Buzzbait Largies and a Rahway River Stockie

[logs22]

Last Thursday was the beginning of a nice run for me. It started late Thursday night (Friday morning) after a great hockey session which left me filled with energy despite it being after midnight. I was off Friday so I stopped at a local Union County spot where I know I won't get hassled for fishing in the middle of the night. Earlier that day when I was packing a few poles in the car I was looking for a lure I could tie on just to hold the line on a baitcaster and grabbed the first one I saw (a huge buzzbait that had been sitting in my glovebox for past year since I never use them). When I got to the pond I didn't want to waste time tying on a new lure so I just started tossing the buzzbait while perched precariously on a laydown that enabled me to make long casts parallel to the bank. Three casts in and I get slammed just a few feet from where I was standing (thank you trailer hook). I am not sure what I was happier about, the fact that I finally caught a fish on a buzzbait or that the aforementioned fish was close to my PB (at least in weight - est. 2.5-3.5 lbs - super fat but not too long).

Friday I had off so I spent a few hours prowling along the Rahway River in Cranford hoping for some stockies and maybe bass. I caught a few dinks and gills on a tube and then landed a small 'bow on a craw colored squarebill crank. The fish must have already been caught and released because it was pretty battered when I landed it. A quick pic and then the 'bow swam off so a third angler (or a cormorant) can enjoy it.

Monday I worked from home and the conditions in the morning were too perfect for me not to go and take a few casts. I went back to the pond where I had luck on Thursday with the buzzbait and figured, lets give it another try. Standing on a different laydown I once again cast parallel to the bank and burned the lure back to me. After 3-4 casts I landed another respectable LMB and with that catch the buzzbait is now officially part of my arsenal.

Around dusk I decided to head to Echo Lake to see if any of those breeders were still swimming around. I threw tossed a CD-5, gulp minnow, vibrax spinner, Joe's fly spinner, and not even a bite. Finally as I was leaving I hit up a spot where I had caught a nice trout back in Feb. and started throwing the same blue and orange husky jerk that worked back in Feb. On the first cast something big missed a strike right at my feet and I was convinced I had located a breeder. I kept hammering the same spot and within ten minutes I hooked and landed a real nice bass. Not what I was targeting, but beggars can’t be choosers and decent largies are few and far between in lower Echo Lake.

I hope everyone else's season is getting off to a good start!