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Jersey City Flowage Pike and Musky
Hello, I have been coming up for 15+ years and fishing the Jersey Flowage and have made some observations that I wanted to discuss with some people that are up there consistently. It seems to me that the number of musky in the lake has decreased over the last several years. It seems like there is a lot less action then there used to be. I hope it is just bad timing on the weeks when we were there. I also noticed that the number of pike has remained consistent or increased, but the size seems to be somewhat smaller than in past years. It perplexes me since the lake is loaded with northerns, but it seems like very few of them "grow up"
Does anyone have any thoughts as to whether or not the musky numbers have declined along with the size of the pike?
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Sounds what you are describing is an increase in the pike population, that leaves less feed for the other fish to grow and makes it hard on the Muskies in gereral to forge and for their fry to survive.
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Jimr is right, to many Northerns, Plus the Northerns spawn before the Muskies too. By the time the Muskies spawn hatch the baby pike are in there feeding on them. There still are some big Muskies in the Flowage and always will be as long as we release them! My brother catches a 40 inch Pike every year out of the Jersey. Still uses a Johnson Silver Minnow with pork rind (Old School)
Good Luck
Dave
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I was thinking the same thing, but the perch and other panfish seem to be doing well too, so that kind of discouraged my belief that the pike over forage there. On a positive note, the small mouth population is doing fantastic there. When we first started going we did not catch all that many, but the numbers and size have increased as time has gone on. I guess though the northerns probably do kill the musky fry.
Its too bad they couldn't throw a few hundred 12 inch musky in there every 5-10 years.
40 inch pike! I hope to get that one day. I have gotten a 38 and one year I got two 36inchers from there, but nothing of that size in the last few years.
Last edited by JimL; 02-26-2009 at 04:16 PM.
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The Smallie fishing on the Jersey is great! Lots of fun catching em! Nice Perch in spring but where do they hide in summer, My parents lived on the Jersey and it was always tough to find the big Perch in summer! The best Pike action for us was just down from the Hy 8 Bridge.
Dave
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Yeah, the perch do disappear in the summer. We have caught some small ones off of the dock by duck point. I acutally had a nice 12 incher hit a #5 mepps, but they are hard to find in the summer.
I too have had some luck just south of the HWY 8 bridge with the pike. One of the 36's came around there.
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Yea my brother is a big Pike Freak!! Thats all he fishes for. His biggest fish are caught just where the flow gets narrow (heading north from Duck Point).
Dave
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Are you talking near the launch ramp or the back side of the island to the launch? We have had some luck with musky and big smallies right by the ramp. Actually the picture by my name is a smallie from the launch ramp area. We also catch lots of pike in the weeds between Hwy 8 and the launch ramp. I sure can't wait til June.
Last edited by JimL; 02-26-2009 at 07:49 PM.
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From just north of the big island (West side) to just south of the boat launch.
Dave
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Ok, you are talking about that real weedy back bay and that reed line. We have had some luck there. No BIG northern though from that area for us though.
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Yep outside weed edge, His largest fish are caught late afternoon.
Dave
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I have never fished the jersey, and live in the area.is the bass fishing geting that good out there?
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The smallie fishing is very good, nice size fish.
Dave
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When you say outside weed edge do you mean casting to the edge of the emergent weeds along the shore, or is there a submerged weed line that you cant see sticking out of the water?
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Jersey city flowage muskies.
We have a place on the Jersey and fish there often. I believe the decline in Musky is due to one local fisherman
catching them for money. I have heard this individual catches them and sells them to sportshops, taverns, or other persons of intrest in the surrounding area including Minocqua. I have myself witnessed musky baits hanging out the back of this persons boat overnight with the bail open. I have not personally seen this person taking muskies out of this body of water or selling them. I did release a 47.25'' fish from this overnight fishing pole.
I would like to put a stop to this activity I am just not sure how.
I am not sure about the pike. It may have something to do with competing for food with the tens of thousands of bullheads that showed up in 2006.
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Well, I hope you called the DNR on this guy. Give them his boat registration number and where he keeps it docked. If he left a musky hooked overnight with the bail open you could have called him on that alone. I also think (but I could be wrong) that it is illegal to take game fish and sell them, so if you had info on that you could report it to the DNR too, I think. Either way, next time you see him doing something call on him.
I take it he lives on the flowage too?
I have been wondering what is going on with the bullheads too. One year they just showed up and swim under the surface in big balls. Very odd. I actually posted it about it a few years ago.
Last edited by JimL; 03-17-2009 at 10:04 AM.
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Turn him in! Does he live on the Jersey? If he does one call will put an eye on his activities. It is illegal to sell, barter or trade any gamefish, both sides of the party will be guilty if caught. Lots of Bullheads is true, same on Nokomis and Alice plus below Prides Dam.
Shane
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Any idea what caused the bullhead explosion in the last few years and why they swim in schools at the surface?
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