NAME --------------------- Bob Gatti
DATE ---------------------- 8/28/00
TIMES --------------------- 7am-3pm
CONDITIONS ------------- overcast, foggy, rainy, light wind 75deg.
AREA FISHED ------------- barnes brothers
FISHING METHOD ------- live line and slip bobbers
BAIT/LURES USED ------- herring
NOTES --------------------- This is my first trip to Hopatcong. I live about one hundred miles away near Hammonton NJ, I purchased Manny Luftglass' book and went fishing. I mailed out my KDC application after checking out your website, here in South Jersey there is no lake that can compare to Hopatcong and I will be making more trips in the Fall. I want to catch one of those Hybrids I have heard so much about. Anyway today was great I caught 4 catfish, no big deal, and one huge walleye 4.9lbs. on my digital scale I have taken two trips to Ontario in the past two years and caught many walleyes tha best of which was only half as big as this one. I look forward to hearing from you guys at KDC.
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NAME --------------------- Kevin LaPolt
DATE ---------------------- 8/27/00
TIMES --------------------- 7am - 11am
CONDITIONS ------------- Slightly Overcast
AREA FISHED ------------- Main Lake
FISHING METHOD ------- Live Line
BAIT/LURES USED ------- Shinners to Herring
NOTES --------------------- What a thrill it is to catch a Hybrid. I was beginning to think that their wasn't any out there. And then I caught one 7.5 lb Hybrid, what an awesome fight on a shinner, there was alot of boats all around myself catching hybrids, they were all using Herring. I think I just got lucky with the shinner, because all the other boats were catching them, as I watched. Then I went to get some herring, but by then the hot streak was all done. We also caught two crappies.
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NAME --------------------- Doug
DATE ---------------------- 8/26/00
TIMES --------------------- 6-11:30am
CONDITIONS ------------- Sunny
AREA FISHED ------------- Bertrand's Island to Chestnut Point
FISHING METHOD ------- Bait
BAIT/LURES USED ------- Herring
NOTES --------------------- We got 3 walleye up to 4lbs.4oz., a 4lb pickerel, a 3lb.5oz. largemouth, a smallmouth, a crappie, and a bullhead. All drifting with downrods at sides and slip bobbers out the back in 12-24 ft of water at 8-22 ft down.
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NAME --------------------- Kevin Dempsey
DATE ---------------------- August 22
TIMES --------------------- 4-8 pm
CONDITIONS ------------- Calm
AREA FISHED ------------- Weedlines in main lake
FISHING METHOD ------- Trolling/Drifting
BAIT/LURES USED ------- Rapalas/Herring
NOTES --------------------- Boated 4 fish over 3 lbs (3 pickeral and 1 largemouth), also had a nice smallie, numerous smaller pickeral and a bunch of perch. Had a nice run and spectacular leap from a muskie that hit my large husky jerk before throwing the hooks. Fishing conditions are ideal with the no wake rule. Get out there.
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NAME --------------------- Larry Mazalatis & John Hogan
DATE ---------------------- 8/20
TIMES --------------------- 6AM - 9AM
CONDITIONS ------------- Cool & Clear
AREA FISHED ------------- Elba Point
FISHING METHOD ------- Flat Lining
BAIT/LURES USED ------- Herring
NOTES --------------------- Fished from the shore in 8-12 feet of water. Caught two pickeral over 3Lbs. (one each), two smaller pickeral approx. 1-2Lbs., two small Largemouth Bass and four perch. We had numerous other fish hooked only to lose them probably because we were being too impatient and not letting them swallow the bait before setting the hooks. Two lost fish broke our lines and one did so after putting up a great fight for a minute or so. I'm assuming it must have been the best fish of the day but we will never know...
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NAME --------------------- Todd Garno
DATE ---------------------- 8/16/00
TIMES --------------------- 7:30 P.M.-8:00 P.M.
CONDITIONS ------------- calm
AREA FISHED ------------- Woodport from my dock
FISHING METHOD ------- casting
BAIT/LURES USED ------- small spinner
NOTES --------------------- After the events of the last few days I had been noticing fish breaking all over my cove. Needing something to feel good about I decided to revert to the old standard of "fishing in your own backyard" and boy was it fun. Using a small single Chartruese Colarado blade w/single treble spinner caught lots of Pumpkin Seeds which is not the usual fare in my neighborhood, Red Breasts are the dominant panfish so this was a treat to catch 6-8" Pumpkin Seeds. Also landed 17" 2 Lb. Pickerel and a few Perch.
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NAME --------------------- Edwin
DATE ---------------------- 8/13/00
TIMES --------------------- 2am - 6am
CONDITIONS ------------- Flooded, rain subsided
AREA FISHED ------------- secret
FISHING METHOD ------- bottom bait
BAIT/LURES USED ------- Old family secret
NOTES --------------------- Could not fish off dock, it was 2' under water. So fished off boat on top of dock. Catfish bitting very slowly. Caught 8 bullheads, biggest one 1lbs 9oz, caught 3 channel cats all small, between 1 and 1 1/2 lbs. Probably put in at last stocking. Cove was like glass no wind at all. Could not weigh in fish, all weigh in stations closed and Cat fish tourney was canceled.
WEBGUY'S RESPONSE: "IT'S A SECRET!"
Waiting, to hear for new date on cat fish tourney on web site.
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NAME --------------------- Jim and Alf
DATE ---------------------- 8/5/00
TIMES --------------------- 6pm-midnight
CONDITIONS ------------- Partly Cloudy and Calm
AREA FISHED ------------- Byram Cove
FISHING METHOD ------- Live lining herring for stripers
BAIT/LURES USED ------- Herring
NOTES --------------------- Went out on a guided trip for some hybrid stripers on Saturday and had just a little luck. Alf landed a striper we believed to be right around 6lbs. (to our surprise, the fish acted more like a snag and didn't come close to putting up that fabled fight everyone talks about) and a huge black crappie that must've tipped the scales at about 2 lbs. Of course, I myself have absoluely no luck with zero hits and just about all the tangled lines you can get in one night. (I consistently have bad karma when it comes to fishing with my buddy) My bait wouldn't even dive down, it just wobbled around on top, and this is where the fish DON'T hang out. I think it's time to employ a sinker rig to get the bait right where I want it (right beside the boat) and at a controlled depth. This would certainly relieve any hassles and could enhance my chances of catching some big fish.
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NAME --------------------- Webguy
DATE ---------------------- 8/6/00
TIMES --------------------- 5-11am
CONDITIONS ------------- Partly cloudy
AREA FISHED ------------- Bedbug to Sharp's Rock
FISHING METHOD ------- Bait
BAIT/LURES USED ------- Herring
NOTES --------------------- Doug and I went out for stripers but didn't get any. A few over 8lbs were caught by guys on the radio, like John Fernandez and Dom Sarinelli. We saw John fighting a large fish and hung around to see what transpired and it's a good thing we did, the tiger muskie he had on was too big for his net. Doug grabbed my net and boarded John's boat to help. The fish was netted but broke through my net. Doug finally helped John land the monster with the small net. I got some pictures of the 15lb. beast soon to be posted on the CATCH CORNER. As for our fishing, the best was a 3lb. smallmouth, along with a largemouth, 3 perch, 2 crappie, and a catfish. It was definetely John's day on ther lake!
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NAME --------------------- Mike Santoli and Bob Neals
DATE ---------------------- 8/2/00
TIMES --------------------- 12:15pm to 3:30pm 6:45 to 8:30
CONDITIONS ------------- cloudy calm
AREA FISHED ------------- points and drops
FISHING METHOD ------- trolling for muskie
BAIT/LURES USED ------- bucher shallow raider , phoebes and thundersticks
NOTES --------------------- Fished 15 minutes with bucher and caught 12lb musky by elba point. Believe I had 2 bite offs. Stupid me no leader. I will use 100lb momo from now on. Bait fished with Bob Neals latter caught only catfish. Lost lots of fish but believed they were catfish. Largest caught 2plus pound channel.
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