ice report from the cong - NJFishing.com Your Best Online Source for Fishing Information in New Jersey

icebadger · #1 01-24-2022, 08:48 AM

I went out on the cong sunday and fished with chrisper and squatch we had fish to play with the ice was 7" for the most part but there was still open water and areas that just froze over within the last couple of days so you had to be careful were you went. the perch were playing nice on rippin raps and marmooska jigs with a meal worm. oh yea i had to deal with a couple of slime darts as well the perch went from 6" to 12" and the slime darts were 16" to 18" you had to fish close to the bottom and bring the jig up off the bottom to get them to hit. the weeds were not to bad at the spot i was at. the final count was 36 perch and 4 slime darts, i kept 10 perch for the table. a good day to be out there. saturday was a tough day the bluebird skies and the high pressure made fishing tough i had only 5 perch all day. if you get a chance to go out please be careful and check as you go.

thmyorke1 · #2 01-24-2022, 09:00 AM

nice perch! sorry about the slime darts

I'll be going solo thurs-friday, somewhere idk anywhere safe, but looking to see if anyone else wants to join.

TD · #3 01-24-2022, 01:12 PM

Great report, nice looking haul. I was out there on Saturday and Sunday. The ice was about 8 inches where I was but there was some open water. It skimmed over by Sunday, obviously dangerous if you did not see the open water the previous day. I went around 12 and the jigging was ok on Saturday for Perch. 2 pickerel on tip-ups. Sunday, I actually had a slower day jigging, with a few tiny perch, 3 sunnies, and 1 decent pickerel on a tip-up. Jigging, I was using a tear drop jig. Pickerel hit both days after 2pm.

bulletbob · #4 01-24-2022, 05:29 PM

I know most guys don't want pickerel to eat, but if you can deal with the bones, they are one of the absolute best eating fish in fresh water,, White and firm, no muddy taste at all this time of year ,and as good as perch or walleyes in my opinion.. I think the reason most ice fishermen don't take them is that like me, most don't know how to filet them..

FASTEDDIE29 · #5 01-24-2022, 06:58 PM

Way to go guys! Badger I admire your passion for ice fishing. Your always out there giving it hell. Good eats man. Keep the reports coming! Hoping some contests happen this year.

bunker dunker · #6 01-25-2022, 09:26 AM

nice Badger!!!!will be on the hunt saturday and sunday.

Drossi · #7 01-25-2022, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bulletbob

I know most guys don't want pickerel to eat, but if you can deal with the bones, they are one of the absolute best eating fish in fresh water,, White and firm, no muddy taste at all this time of year ,and as good as perch or walleyes in my opinion.. I think the reason most ice fishermen don't take them is that like me, most don't know how to filet them..

Grind them up, they make wonderful fish cakes mixed with potato, onion, and bread crumbs.

acabtp · #8 01-25-2022, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drossi

Grind them up, they make wonderful fish cakes mixed with potato, onion, and bread crumbs.

i never understood this. tried it once, just ended up with fish cakes full of ground up bones, not something i would try again.

the 5 fillet method works well.

Chrisper4694 · #9 01-25-2022, 12:42 PM

i still think i could've jumped that fissure...

icebadger · #10 01-25-2022, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chrisper4694

i still think i could've jumped that fissure...

i don't know about that i went back the next day and stepped over the crack and fished out a bit form the crack the ice was 6" on the other side but i went down from that fissure the chunks of ice was still too scary looking to jump over..