Edison

[upsavr]

I am new to the area and live in Edison.  Is there anywhere close to go ice fishing?
Thanks

[MikeThePike]

Farrington would be the closest and Lake Assunpink isn't that far either. Both have some huge bass in em.

[upsavr]

how far and what about panfish?

[bayonne]

farrington is off 130 asunpink is off 195 or exit 8 njtnpk off rt571 rt 33 thiers three lakes thier and their all good

[upsavr]

what species of fish?

[iceman_4432]

Farrington Lake has populations of Bass, Pike, pickeral and panfish.   

Never ice fished Assunpink but i have open water ... lots n lots of bass.

[upsavr]

I am looking for a good crappie lake.  Any of those lakes have crappies?
Any one want to meet up once we get some good ice?

[MikeThePike]

Both of those lakes have crappies but I've never gotten any big ones outta there. Mostly smaller ones. Assunpink has tons of smaller crappies if u fish in the back cove.

[iceman_4432]

One of the best places i have ever fished for crappies is Clark Resevoir.  USed to go there with my friend and in the coarse of a few hours could have 1/2 a 5 gallon pail filled with them.

I dont think they let you ice fish on the resevoir though ... but i cant be sure of that.

Farrington dosent really have a good population of large crappies ... some smaller ones but nothing to write home about.

I am looking for a good crappie lake.  Any of those lakes have crappies?
Any one want to meet up once we get some good ice?

[Icephishnphreek]

I am looking for a good crappie lake.

 

[upsavr]

Whats so funny about that?
Anyone wanna meet up?

[Pike Popper]

I'll fish with you at Farrington if you want to meet up with me there in Jan. or February. As long as Assunpink doesnt get slammed with a huge snowstorm I plan to be down there as much as I can, but I can barely take that road in the winter lol.

[Bukshot]

FYI. - Farrington Lake does have some decent size Crappies.  I have caught many in open water, especially spring time at the Church Lane Bridge, drifting fatheads underneath the bridge.  There are lots of good sized ones too - 14 and 15 inches.  However, I have never caught a single one through the ice there.  I have tried several times and nothing.  I don't know where they go in the Winter but I can't find 'em.  Incidentally, in the Spring there we also catch a huge amount of Yellow Perch in the same area.  Nice sized ones also, and I can't find them in the ice either!!!  Probably someone who's a better ice angler than I am could get them. 

[iceman_4432]

Church lane bridge .. i always see people fishing off that bridge and wondered what they were catching ... good size crappies and perch eh.  Well if they are in the Lake open water they have to be there under the ice somewhere .... looks like i have my lunch time planned out now for the next several months

If i find them ill let ya know where

[MikeThePike]

One of the best places i have ever fished for crappies is Clark Resevoir.  USed to go there with my friend and in the coarse of a few hours could have 1/2 a 5 gallon pail filled with them.

I dont think they let you ice fish on the resevoir though ... but i cant be sure of that.

All fishing is prohibited on Clark Res unless u own property on it. Stupid because its the biggest body of water in Union County. I tried ice fishing it last year out by the GSP bridge and nothing.

I remember going there 2 summers ago and seeing chinese guys walking out with 2 5 gallon buckets of 5-6" crappies. Only reason I didn't call Operation Game Theif is because I wasn't supposed to b fishing there and them big bass were calling my name.

[Bukshot]

So I guess if you know someone who lives by the reservoir you could park and ice fish there?  That would be cool.  Sounds like it has pretty good potential.  Is that the water I see on Parkway just before you pass exit 135 on both sides?  I always wondered what that was.

[iceman_4432]

Last time I fished at Clark Resevoir must of been 15 years ago. At that time there was a road that dead ended by a woodlot.  You could park your car there and then walk thru the woods on a path and gain access via the bridge that went across that part of the river by the GSP.  I have noticed that that area by the bridge has been fenced off ... i figured someone fell in and prompted the city, county, state to `fence it off. 

Used to be awesome fishing there .... its like anything else in NJ ... POSTED !!!!!  NO TRESSPASSING !!!!! 

All fishing is prohibited on Clark Res unless u own property on it. Stupid because its the biggest body of water in Union County. I tried ice fishing it last year out by the GSP bridge and nothing.

I remember going there 2 summers ago and seeing chinese guys walking out with 2 5 gallon buckets of 5-6" crappies. Only reason I didn't call Operation Game Theif is because I wasn't supposed to b fishing there and them big bass were calling my name.

[MikeThePike]

I still fish off the GSP bridge. You park right by the wooded area and walk the trail back. There is holes in the fence that you can walk through. I talked to a few cops and they told me they don't care if people fish it from there but if a property owner complains they will start enforcing the no trespassing laws.

I've gotten a buncha bass outta there up and over 3lbs and my buddy hooked 1 on a Rapala 2 years ago that ran into some brush and snapped him off that had potential state record written all over it.

[upsavr]

Well it seems to me if you can get on via public land then I don't know where you can get in trouble.  Nobody owns the water!!!

[Pomoxis]

I live very near Clark Reservoir. I remember when I was a kid, 35 years ago, we would go there and catch small stuff. I have since become an avid Crappie sport fisherman. I went there about 3 years ago and found the access area by the GSP bridge. Nothing from shore but I walked over the bridge and threw my jig from the top of the stone wall (terrified of heights, even 10 feet) and landed two 12-13 inchers! I was very happy, but I have not been back.
Clark township purchased the reservoir several years ago and claimed that they would turn it into a park, maybe with rowboat rentals. That was a great idea, but in typical Clark fashion, it was pure bull! They have provided no legal access, ever. They claimed it was a money problem, but I guarantee you it is typical NJ township politics: There are certain people in charge of things and they ABSOLUTELY DO NOT GIVE A SH** about the lake or the fishing, and therefore IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN! Only a GIGANTIC BRIBE could possibly chgange that, like $1,000,000.00. There was a newspaper article this year that mentioned they might relinquish maintenance to the Union County Parks Dept. That is the only hope, but UCPD has the same kind of lake maintenance qualifications as a Mafia dump boss. Look at the other county park waters. The most ignorant, backwoods, southern city Mayor is a lake maintenance Einstein compared to them. D**n, now you got me started... What were we talking about?

[MikeThePike]

I live very near Clark Reservoir. I remember when I was a kid, 35 years ago, we would go there and catch small stuff. I have since become an avid Crappie sport fisherman. I went there about 3 years ago and found the access area by the GSP bridge. Nothing from shore but I walked over the bridge and threw my jig from the top of the stone wall (terrified of heights, even 10 feet) and landed two 12-13 inchers! I was very happy, but I have not been back.
Clark township purchased the reservoir several years ago and claimed that they would turn it into a park, maybe with rowboat rentals. That was a great idea, but in typical Clark fashion, it was pure bull! They have provided no legal access, ever. They claimed it was a money problem, but I guarantee you it is typical NJ township politics: There are certain people in charge of things and they ABSOLUTELY DO NOT GIVE A SH** about the lake or the fishing, and therefore IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN! Only a GIGANTIC BRIBE could possibly chgange that, like $1,000,000.00. There was a newspaper article this year that mentioned they might relinquish maintenance to the Union County Parks Dept. That is the only hope, but UCPD has the same kind of lake maintenance qualifications as a Mafia dump boss. Look at the other county park waters. The most ignorant, backwoods, southern city Mayor is a lake maintenance Einstein compared to them. D**n, now you got me started... What were we talking about?

LOL

I highly doubt its a money issue because every time I drive through that town I see their police force hard at work pulling over little old ladies for who knows what violation.

I'm impressed with a 12-13" fish. biggest crappie I got outta there was around 7-8" with almost all of em around 5". I do just about all my fishing there from that stone wall or the opening in the trees right by it. Thats the deepest part of the reservoir as far as I know and I always catch fish there.

[lukasz]

Clark cops are mean !