Chompers will get down there if you let it. If it's windy, it's easier to control the heavier Senko. Rig that Wacky, hook-in-the-middle and just deal with weeds or even try a weedless hook, the weed guard type. Most takes come on descent. The main idea is to cast and let sink once. A lot of the time I just reel back quick for another cast. You need medium power spinning for this. A three-pound bass with a lot of weeds to bury its head needs to be forced some.
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  #10  
Old 07-07-2016, 04:29 PM
Bruce Litton Bruce Litton is offline
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Default Re: Not catching anything, I need some help.

Another thought. Why be averse to shiners, not saying you are so, but just in case....because, if you want to catch fish, go to Shepherd, do the same as I've related, and bring along a bucket of shiners aerated with a bubbler most bait shops sell. Pickerel there will tear these up. Right along weed edges. Just use that 15-pound test fluoro leader and don't bother weighting the line with more than a medium-size snap swivel, about all the weight needed to incline the shiner to swim down among the weeds where they're not so thick. Slowly work that shiner back for the next cast, but mainly--let it do it's thing out there.
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