NAME --------------------- Pete
E-MAIL --------------------- prospect115@yahoo.com
DATE ---------------------- 07/17/2008
TIMES --------------------- 1-3 PM
CONDITIONS ------------- Hot
AREA FISHED ------------- Racoon Island
FISHING METHOD ------- Live Bait
BAIT/LURES USED ------- Herring
NOTES --------------------- Only one fish but what a fish. 8 lb walleye, what a fight.
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NAME --------------------- Harold Mabee
E-MAIL --------------------- hfmabee@yahoo.com
DATE ---------------------- July 12, 2008
TIMES --------------------- 6:00am - 8:30am
CONDITIONS ------------- Sunny with light breeze
AREA FISHED ------------- Sunrise point
WATER TEMPERATURE-- 70's
FISHING METHOD ------- Live line, slip bobber, down line
BAIT/LURES USED ------- herring
NOTES --------------------- Started the morning off on the wrong side of my foot. The last time I pulled my boat out of water it didn't quite get on the trailer straight. Sooo, I had to float the boat off the trailer. Thats after I first tried to wade out into water and push the boat off in my once dry sneakers.
I missed the sunrise but at least I was anchored by 6:00am. I baited my first down line and was dropping it into the water when there was an explosion just below the surface and my line started to run out. No need to set this hook. Caught and released a nice smallie about 2lbs.
This was very encouraging and I quickly rebaited and dropped in my down line. Before I could bait-up my slip-bobber the down line snap guard went off and this time I caught a nice largemouth 1.5 lbs.
Ok, what did I do this week to be so fortunate. Finally got all my lines out and the slip-bobber started to race across the water and then dissapeared. This time it was a beautiful tiger muskie, 20 inches and 4lbs.
Now I'm looking on the bottom of my wet sneakers to see if I stepped into something while wading earlier this morning.
I caught one more smaller smallie and a giant bluegill.
But, where is Mr Striper? After all thats what this contest is about. Finally around 8:30am my down line snap guard went off and I had a rocket on the other end. It circled my boat before I was able to put the net around it. Not that big, almost 5lbs, but at least I finally caught what I was after.
The next day I fished in the same spot. You got it right I caught nothing. Oh well, thats fishing.
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NAME --------------------- Mike Behre
E-MAIL --------------------- fyvbears5@verizon.net
DATE ---------------------- 7/10/08
TIMES --------------------- 8:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
CONDITIONS ------------- clear and a slight breeze
AREA FISHED ------------- Lees Cove
WATER TEMPERATURE-- 70's
FISHING METHOD ------- top water
BAIT/LURES USED ------- rapala plugs, jitterbus
NOTES --------------------- Fished with the A team Chis Behre and Mike Ceiri. We followed the report of Chris Anderson and listened for the Hybrids chasing the herring. Caught my first walleye 22 inches about 4/5 pounds I got the walleye fever now. The fish were jumping everywhere around us. Action really heated up between 12:00 a.m and 2:00 a.m. Looking forward to our next trip already.
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NAME --------------------- Webguy
E-MAIL --------------------- webguy@kneedeepclub.org
DATE ---------------------- 7/4-5
CONDITIONS ------------- Overcast
AREA FISHED ------------- main lake and docks
WATER TEMPERATURE-- 76
NOTES --------------------- I trolled some for muskies but the most fun was bringing my daughter to the docks with a couple rods and a piece of bread. At times, as fast as I could unhook a fish and re-bait the hook , she hoisted another one in front of me.
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NAME --------------------- Chris Anderson
E-MAIL --------------------- redwulf1@optonline.net
DATE ---------------------- June 30th - July 2nd
TIMES --------------------- 10:30pm - 2:00am
CONDITIONS ------------- calm - windy
AREA FISHED ------------- Barnes ridge, Ship phase 2 area, Lees cove
WATER TEMPERATURE-- upper 70's
FISHING METHOD ------- top water casting
BAIT/LURES USED ------- spittin image, rapala prop
NOTES --------------------- Spent 3 nights casting to striper chasing herring in 3-5 ft of water. First night winds were south and very light so could easily see and hear herring followed by huge gulps and tail splashes, some small and some very large. Last two nights wind turned to the north and became gusty. Still managed a dozen strikes and two short hookups.
It is still amazing after three years of doing this to cast topwater lures in complete darkness to sounds of stripers coralling herring in only 3 to 4 ft of water and thick weeds. I read that herring do this because they are feeding this time of year on zooplankton coming off of the thick weeds and algae.
So our Lk Hopatcong Stripers have come to know this and for only a 3 -4 week period spend the short hours after nightfall and boat traffic getting easier meals. What a Gas!
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