Tag Archives: Bass

Ice Fishing

The Surreal Nature of Ice Fishing

I am back to the blogging world after a bit of a break to help venture out into the world and bring about some serene pictures backed by fascinating tales!
As we all know, this has been a rather unpredictably troubling winter, but finally, the ice in Northern New Jersey is safe enough to venture out on without the constant fear of a rather chilly bath. This past weekend has brought about some good laughs, good friends, and of course a few good stories that I shall share with you all.

Ready To Go
Ready To Go

Saturday morning started around 6 am for me as I arose to the tantalizing scent of a fresh pot of coffee being brewed. I’ve never been a morning person, but the rewards of waking up early help me deal with the pain of waking up and motivate me to catch that early morning bass or that sneaky rainbow trout. So there I sit sipping down my coffee, ‘Colder Weather by Zac Brown Band’ playing in the background as, contemplating what adventures lay in front of me for the day. Fighting with the chilly temperature of 7 degrees, I load up my gear and the dog and set out for my first destination, Lake AeroFlex in Kittatinny Valley State Park.

Morning Flight
Morning Flight

Beautiful sights and great trout fishing always brings me to this spot at least 5 times a year, but this was my first time ever fishing it in the winter. Unfortunately, I was approached by the State Park Rangers and was asked to disperse before I could even get my gear set up! No, I was not being disruptive or doing anything illegal!! Apparently, they were practicing, with the local fire department, saving people from falling through the ice. So destination two has now become my main score.

A local airport in Warren County holds key to a beautiful little fishing hole that many people are not aware of. It’s a sweet little gem that doesn’t get much attention from fishermen, so it’s become the perfect little cast away spot for the MKFF crew. Here at MKFF we like to end days on a good note so if we are having a bad day of fishing, this place always helps lift our spirits by the mass amounts of fish that we catch.

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The geese took flight about 20 minutes after we arrived. Unfortunately we had only brought fishing gear on this day and had left our shotguns safely at home, nestled in their safes.

Now, as most of us know, ice is and always will be extremely slippery and unsafe, so when you are ever on it or near it you need to practice safety and prepare for anything. Always have a pair of ice picks in case you fall through. Never go on the ice alone and make sure that someone knows that you are on the ice. And one big item that you need, that our one fisherman Mark learned is that cleats do help quite a bit to help you stay on your feet, and not on your backside.

Taking a Tumble
Taking a Tumble

Now back to the fishing! So this local spot didn’t let this angler down on Saturday. Producing quite a few fish helped save our moods from the high temperature of 17 and a wind chill of 4. Yeah, chilly conditions were saved by good fishing and a nice flask filled with some Johnie Walker. 2 perch were caught on this day as well as one 24 inch pickerel and about 25 bass ranging from a pound and a half to 5 pounds.

First Fish of the day
First Fish of the day

It feels great to be back writing and sharing my adventures! Stay tuned for more exciting excerpts from the life of the MKFF crew. Be sure to get out there and share some of your stories and pictures with us! And of course be safe and always remember to be courteous to mother nature.

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Ice Fishing

Hard Water is Here

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Happy New Year to all of our readers and followers! The snow event we received at the end of December brought with it the January cold. Last weekend the ice was thick enough, in some places, to head out. Fortunately, for everyone’s waist lines and sanity the Christmas season has come and gone leaving some quality time to get caught up on Rippin’ Lips.

Shakespeare Ice Combo With a Glow in the Dark Spoon.
Shakespeare Ice Combo With a Glow in the Dark Spoon.

Farm Ponds of Warren County

In northern New Jersey, some winters, we will have ice and others we will not. Last winter, there was no ice. Taking a peek at the long-term weather, it is difficult to tell how long the ice will last this year. That being said, smaller, shallow ponds freeze more quickly than larger bodies of water. The farm and horse country of northwest New Jersey is host to thousands of little ponds. Every farmer, former farm or country estate seems to have a little body of water. These puddles are often stocked with Bass and large ones at that.

Old Bucket Mouth Lip Grip.
Old Bucket Mouth Lip Grip.

Bass Under the Ice

In the past we have dedicated some page space to the optimal temperature for Bass. The winter is by no means ideal for this species; Bass slow down their movement and tamper their aggressiveness, though they still must eat.  Early ice provides for more action than late ice, especially when there is no snow cover. In a farm pond or other man made structure the Bass congregate in the deepest area.

The fish were trending smaller on this day.
The fish were trending smaller on this day.

Venturing Onto the Ice

All outdoor activity carries with it certain risks, you should be fully aware of these before venturing out. We recommend carrying certain minimal safety equipment with you. The MKFF crew carries a rope and a set of picks for extraction. Additionally, it makes it easier to walk and you less likely to fall if you use a set of cleats.

Holding up the prize!
Holding up the prize!

Tip Ups

Traditionally, anglers target fish under the ice using a tip up or by jigging with an ice rod. New Jersey allows you to have five (5) set ups in the water at one time. This could be any combination of rod and tip ups to the maximum number. A typical set up includes tip up, ice line, swivel, two to three feet of leader and a circle hook. A medium shiner, hooked through the back with shot sinker, up the leader, one foot from the hook, does the trick. Before hooking the bait, use a sounder attached to the hook, find bottom and pull up to be at the weed level. Once the level is set, attach your bait, lower it in and set the tip up.

Nice fish Ed!Hooking the Fish

A circle hook, as described above, is set in a different manner from the traditional fishing hook. The hook “sets itself,” leaving the angler at risk of pulling the bait out of the fish’s mouth. We adopted a method; in short, once the flag went up, allow some line to run out, once the run slows, pull on the line until taught. The fish will be hooked and you will begin working the fish back through the hole.

Check Back For More

If the winter weather conditions hold we will be back at it, attempting to catch more and bigger fish. If not, MKFF will hit the trap range next weekend. Either way, catch you next time.

Bass

Fall Bass in the Campaign Season

Saturday was a busy day! The Kuhn and Stracco campaign for Frelinghuysen Township Committee kicked the day off with an early morning strategy session, followed by the full deployment of yard signs throughout the community. Remember, the election is 15 days away, be sure and vote for your sportsman’s issues. More info on our campaign for Frelinghuysen Township Committee can be found at www.electkuhn.com.

The Campaign Strategy Session

Fall Trout Season

MKFF set out to hook into a few Trout the State of New Jersey dropped into our local streams in the beginning of October. Unfortunately, the result was a painful skunking. The day was salvaged with the Nick’s 206 Lobster and Steamer Special.

We Ate These, All of It!

Fall Bass Fishing In New Jersey Lakes

Mark purchased a new fish finder that was on sale at Amazon.com. The Humminbird 140C Fishin’ Buddy 3.5-Inch Waterproof Fishfinder now replaces Dave’s famous fish finder that we are pretty sure can’t find a fish if its’ circuit boards depended on it. After some minor adjustments to sensitivity settings, the thing was chirping away.

Ripped This Lip Using a Worm With Weedless Size 4 Hook, Rigged Texas Style.

In the fall lake environment, Bass activity is temperature dependent. Many, if not most lakes have flipped at this point; effectively equalizing the ambient air temperature and water temperature. Initially we weren’t even detecting fish, we relied on the fish finder and found the warmer waters and drop offs.

Mark Tied It Up With This Guy

Following significant success with worm rig outs, we switched off to Rapalas. I used a fluorescent yellow and green, jointed model. Mark used a silver, non-jointed; success rate was roughly similar though he hooked more Crappie and Sunfish.

Hooked In the Shallow Stump Infested Waters.

As the daylight ends prematurely these days; the sun goes down and it gets cold, unfortunately we had to wrap it up after two and a half hours of fishing.

Final Chunky Bass

Back To The Campaign Trail

On the national scale, be sure to investigate the candidate’s stances on gun rights, fishing and hunting. Further, evaluate their stance on the Sportsmen’s Bill.

If you are a resident of Frelinghuysen Township, New Jersey or know someone who is, I kindly request your vote for Kuhn and Stracco on Tuesday November 6, 2012. The polling location is the Johnsonburg Town Hall and it is open from 6AM to 8PM. More info here.