It’s been a tough trout season for NJ anglers this year. After the long winter which kept the rivers cold throughout April & the Furunculosis outbreak at the NJ fish hatchery, we weren’t sure if there would be any season at all.   This year only Rainbow & Brown trout were stocked in our local rivers & in much less numbers. Both species of trout are typically less tolerant of cold water than their cousins the Brook Trout.   Over the past two weeks, the river temps have been slowly rising & the fishing has turned on.   On May 10^th, the air temps rose into the 80’s and the weather was predicted to be foggy with showers all day changing into thunderstorms in the evening & night.   These are my favorite types of spring fishing days.   Trout, like all fish, will tend to be more aggressive before a large weather system.  The fog & cloudiness also help with a stealthy approach because you will not project a shadow.   Being a spin fisherman as opposed to a fly fisherman, you need any help you can get on our local rivers.

The plan was to explore some new spots on the Upper Paulinskil that I found using Google Maps.   I looked for bridges over the river and areas close to the Sussex Branch Hiking Trail where the river was accessible.   After trying 3 spots which did not pan out, the 4^th location had a large bend in the river caused by a massive beaver dam.   In the middle of the bend there was a deep hole between 4-5 feet deep.   This type of river structure almost always holds fish and sometimes a true trophy will be at the bottom of the hole.   Using a small blue & white spinner, I managed two stockie bows on the edges of the bend. I fished the deeper section with spinners, jigs and a sinking rapala but no takers.   The action slowed & some thunderstorms rolled in, so I moved on.   The rest of the spots yielded no fish but looked promising for future trips.

After dodging some more thunderstorms, I ended the day at the Musconetcong River near a spot which I was told always holds fish.   As the sun dropped, the spinner was no longer useful so I switched to a black & pink trout magnet jig.     I managed 2 more trout in the evening and missed a few others.

Total count: 4 rainbow trout, 1 smallmouth, 1 largemouth and a few small sunfish.   So far, the best day of trout fishing I have had this spring in NJ and hopefully it will continue through the month.

Tight Lines,

Mark Beardmore