Ultralight jigging in the NJ Pinelands

[NJ219bands]

Went ultralight jigging in 55 degree Turnmill Pond this afternoon during a nor’easter before 4” rainfall this week. Caught and released a 12” gravid female yellow perch on my third cast of the day with a 1/8 oz black twister tail jig on 4 lb test line. Then caught and released 3 small pickerel on my next three casts before my double Palomar knot pulled out and I lost my only black lure. Caught and released two more small pickerel and a 13” largemouth bass on a 1/8 oz white twister tail jig. Saw a small fish 🐟 jump out of the lake. Heard music and saw someone on the fishing pier. Canada geese, mallards 🦆, crows 🐦*⬛, vultures and black birds were flying. Looks like a black lure is better than a white lure on a cloudy day.

[Bruce Litton]

Brings back memories from 1977 when me & a friend did the devious act of loading our limit catches of pickerel from Turn Mill in December into a big cooler of cold water, then hauling the fish to Princeton Township. There we dumped the contents of the cooler into one of Princeton Day School's ponds, the one down below four other impoundments of a creek. In just a few years, that pond was loaded with pickerel.

[drjjpdc]

Originally Posted by Bruce Litton

Brings back memories from 1977 when me & a friend did the devious act of loading our limit catches of pickerel from Turn Mill in December into a big cooler of cold water, then hauling the fish to Princeton Township. There we dumped the contents of the cooler into one of Princeton Day School's ponds, the one down below four other impoundments of a creek. In just a few years, that pond was loaded with pickerel.

Bruce and nj219,

I don't want anyone's hot spot but I walk with a cane and last year could not get close enough to the water to cast at Turn Mill Pond with all the bushes. I'm hoping to try this year.

[NJ219bands]

Originally Posted by drjjpdc

Bruce and nj219,

I don't want anyone's hot spot but I walk with a cane and last year could not get close enough to the water to cast at Turn Mill Pond with all the bushes. I'm hoping to try this year.

You can catch fish at the boat launch and fishing pier. Colliers Mills Lake is also good. I caught nothing on my last 2 trips to Turnmill Pond.