My last trip out was Thanksgiving day and it was primarily to check the transducer I mounted. I can get the ramp permit for Manasquan reservoir this weekend and may drop her in and do a few laps if the weather is cooperating otherwise it will be the following weekend. When is everyone else planning on going out.

Is Manasquan ice free?

I'm locked up up here (see Ajay's ice out thread). My guess is mid march though that may end up the latter half of the middle of march. I could fish tomorrow if it was open (hence why I took a ride last night to see what was going on). With 57 degrees and sunny saturday I would have put in.

You guys have open water down there?

Last checked a local reservoir this past Saturday before the storm and still frozen.

Checked my local river and that was ice free in parts but where I would put in it was plowed in right at the access point.

I'm going to check it out tomorrow, air temps have been better and Saturday should be in the 50's.

My first trip of the year is more of a shake down cruise, check out if everything is working, including me 😃

USGS monitors say the Big D is 37-38 degrees last I checked. With all the snowmelt still to come, I don’t see that coming up much in the short term. I think it is going to be the smaller lakes that are going to thaw first this year. I’d love to see 2” of rain or more coming in the short term.

I will report back when I go to pick up my ramp permit, have to have positive thoughts.

please do. I'd be surprised if it is open given the temps we've had. Plus dropping 2' of snow on top of the reservoir on Monday didn't help.

How much is a ramp permit?

Just called out of curiosity and they said there is a lot of ice on the water and no one will be permitted on the water until it’s all gone. I will probably still go pick up the ramp permit on Sunday and will grab a few pics.

20 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

please do. I'd be surprised if it is open given the temps we've had. Plus dropping 2' of snow on top of the reservoir on Monday didn't help.

How much is a ramp permit?

Ramp permit is $50 for the year $7 for a day pass.

With this forecast, I’m guessing I’m going to be on the water in 2 weeks.

3 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

With this forecast, I’m guessing I’m going to be on the water in 2 weeks.

I'm thinking the same thing after taking a look at a few spots today. 1/2-3/4 frozen still, and the paths had plenty of snow on them still.

Pic of the ramp at Manasquan reservoir today.

I guess in theory you could launch a but. You just wouldn’t make it very far.

We swung past Assunpink for something to do. The ramp was iced in as was the lower half entirely. The upper half as far as you could see from the parking lot was about 1/2 open. With the forecast upcoming I bet it is fishable just after next weekend and in 2 weeks it will be open. I’ve never fished it but I think I’ll make a trip this spring.

Quick video of Manasquan reservoir from the front gate to the boat ramp incase you have never been there, also shows condition of lake.https://youtu.be/lL8RHQI637Q?si=Wv2yHNhaYu7O3pY_

Probably going to go for a boat ride on Sunday. The big pond is 98% open but for a strip right at the ramp. It will be gone for the weekend. You could have launched a kayak out and paddled along the free strip along the shore to get to open water.

Spoke with the Ranger at Manasquan reservoir and the ramp is officially open.

Wind is howling here today, oh well it will happen soon here.

7 hours ago, herder said:

Wind is howling here today

Yup. Almost 50* but with steady 20mph winds and 30 mph gusts. Just too much trouble in a flat-bottomed Jon boat. Pause to tie on a lure and get blown 300 feet. Not fun.

Made it out last Sunday to a spot that was mostly open but with areas of ice still.

Anyone want to go Easter Saturday? My wife is busy all day so I’m going from daylight until ‘some time’ later. Not sure where but have a few ideas and going to watch the weather.

I'm heading out to the local river in a couple of minutes, not expecting anything.

Pretty much my shakedown trip, making sure everything works.

Well my self-fulfilling prophecy came true, got out for a couple of hrs and I caught nothing.

Though everything worked, new dry pants and boots worked great, feet and everything was dry, depth finder was working, and no issues paddling.

My buddy did get one pike.

Beautiful day here, plenty of turtles were out sunning themselves, hawks, great blue herons, various woodpeckers, deer were out.

@herder are there any boat ramps on the river? Gravel is fine. I haven’t found one but thought you might know better.

Access is a pain on the river, especially for a boat.

We launched at the Essex County Environmental Center in Roseland. It has a gravel launch but really no place for parking a trailer.

Right now the water is high, but during normal flows it's pretty low, and plenty of downed trees.

There's a boat launch listed at Camp lane in Fairfield, but I checked it out and it's posted as for emergency use only, plus the area is real sketchy.

The only real boat launch is on the Pompton River in Lincoln Park at Aqueduct Park that I'm aware of.

I've seen duck hunters on the river but I have no idea where they launch.

Thanks, that’s what I thought. I had considered fishing the river when I had the kayak but never did. And it’s only borderline big enough to put the boat in even if there was a ramp. I’ll stick to the alternatives.

Do you know pompton lake at all? I fished it for the first and only time last year (first day of trout season to avoid people on all the other lakes). I was only breaking in the boat at that point and only kinda fishing but it looked good, if small.

Haven't fished Pompton Lake, it's on the list for this year though.

There's Potash lake above it that might be on the list too, it's small though.

Might give Cranberry lake and Wawayanda a shot too.

First camping/fishing trip is a month away down at Belleplain State forest, mostly salt for tog, small lakes around there too if the wind is too bad, mostly pickerel in those but it's something.

Then a week at Worthington on the Delaware river, June will be a week up in the Adirondacks then later in the month 5 days in the Catskills.

July a couple of days at a friends house for fluking on the Manasquan river, August a week up in Salem Mass for stripers, September another week at Worthington and October back to Belleplain for another week.

Retired life is good.