Merrill Creek/Round Valley 6/18

[AJFISH13]

Sorry for the late report, the computer has been down since Saturday night.

Hit Merrill Creek Saturday morning. It was hot, sunny but the boat traffic was only average. Water clarity was also normal. We had decent fishing for the first 2 hours then it slowy died. We had 27 bass and panfish. Bass were mostly largemouth with some smallmouth and the panfish were rock bass, yellow perch and sunfish. Biggest bass was about 2lbs. Shad raps worked for the bass and inline spinners for the panfish. Did see some fish swirling on herring for about 5 minutes max. Tied on a popper but it was too late. I actually had a number of misses, a smallmouth on which I lost, and a few rock bass on that popper though. Why I don't really know, but we decided to go to Round Valley. It was the absolute worst conditions for fishing there, but cloud cover was around so we decided to give it a shot.

We were on Round Valley at noon. We got off of there around 3:30 pm. As expected, fishing was terrible. We had 1 smallmouth, 1 rock bass, and 2 sunfish. The smallie hit a popper(same one I was using at MCR), and the rest of the fish hit shad raps. It was cloudy at times but that didn't seem to help. A long day of fishing but a decent one.

[AndyS]

2 Big lakes in one day, WOW !!

[AJFISH13]

Originally Posted by AndyS

2 Big lakes in one day, WOW !!

Yeah, Round Valley was a nuthouse though, some people don't understand 9.9 motor doesn't mean you should ALWAYS be running that motor . Good day of freshwater Saturday and got a new PB striper on Sunday, pretty good weekend of fishing.

[lunkertaker]

Originally Posted by AndyS

2 Big lakes in one day, WOW !!

Hey I got AJ beat. 3 ponds in one day...Assunpink in the am...Davidson's Pond mid afternoon...and Farrington in the pm. Caught LMB and pickeral on all three.

On all three, I launched my boat, fished at least 2 h, loaded up and moved on, spending the most time (> 3 h) at Assunpink and Farrington (here fishing the lily pads...a personal favorite)...a long day that will be repeated.

AJ may have me beat in driving time from pond to pond?

AJ...want to try for 4 ponds in a single day together? Am game!

[AJFISH13]

Have done Rainbow, Parvin and Clark's Pond all in one day. 4 would be a little crazy but I never have had the reason too. Out of 2 or 3 lakes, I always have found fish feeding. I would like to try Farrington Lake, me and my dad might join ya out there sometime this summer.

[Art Berkman]

Nice report.

PS MC has been off this year

[AJFISH13]

Originally Posted by Art Berkman

Nice report.

PS MC has been off this year

It's been a decent year for me there. Last April we had a very good day with largemouth and big nasty pickeral. Bass to 5 lbs. and pickeral to 6lbs. all in the cove next to the timber flooded cove. That's where the bass were swirling on the herring Saturday. Always largemouth in that cove but there is a state record in that lake. I have seen some HUGE bass swimming in there, really keeps me coming back. Some nice smallies in there too.

[Moz]

Originally Posted by AJFISH13

I have seen some HUGE bass swimming in there, really keeps me coming back. Some nice smallies in there too.

Biggest LMB I've spotted in NJ was in MC. Huge bass, I know where I'll be fishing from the next time I make it up there.