Spruce Run - NJFishing.com Your Best Online Source for Fishing Information in New Jersey

flatcreek · #1 10-06-2011, 07:38 PM

Hit Spruce Run yesterday evening 4:30 till 8:00pm trying for some Hybrids. We drifted herring between 15 and 30 feet out from the rental dock far out into the middle one drift all the way to the rocks and nothing not even a hit. I saw a lot of fish on the finder but no takers. We where in 25 to 65 feet of water and the surface temp was 63. At about 7:30 we took a cruise up to the bridge over Spruce Run creek to see if any fish were holding by the feeder creek, seen only a couple of fish on the finder but nothing I would think was a Hybrid. A beaver did surprise us with a slap of his tail as we glided along with the trolling motor in the dark up by the bridge, it made a big splash about 3 feet from the boat. Anyway this isn't encouraging me to continue my quest to catch more than the 4 hybrids I've gotten so far. If anyone can lend some encouragement or tips for fall Hrybrids it will be appreciated. If not I guess I'll move on to another venture like fall stocked trout and wait till next summer to go after some more Hybrids.

Phil

AndyS · #2 10-06-2011, 09:46 PM

That looks like a great effort on your part, can't beleive you didn't hook up...on anything. Lake Hopatcong for walleye, Merrill Creek for trout if you want to mix it up a bit. Fall stocked trout, you can see 'em between the leaves but 99 percent have lockjaw. After the leaves are gone, it's lights out fishing.

flatcreek · #3 10-10-2011, 02:23 PM

Decided to try Spruce Run one more time with my grandson. We fished from 1:00 to 4:30 on Sun and had a little better Luck. We fished 15 to 25 ft down with shiners, water was 69 and there were lots of fish on the graph. My grandson got a 24" Northern and we picked up 2 Black Crappie 13 and 14 inches. That Pike sure did save me with the kid we got skunked the last time I took him. The Pike went back in the lake, the Crappie came home for dinner.

AndyS · #4 10-10-2011, 05:15 PM

Great report, I gotta get up there, I keep saying I will, thanx !!

lunkertaker · #5 10-10-2011, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flatcreek

Decided to try Spruce Run one more time with my grandson. We fished from 1:00 to 4:30 on Sun and had a little better Luck. We fished 15 to 25 ft down with shiners, water was 69 and there were lots of fish on the graph. My grandson got a 24" Northern and we picked up a 2 Black Crappie 13 and 14 inches. That Pike sure did save me with the kid we got skunked the last time I took him.

PIKE, YEAH

nice crappie. I was not sure if NJ had any slab crappie as I have only caught mostly dinks.

Is the lake at full pool?

ChaosStarter · #6 10-10-2011, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lunkertaker

Is the lake at full pool?

Yes, and then some.

acabtp · #7 10-11-2011, 12:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lunkertaker

I was not sure if NJ had any slab crappie as I have only caught mostly dinks.

Keep looking:

While we don't have quite the slabs like they can get down south, you can find 15"+ fish around

AJFISH13 · #8 10-11-2011, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lunkertaker

PIKE, YEAH

nice crappie. I was not sure if NJ had any slab crappie as I have only caught mostly dinks.

Is the lake at full pool?

They are around but you gotta find places with a decent amount of them. The only time me and my dad went to Spruce Run a 14" crappie saved the day. I can't really say I know any tactics for consistently catching but throwing topwaters for bass has produced some incidental slabs including my PB at 2 lbs..