Penguino

gulp maggots or waxies work well

I can say for a fact that you wont be disappointed with Okuma rods.... I've used the EVX and C3-40X and they've only served to meet my expectations.

Is it possible you could get a better picture or even catch one of the fish? All i see is a dark fish that has a relatively fusiform shape, leading me to believe that it is some type of sunfish.

Looks like a type of shiner to me.... probably Golden except I don't see the red fins that typically characterize the fish.

Those hooks look to be the perfect size for crappie... maybe your getting smaller sunfish nip at your lure? Or maybe your setting the hook too hard (crappie have extremely soft mouths)? There are many possible reasons why you cant hook up

Whip a Rooster Tail right across their face and you almost guaranteed will get a bite.

How many pieces? I typically like my UL's to be 3-4 pieces for easy traveling

Nice fish and sounds like a great vacation!

The bait bubbling you see may not be fish at all lol. I once thought this until i saw a 10 pound snapping turtle leaving a trail of bubbles behind in a small pond. Additionally, carp can also cause the water to bubble as they root up the bottom of the water.

All i gotta say is that it sure as hell will be fun to watch

LOLOLOL. If you fish in Central NJ, then you should be catching most of your fish in early summer. Even on the big lakes, such as Farrington or Carnegie, which get overfished way too much, in the summer, I can always catch at least 2-3 bass from the shore. If worst comes to worse, go to google maps and find a pond near you, and you should guaranteed be able to catch as much bass as you want. Lastly, in early summer, you should be wanting to use moving lures such as flukes, chatterbaits, and frogs. For me, soft plastics like senkos and ribbontails are more of a bait for late summer, where the fish become sluggish and suspend.

FA dieoff as it gets colder.... those ponds may be in the beginning of a fishkill

Do Crappie and Perch Hit 'em?

worms, worms and more worms. In all seriousness though, bluegill will hit anything. I've caught them on stinkbaits, raisins, bare hooks etc. Perch however, are much more finicky, and in terms of live bait, the only things I've had them hit are nightcrawlers and small shiners.

Now if there was only an academy anywhere near me... somebody needs to tell Academy to expand to the northeast