Passaic River Pike

[KneeDeepSteve]

x2. i will only bring people that i can trust that wont go out and go tell everyone the location and spots we were fishing. I have my fishing buds who are not just that who are my good friends as well. i met many great people on this site and other sites as well who have giving me more then enough info which made me a better fisherman. besides that , the whole picture thing. Who cares about backround. How is the person gonna know the exact backround that your picture is in. Obviously if they know then they have been there before.

How is a person going to know the exact background that your picture is in? Well when they say that it is in Fairfield by Route 46.

You are contradicting yourself here. You only bring people you can trust and only tell people location and spots that you trust. Well do you know the thousands of people that read these reports/threads? You trust every single one of them? Again it is a whole different story telling a friend or a person you physically meet from iceshanty or telling someone some info through pms than it is posting it in an internet forum.

Again I know all you guys mean well but you just don't get the damage the internet can do to a spot. I have personally had it happen to a couple of my spots unfortunately and one of those was my "go to" spot. Hopefully it doesn't happen to you.

[Evil Tom]

Don't worry that spots NOT in Fairfield.Its in ridge field,off rt 80.If you look closely you can see the billboards.wahwahwahwa h

[Icemark247]

  lmao

[KneeDeepSteve]

Don't worry that spots NOT in Fairfield.Its in ridge field,off rt 80.If you look closely you can see the billboards.wahwahwahwa h

Personally I could care less where the spot is, I really don't fish for pike and I never fish the Passaic.

[fishgalore]

OK, I'll ride the fence here a bit. I think both sides have good points concerning "spot burning". It can be an issue and especially when you don't know (meaning you are not acquainted with) the other person well. Therefore, you don't really know what they will do with the info. or when they will ruin the spot.

I have mostly been for sharing lots of info. & especially about Mt. Hope pond but about 2 years ago it was hit pretty good during ice season by many folks that normally didn't frequent the place (thanks to me). I was fine with it until one day a lone fisherman that I spoke with commented that the place was full of dink Sunfish. He led me to believe that it was his intention to catch them and just leave them on the ice because of his opinion. I don't believe he had fished there before. Guys like that don't respect the fishery among other things at all. You can't just do whatever you want whenever you want irrespective of the consequences. Take personal responsibility for your actions (that was the consensus about safe ice if I remember correctly, problem is that plenty refuse to do so)!

IMO the viewpoint he took showed a terrible disdain for the fishery. I didn't see him actually do what he was suggesting but there are folk out there that don't follow proper etiquette concerning a fishery or the regulations that govern them. Sometimes it's out of ignorance but many times it's not. It's mainly because it'll inconvenience them to do so. I'm sure we've all done something like that at one time or another. That's a travesty and reflects on fisherman as a whole, at least in some sense.

Here's another example, and we've all seen fisherman do this or at least we've seen the effects of their behavior. They carry stuff in and then leave it for someone else to pick up. Heck, down in the towns where those boys were fishing you couldn't tell the difference if another wrapper was thrown on the ground. What difference does it make if I just add one more piece of trash, could easily be the conclusion? Besides there's no trash can around for me to discard it and I already have to much to carry back to the car as it is. It happens that easy. And when you get snagged on a shopping cart or discarded tire, etc.. etc..........I think you get the point.

So, I conclude, share information but be selective and do it more discreetly. Those are probably good principles to follow. Post a picture but block out the background out of respect for landscape and for LIKE MINDED fisherman that want to maintain, not a secret society, but a preserved and respected fishery. Even if it is in Garfield, Elmwood Park, Fairfield, Hackensack, etc....... There is and has been an effort to try and clean the place up. Lets keep the violators away as much as is possible by being wise or less foolish for lack of a better thought coming to mind at this moment. Touche and tight lines!

[littlebigfish]

Cant agree with you more Kneedeepsteve when you put the hours in to find fish why share them with people on the internet.I share my spots with friends  and iam very genrous with my spots i have 11 private lakes to fish from Blairstown to veron but i never post a thing.

[littlebigfish]

Iam a creeper baby justa creeping

[littlebigfish]

Fishgalore i also agree with your last post.

[saxmatt]

The Internet is great because you can find information about anything in seconds. You can look up the species of fish you like to target and the state you are in and get a bunch of pictures with lake and river names. You can weed through the pictures to find the best fish then find satellite images of the area to locate the exact spot, and you can do all this without spending a dime on gas! Unfortunatey everyone has access to this information, including members of the bucket brigade.

[littlebigfish]

KneeDeepSteve clean out your PM box so i can send you one.Thanks

[Evil Tom]

You know what's funny about all this conversation about the passaic river.The passaic river.All you fisherman think you can look at a picture and find the spot.Yea right.Any one that fishes the passaic knows that every spring and or when it floods there is new trees new branches new sand bars new piles of rubble.It changes every year so if you think a picture can help anybody find your so called "spot" that's ridiculous.Not to mention the fact that most of the shoreline looks exactly the same no matter what town your in like fallen trees,branches,shopping carts,plastic bottles and bags and way to much more garbage to even mention.Oh did I forget to mention how easy it is to fish the passaic with all the underwater trees,branches,shopping carts,and cars etc.I loose more tackle in the passaic then anywhere else.I also find it funny that experienced fisherman think that if someone knows where your "spot" is they can just go there and catch fish.Mabye if they knew lure type,presentation,time of day and season etc it still wouldn't be that easy.But i think somebody already suggested that.We are not talking about a rock point in the middle of greenwood lake that's been there for thousands of years we're talking about a moving river that changes.And just to totally let the cat out of the bag I have not found one non productive spot anywhere on the passaic river it's all productive if you learn how to fish it.

[Evil Tom]

And the white bucket brigade doesn't work on the passaic none of the fish are edible.I think it would be impossible to fish out.

[saxmatt]

I've seen the bucket brigade at plenty of places where the fish aren't what we consider edible. Some of them don't care, and some are catching fish to sell in NY and other places. As far as finding spots by pics, don't underestimate the detail of satellite images, especially when it comes to objects on the shoreline. Objects like buildings or culverts can be pretty recognizable

[fishgalore]

And the white bucket brigade doesn't work on the passaic none of the fish are edible.I think it would be impossible to fish out.

Tom you make some very good points. Of course, the point about people not eating fish out of there is also a good one. Since, for the most part, most likely do not. I would argue though that under the right circumstances, any body of water could be fished out based upon historical evidence. Again, the Passaic is a different animal since it is EXTREMELY polluted. But take Lake Ontario as an example, the Salmon (Atlantic in particular) were basically extirpated by 1900 there and also in the St. Lawrence River and Lake Champlain. The fishery was not "respected" and many hard lessons were learned. Here's a quote from the NYDEC:-

"Many New York State anglers are surprised to learn that Atlantic salmon were not only native to some of our waters, but they were extremely abundant. Atlantics were historically found in Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River, Lake Champlain, and in many of their tributaries. They were so abundant that spearing them was easy and netting could result in catches of more than 100 fish per boat on a good night. Unfortunately, the rapid settlement and development of the state occurring during the mid to late 1800s spelled doom for this species. Dams blocked spawning streams, pollution choked waters, and widespread deforestation filled headwater nursery streams with sediment. By 1900, Atlantic salmon were all but extinct from New York State waters". http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7028.html Near the end of the article is a paragraph named "Salmon & People" showing how it can be restored but we never want to get there if we can prevent it. That's what I am saying here.

Pollution, development, sediment & man made dams along with excessive harvesting contributed to their demise. Their ability to spawn was diminished by many, if not all of the listed factors. Like our forefathers we also need to be educated on the proper use and abuse of our natural environment so we can preserve it and make it better, if possible. Unfortunately, there are fisherman today that do not respect the fishery and take more than allowed. Some, don't take, they just throw the fish on shore for whatever reason they choose. Maybe they don't like the species or think there are to many "dink" fish of that species. The excuses are many and varied. How many guys have seen folk with more than the creel allows? How about taking fish in a conservation area with live bait when live bait season is closed? Etc.....etc..... you have seen it just like many of us have seen it before. Cumulatively these and many other factors all contribute to the demise of these resources that's all I'm saying. If we are not CAREFUL it could creep up and bite us on the arse one day.

Invasive species, fish kill, natural and man made disasters are also things that can negatively effect a fishery.  I admonish fellow fisherman to think long, hard and critically about the sport you love to make it better for all who love it now and in the future!

[Evil Tom]

The passaic already is the most polluted water in the state and has  rebounded with its fishery.I have 20 plus years fishing it and believe me the fish don't seem to mind.I do my part for conservation everybody else should look in the mirror and stop pointing fingers.We live in the most densely populated state if you can't deal with people fishing in "your spot" I suggest Alaska.All ncor9 was looking for was some info on where and how to catch passaic pike and look where it went.

[KneeDeepSteve]

KneeDeepSteve clean out your PM box so i can send you one.Thanks

Done

[fishgalore]

Salmon fishing was decimated in those areas because of commercial fishing like drag netting not recreational fisherman.The passaic already is the most polluted water in the state and has  rebounded with its fishery.I have 20 plus years fishing it and believe me the fish don't seem to mind.I do my part for conservation everybody else should look in the mirror and stop pointing fingers.

Well said! Further research yielded 2 main causes of most extirpation of fish. Habitat change (including oxygen depletion) & introduction of a new species. You can read the summary found at the end of the article here:- http://ndwr.state.nv.us/hearings/past/springetal/browseabledocs/Exhibits%5CGBWN%20Exhibits/GBWN_Exh_033%20Miller%20et%20al_Extinctions%20of%20North%20American%20Fishes.pdf

Here is a list of endangered species in NY:-  http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7008.html  In one case:- that of the Round Whitefish, overfishing is a contributing factor. But there are other factors as well.

Again, "spot burning" has 2 sides to it and both sides have valid arguments. The whole picture includes personal responsibility for oneself but individual failure can lead to the failure of the masses in some sense. Emotions run high on both sides as evidenced by some of the arguments presented above. I try to think logically by researching as opposed to limiting myself to what I think I already know. I am no expert on most topics. Education needs to be a part of the equation too since we are merely scratching the surface with arguments on either side of the fence. And when we remain myopic on a subject matter we fail to see the "Bigger" picture.

The problem with getting back to just posting about Pike in the Passaic is that someone else doesn't share similar values on subjects like those just discussed. Then the sparks start to fly since we are trying to be "our brothers keeper" both in a good sense and in another sense. And so the cycle goes on and on and on. It doesn't matter if it's about fish, safe ice, regulations, etc...etc....ad infinitum. It's just "what it is". There's the quip for the day, enjoy and catch fish! Oh yeah, don't forget to post pics since we all enjoy seeing them (although we don't all enjoy the exact manner in which they are posted).
 

[KneeDeepSteve]

We may not always meet eye to eye but well said fishgalore 

[chrisk]

Actually chrisk stripers are found up to Dundee dam or falls in Garfield.Cant make it to Paterson falls.

I stand corrected.

[delawareriver]

tried for an hour between summit and  Chatham with nothing but some fresh air to show for it

[Evil Tom]

Got one in the morning other guys on the river got one and 2 lm bass

[fishgalore]

Got one in the morning other guys on the river got one and 2 lm bass

What? No pics? LMAO just kidding! And no I'm not trying to stir the pot on the other thread or here just having fun b4 I go out to dinner and a night on the town........"here we go again"! I will lose an hour of sleep tonight but will fish tomorrow afternoon in spite of it all. First a lake and it's stream and if no action then it's time for flyfishing for trout.

Mt. Hope was all open water and about 7 cars were there. Looked like several fisherman hit it today. Two other water bodies nearby remained mostly covered with ice a little further north of Mt. Hope. I heard guys ice fished one of them last weekend.

[NCOR9]

Thanks for all the help everybody. I will probably get out this week and what have they been hitting on? Shiners?

[Evil Tom]

Shiners and husky jerks.

[mapuzio123]

Any thing that dives deep for me is working 

[Evil Tom]

The passaic was unforgiving today lost 2 $15 lures one on a underwater snag and unfortunately one broken off in a fish.No fish landed.And a flat tire for my friend was the bonus.Fished upper passaic past Fairfield area.Water high and dirty,should have stayed in lower passaic water is clearer.Got a picture sent from a friend stripers are in Hackensack river spring is here.

[fishgalore]

The Pike were not biting today at the Lake, live bait or otherwise. Saw one boat out on the open water. Didn't ask them how they did. CO's checked our credentials though. It was good to see them out doing the job. We had tons of fun catching crappie, white perch, sunfish & golden shiners. We caught 30-40 fish each, nice day out with the bro! Tube jigs and small ice jigs were the ticket.

[Evil Tom]

That crappie looks like pike bait.At least you guys caught fish.And thanx for all the background it should be easy to find your spot my computers are working on it right now.Only kidding fishgalore sounds look you guys had a good day out

[fishgalore]

That crappie looks like pike bait.At least you guys caught fish.And thanx for all the background it should be easy to find your spot my computers are working on it right now.Only kidding fishgalore sounds look you guys had a good day out

My sentiments exactly on every count Tom. LOL I tried to blur the background a bit but photobucket wouldn't cooperate and Tiny pic doesn't let you edit at all anymore unless you have an acct. So a black & white was the best I could do. We got a few crappie & white perch in the 10-11" range and it was fun! Thanks.

[Codyjames215]

Why lures could I use for pike at this time of year, don't think there will be any safe ice