Filleting a Esox Americanus (Pickerel)

Last year was my first big year fishing in many years and my first big year fishing in Northern New Jersey.  I got an opportunity to eat some perch, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, pickerel and walleye.  My personal favorite (and yes, I am bias being born in Minnesota) was the walleye, however my wife's favorite was the pickerel.  So this means two things for me in 2013:

1) If I want to be allowed to do more fishing next year, I better catch more pickerel

2) If I catch more pickerel, I have to do a better job of filleting the thing than I did last year

So I searched Youtube for some tutorials on filleting a pickerel.  I also search for videos on filleting a northern pike as they have the same bone structure.  Youtube is a tremendous resource for learning new skills and I was not let down again.  However, although most of the videos were pretty good, I never got that "A-HA" moment of exactly what the Y-bone looked like, exactly where it was in the fish and which direction the Y-Bone was positioned.  So I tried searching for images and I came across this very useful image.  As they say, a picture is worth a 1,000 words.

This image was created by Canoe Camp Fish

Vertical Jigging for River Walleye

I have been on a bit of a dry spell fishing for walleye in the Delaware River, though I have seen others catching them.  With the air temperature dropping below 40 degrees, I have switched from nightcrawlers to shiners.  My preferred presentations have been lindy rigs and vertical jigging and I have targeted sunrise.  Today I am going to try to get on the river 45 minutes before sunset, approximately 4:00 PM. 

I found this helpful video on youtube and much of this knowledge is portable to the Upper Delaware River.  I have found Walleye hanging in the backwater sections of the Delaware River and for some reason I like the 13 to 16 foot depth..

Delaware River Was High and Muddy

I was entertaining guest this weekend, so I could only get out for a few hours on Sunday.  The fall afternoon was wonderful and I was hoping to snag some smallies on a 4-inch wacky rig.  I fished from about 2:00 to 3:30 and didn't even get a bite.  The water was high and muddy and the there were lots of leafs in the water. The Gage Height at Port Jervis, NY was about 5.3 feet.

I did get to try my neoprene waiters and they are a great addition to my arsenal of fishing.    I got a pair of Field and Stream (with no boot) waders and some accessory boots which go on over top the wader socks.  I figured I could still use the accessory boots in the Summer without wearing the waders.  There are some locations I fish on the Delaware that are just sooo rocky and potentially dangerous.  But even in the winter, these waders should keep me warm in the winter months, should I choose to fish the winter months.

I hear a lot groaning and moaning when the Delaware is high and dirty and my voice can now be added to the list.  I am still hoping for a few more good weekends to catch some more walleyes, as I think the bite will be good up to late November.

Walleye Fishing in the Delaware River

For those who know me best, I have been adamantly chasing walleye outside of the State of Minnesota (primarily in warmer climates) for some time, and with limited or no success.  So this summer was big for me as I was determined to eventually catch a keeper walleye.  This August I made another big push for walleye at Swartswood Lake and I only caught one fingerling (who my nightcrawler brought to the surface in a rear-naked-choke) and a 16-inch walleye after putting forth maybe 20 to 40 hours of lake time.  So I finally changed my tactics, gave up fishing for walleye in the summer and decided to revisit walleye fishing in October.  Well, Sunday was October.

To fish the Delaware in October, I bought myself a set of neoprene waders from Field and Stream to help stay dry and warm.  Comfort is everything when fishing and when the water is this cold, it is one of those things where you don’t realize how ‘not cold’ you are when you are ‘not cold’.  I am sure if I did not have these neoprene waders on  Sunday, I probably would have caught no fish and had a miserable time.

So Sunday morning I woke up and headed to Dingman’s Ferry.  The sun came up around 7:00ish and I was probably fishing by 7:30.  I focused on fishing behind the bridge pilings at Dingman’s Ferry as well as the backwater on the Pennsylvania side of the bridge.  Everything seemed perfect regarding water conditions as well as my presentation; a lindy rig with two floaters and a perch colors spoon on a worm harness.  As soon as my pole bent over and I picked up the pole, I immediately recognized the fish as a walleye with his lethargic fight and constant head-shaking!  I am sure my eyes were as big as saucers when I first saw this walleye about 2 feet below the surface.  He did not take me long to net him and he measured out at 20 inches and 4.1 pounds.  

New Jersey is starting to feel a bit more like home...

And a hand for perspective....

Smallmouth Taco? Delicioso!

I broiled a smallmouth fillet for lunch today and at the last minute I decided to see how it tastes in a soft taco.  Delicioso! The fillet was prepared with fresh garlic, fresh rosemary, a little white pepper and oil.  Broiled 15 minutes wrapped in foil and 1 minute with foil peeled back.

Fall Smallmouth Fishing on the Delaware

This is what Fall smallmouth fishing is all about on the Delaware river!  I found a lot of success Friday evening as well as Sunday morning, both times throwing a dark natural color (watermelon or pumpkin seed) 4 inch senko, rigged wacky style.  I search out fast moving current, preferably in the 4+ feet of water range and throw the wacky rig straight out (not up current), or maybe 10 degrees up current and just let it drift down river.  I caught 7 smallies south of Dingmans Bridge Friday evening, but none of them were larger than 13 inches.  The Delaware current seemed much weaker on Sunday morning when I went out, so I headed north of Dingmans Bridge searching out some faster current.  I caught another 6 smallies, 3 of which were about 13-inches or bigger (pictured below).  

Delaware River Update:

Friday Evening - Water was clear and low, current was moderate (for late Summer, early Fall).  The green algae which has been a bother for the past few weeks has resided at Dingmans Bridge.  I received little if no algae on my cast..

Sunday Morning - Water was clear and extremely low.  Current was exceptionally weak.  Could not fish my wacky rig South of the Bridge as there was not enough current (relatively speaking of course for the Delaware River).  Went north of the bridge and found a big rock in the middle of the river to anchor the kayak (with my feet, not a real anchor).  The smallmouth bite did not really start until late Morning (10:00 AM) when the sun finally broke.

The Delaware River

Labor Day weekend, 2012

I finally made my way to the Big D and launched my kayak from Dingman’s Ferry.  I was most impressed, and will be surprised if the Big D does not turn out to be my favorite fishing hole in the area.  On the advice of Rich at Simon Peter Outdoors, I decided to use 5-inch senkos set up in a Jersey Rig (aka a Wacky Rig).  The idea is to throw the jersey rig into the current and let it sink naturally and wait for a strike.

First thing I noticed fishing from my kayak (in a river) is that it was going to be awfully tough to fish from the kayak and not drift down river.  Since I didn’t want to spend more time paddling up river than drifting downriver (and fishing), I came up with an idea of “Park Benching” the kayak.  I deduce the river channel at Dingman’s Ferry was closer to the New Jersey side of the river (across from the boat launch), so I headed to the New Jersey shoreline.  For those who have never fished the Delaware, it is rocky.  I am not sure what type of rock it is but it is blackish with sharp edges; very dangerous to walk on, especially wet.  I parked my kayak about 4 feet from shore, parallel to the shoreline with the bow of my kayak facing up river.  This created minimal drag on my kayak from the river.  I would then sit sideways, in such a way my feet could still touch the bottom of the river and I could hold myself in place.  At this point, I was pretty much sitting on a “park bench” only one cast from the deep channel of the Delaware.  I spent the morning casting my jersey rig into the channel, letting it float down river and reeling it in.  Since I could touch the bottom with my feet, I would also walk up the river and down river, depending on where I thought the first were.

Overall, a huge success! I caught these two smallies; a 15 ¾ inche and a 15 ¼ inch.  I will definitely be back and maybe even for some wallies or maybe some muskies.