Slow Time of Year

The fishing in the ocean has slowed down to nothing, as it usually does this time of year. The weather has been up and down and right now it is 12 degrees. I spent some time looking for new sweet water spots this week and did not find much. I went to one of my favorite holes and had a good sized pickerel follow my lure to the shoreline. In the crystal clear waters of the pinelands, these fish are as tough to catch as trout. I waded out a little to cover more water, and again the fish followed right to the rod tip. When I lifted the lure from the water, it continued to search for it and swam around my feet. I put the stick bait back in behind me, and did the" Northen pike figure eight" trick and the fish attacked immediately. Pretty cool, and a nice fight. Blackfish season is now closed, but opens again in April and we are hoping to do as well as last spring. Be ready, only four more weeks.