Fishing the millstone + Raritan Junction?

[thmyorke1]

I was fishing the D+R canal today. This was the first time I set foot in the 10-mile lock. Behind me the whole time was the roaring (from all the rain we had) raritan river as it glided over the lil dam next to the fish ladder. (couldnt tell if it even was a dam, the water just rolled and formed this awesome looking wave)

First of all it's beautiful as heck even in the winter. Place is huge and the recent rain added to it i think. There was this flow from the canal that spilled over the land to the millstone side, and boy that was flooded. Water flowing out of the spill area as much as one of the locks.

Anyways- how do you all fish this area? And from what spot? Today it was so fast i didnt think casting anywhere would be useful. I dont think any other land is legal to get onto; such as the fish ladder section or the land between the millstone and the raritan.

Today was a pretty rough day for fishing in the canal, 1 perch for about 5 hours of fishing ( totally worth it ) Probably due to the rain and I heard fishing after a weather front is bad luck. Victor crowell park was chocolate milk!

[AndyS]

I was there today also. Live it and learn it.

[thmyorke1]

I was confident that you'd respond first Andy

Thanks for posting those pics.

So it looks like you just fish the bottom of the falls from the concrete sides. Im wondering where the fish suspend and get out of that roaring water. Especially since they seem lethargic in this sort of weather.

[acabtp]

not really specific to that area, but when the rivers are up, i start out by looking for fast water next to slow water and fish the seam between the two. you can usually find several places where this pattern exists. feeding fish wait in the slow water watching for prey to come tumbling down in the fast water, so be that prey.

[Jigman13]

Yessess! I love the flood! The rivers and canal needed a proper flushing/mix up!

[TheDreamCatchers]

theres a whole array of species in that area. Quillback and Northern Pike too in the millstone

[thmyorke1]

Originally Posted by acabtp

not really specific to that area, but when the rivers are up, i start out by looking for fast water next to slow water and fish the seam between the two. you can usually find several places where this pattern exists. feeding fish wait in the slow water watching for prey to come tumbling down in the fast water, so be that prey.

I don't think there was a single patch of calm water there. Take a look at Andy's first two pictures and I couldn't zone out anything.

Perhaps such a spot is under the water on a rock, and I also think the fish ladder area had a pool going but that range ain't possible for me.

But I'm assuming things look better when it hasn't rained so much. Gonna go back their another day.

[AndyS]

Fished for a few hours this morning, water was noticeably lower. Threw jigs, swimmers and storm shads, not a bump. I under stand it is January but these conditions are described as "ideal" by most of the Raritan river hard core whack jobs !

[thmyorke1]

Originally Posted by AndyS

Fished for a few hours this morning, water was noticeably lower. Threw jigs, swimmers and storm shads, not a bump. I under stand it is January but these conditions are described as "ideal" by most of the Raritan river hard core whack jobs !

Appreciate the report, and yea that water is at ease with comparison to yesterday.

Do you just cast it into the falls and let it drift?

[FASTEDDIE29]

See those 2 pics Andy posted? The waters high and snotty! It's beautiful! It's powerful! It is the Raritan river stocking truck, LOL!!! Fish swim up, fish wash down, YEP!!!!!