Ramapo lake - NJFishing.com Your Best Online Source for Fishing Information in New Jersey

23cardinal · #1 07-29-2016, 07:54 PM

Walked to Ramapo lake today- road is closed- so not gonna kayak unless I get an inflatable-
Beautiful bass lake- got 2 lmb- saw a lot of small fish- beautiful cover- nice stained water- hard lake to walk-almost a mile in and out- and not much shore-
Hits on football jig/no skirt/crawfish

Ken Lyons · #2 07-30-2016, 09:05 AM

Hard walk is a huge understatement. The upper parking lot is 800 ft higher than the lake. I bought a cheapo bike from Sears, put a milk crate for my stuff on the back and draped a float tube over it. It probably took 3 or 4 minutes to get from the lot to the lake but 25 to get back. That was 15 years and 20 pounds ago. Always caught something though nothing really big. Fishing pressure was almost non existent. The Blue Gills were really big and great fun on a fly rod.

rwp2101 · #3 07-30-2016, 12:03 PM

A few years ago I put the wheelez in the scuppers of my revo 13, loaded it up with a stupid amount of gear, fish finder battery, net, tackle, etc etc and walked it in along the gated road. Just as I about said to myself I wasn't going to make it back out after fishing all day if the lake wasn't around the next bend, the lake was of course around the next bend.

Fished for just two hours before the weather started to get real nasty. Caught a few fish just nothing big. Wished I had more time and as I came off the water I thought that I would definitely be back because it was such a beautiful body of water.

And then I started back...

Two flat wheelez tires and an hour later back at the truck I said the #%*^ with that #%*^?¥< lake!!!

I like your idea MUCH better than mine, Ken!

Ken Lyons · #4 07-30-2016, 12:36 PM

It's about the only way to do it but you are severely limited in how much you can take with you. I would love to be out there in a kayak with a FF and a motor. Ain't gonna happen.

briansnat · #5 07-30-2016, 10:50 PM

I'm there often because I'm the trails supervisor for the park. Oddly enough, in 20 years of doing trail work around the lake and spending probably hundreds of hours there, I never dipped a line in the lake.

I always make it a point to chat up the anglers to see how they are doing. Most don't venture far beyond the dam and I rarely see any catches beyond the occasional sunfish and perch.

There are some very "bassy" looking areas on the west side of the lake if you are willing to walk a little after reaching it. The hike isn't hard. About 20 minutes of mostly gentle uphill from the lower parking lot. Longer from the upper parking area.

I've often considered carrying my canoe up there. I can also drive tothe lake because of my trail maintenance position, but I hesitate to abuse that right for the purpose of fishing.

23cardinal · #6 07-31-2016, 10:10 PM

Brian- saw one member of the bucket brigade by them damn- I got in the back- lots of action- debating walking my kayak- I like new spots(green turtle is pretty wiped out) and having space- I had a lot of action- just not much on hookups- was way too hot

-ken- I don't mind the walk- I found an extra 10 lbs- but b4 that I was pretty decent- so I don't mind the walk or dragging a yak next time - just need water

Predator · #7 08-01-2016, 08:00 AM

I ran into a brigader twice there last season. I had to do a double take and shake my head after peeking into big white. A big ol bucket of 3-4 inch Sunnies. My friend tells me they toss the entire fish in a blender and then make fish cakes out of the mush. Also the hike up from the lower lot to the lake is very easy.

Fred E. Goose · #8 08-01-2016, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Predator

. Also the hike up from the lower lot to the lake is very easy.

...plus it's mostly downhill at the end of the day, where the upper lot is downhill at the beginning of the day but uphill AFTER a day of walking/fishing. I just feel like such a weirdo when people pass me and I'm flipping rocks and logs looking for crawlers right off the trail. You wouldn't believe some of the looks I get.

23cardinal · #9 08-01-2016, 12:26 PM

Besides fish cakes- if u fry them hard- You can suck the meat up- n
Tried it in Florida once- good but too much work and not feasible up here-
The lower trail is easier- but u can't drag a yak on it easily- not paved
I've given up on other people when fishing- I look crazy regardless- If I wasn't so pale- I'd go no sleeves and talk like Larry the cable guy just to confuse the hikers more

briansnat · #10 08-01-2016, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Predator

I ran into a brigader twice there last season. I had to do a double take and shake my head after peeking into big white. A big ol bucket of 3-4 inch Sunnies. My friend tells me they toss the entire fish in a blender and then make fish cakes out of the mush. Also the hike up from the lower lot to the lake is very easy.

They can take all of the sunnies they want. I've rarely seen a water that wasn't chock full of sunnies, even ones that get hit hard by the bucket brigade. It's when I see 8 inch bass in that bucket that pisses me off.