What We Leave Behind

The Old Rod & Rusty Tackle Box

Sometimes people come into your life and teach you a valuable lesson. I work in a busy medical practice that treats cancer patients. These people are receiving therapies for their advance cancers and doing battle with the big C. I have never met a bunch of people that see what they are going through as a gift. Some say it made they see life in a more clear way. Some say that it taught them to do things that they have been putting off, others focus on what they want to leave behind. I have been blessed to have crossed paths with some great people. John was in his late seventies and was living alone, coming to treatments was starting to wear him down. I caught him once reading a Bassmaster magazine I had put on our magazine rack. I began to strike up conversation with him and a flood of stories pored out. 

He told me about family trips to the long island sound and him and his best friend catching huge fish off the Jersey cost. His memories were as vivid as if he caught the fish yesterday. When he told his stories his face lit up and for a minute he was not in a waiting room. We became close as the weeks went by. On the day of his last treatment he came in holding a rod and a very old rusty tackle box. He waved me over and said " this is a little something I want to give you". John told me that the stories made his time in the waiting room fly by and it made him remember stories he thought he forgot. The rod was a vintage 1963's spinning set that was very used. You can tell that this rod had seen some major fish fights. I have a soft spot in my heart for old lures, it's something about the hand made finishes that get me.

 Fishing lures are not made this way anymore, now they are massed produced. I opened the rusty tackle box and caught a glimpse of a lure that I have never seen. It was long with a treble hook in the front and on the back. I was called an eel. I was amazed at the collection. Many wooden lures and a few rig sets. One lure John pointed out was his fathers favorite. I thanked him from the bottom of my heart and shook his hand. I asked him why he was giving me this stuff if it meant so much to him. John answered back " to me it's a treasure to everyone else it's someone's old junk". I saw it as a treasure and will hold on to it and tell everyone about John's stories when they ask about the old rod and rusty tackle box.

The Doctor and The Crossbow

It was a fall afternoon and I was in the waiting room. I had just been asked how was the fishing over the weekend from the women at the front desk. I replied my usual response it was amazing caught over thirty. In realty it was more like six, but that was confidential information. A man from the waiting room approached me and asked if I was a fisherman. I told him about my show on public access TV and website. We had long talks about how to catch fish and how to adapt your fishing style to the fish your after. He enjoyed the stories and I told him that besides fishing I was getting into hunting. I wanted to bring that aspect of the outdoors into the show and my life. The doctor told me that he had a crossbow if I was interested. When I asked how much he said nothing, just take him and his children on a fishing trip when he was feeling better. That was so kind and generous of him, I could not help but think you want a fishing trip with me. Now that's what I call putting on the pressure. He took me out to his car in the parking lot and pulled out a brand new crossbow. It looked amazing and I 'm sure to the people passing really amazing. I was surprised the cops did not pull up and arrest the doctor and me with the crossbow. He told me to enjoy it and to be safe, he thanked me for talking to him about the outdoors. As it stands we have a fishing trip were going on, once he is feeling better! I am looking forward to fishing with the doctor and the crossbow.

 

Fishing Clubs

In our sport it is important that we just don't worry about the fishing trips. We as fisherman have a responsibility to be stewards of the water and the land that we fish. It is or legacy that we leave behind clean water and land for every young angler out there. This past Wednesday The Reel Deal staff met with the East Jersey Trout Unlimited Chapter and it was a awesome experience.

Today TU is a national organization with more than 140,000 volunteers organized into about 400 chapters from Maine to Montana to Alaska. This dedicated grassroots army is matched by a respected staff of lawyers, policy experts and scientists, who work out of more than 30 offices nationwide. These conservation professionals ensure that TU is at the forefront of fisheries restoration work at the local, state and national levels.


Nearly 50 years after its founding, no other conservation organization is as well placed as TU to make a difference for the nation's coldwater fisheries. The East Jersey Trout Unlimited Chapter does excellent work from stocking trout to conservation projects. They have monthly meetings in Rochell Park,NJ and feature guest speakers at every meeting. If you want to give back and gain knowledge this is a club you want to join!

http://www.eastjerseytu.org/

Bass Fishing Belgrade ME

For many years, Whisperwood has been home to countless vacationers and fishermen. Our lakeside cottages are situated for your privacy on wooded acres of land overlooking picture perfect Salmon Lake. The location offers a perfect mix of seclusion and peaceful surroundings and great fishing opportunities. I have been visiting Whisperwood Lodge now for over 10 years and the fishing is always exciteing. From monster Smallmouth and lunker Largemouth the lake is on fire from May on through the fall. 






The lures that worked for The Reel Deal Staff were Rebel Pop R and Tube Jigs. When the sun was high spinnerbait worked very well. At night buzzbait was a must for 4 to 5 lb Bass.

Shepherd Lake Pop R Madness

The spring-fed waters of the 74-acre Shepherd Lake are brisk and invigorating and offer swimming from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day from 10 am to 6 pm. Inner tubes, rafts and other flotation devices are not permitted in the swimming area. Only Coast Guard approved life jackets are permitted. Pets are prohibited on the beach.

Boating, canoeing and fishing are permitted with boat rentals available. A network of trails surrounds the lake leading to rocky vistas.

I have fished this lake for many years and it's always a great producer of decent largemouth. On this afternoon the bite was on the surface and pop r was the lure of choice!

The “Reel Deal” show comes to the Delaware River!

Of all the fishing guides that I fished with in Northern NJ at various freshwater locations from spring through fall, there is nothing quite as exciting to me as the annual spring American shad run on the Delaware River. Steve Andrusiak is a world class guide and offers decent honest rates. He means it when he says he will put you on fish! For the dedicated group of shad-loving folks on the Delaware River that are certifiable ‘shad nuts’, the sheer strength of an 8 pound+ female shad at the end of the line is what sustains us year-to-year. Catching these fish is truly a blast!

fishinfuncharters@yahoo.com

New Jersey's Splitrock Reservoir

Splitrock Reservoir is 625 acres of wilderness located in northern New Jersey on the borders of Rockaway Township and Kinnelon. The reservoir is nestled deep in the woods where it can be reached by traveling a mile on a dirt road known as Split Rock Road. The reservoir consists of several large lakes interconnected with many large islands. There is a large man-made dam on the southwest end of the reservoir. The reservoir and surrounding natural area were opened to the Public on November 21, 2003. This is one of the best Smallmouth Bass fisheries in North Jersey. It has been considered a hidden gem among freshwater fisherman in the state.

Pequest Trout Hatchery and Natural Resource Education Center

Anyone with an interest in fish, wildlife or the outdoors will enjoy a visit to the state-of-the-art Pequest Trout Hatchery and Natural Resource Education Center. Pequest began operations when trout production was transferred from the Charles O. Hayford Hatchery in Hackettstown in 1981.

Open Monday through Friday (excluding holidays) between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., the center offers visitors a look at how more than 600,000 brook, brown and rainbow trout are raised each year for stocking the public waters of New Jersey.   Take a self-guided tour allows visitors to see where the trout are actually raised. The exhibit hall contains live fish as well as a display of mounted New Jersey wildlife specimens. The entire facility is barrier-free.

Children will find the interactive displays fun as well as educational. Visitors are encouraged to take advantage of the hiking trails, including the self-guided interpretive "Natural Resources Trail," picnic areas and free literature. Many opportunities exist for hunting, hiking, fishing and birding on the 4800-acre Pequest Wildlife Management Area 

A list of upcoming weekday programs can be viewed on-line. Organized group programs may be scheduled and can include an actual fishing experience at the "Fishing Education Pond." Pequest is located on Rt. 46 nine miles west of Hackettstown in scenic Warren County. On-line directions are available. For further information about programs and visitation call 908-637-4125, or write:

N.J. Division of Fish and Wildlife
Pequest Trout Hatchery & Natural Resource Ed. Ctr.
605 Pequest Rd.
Oxford, NJ 07863 

Frog Fishing Mountain Lake

 It was around 2:00pm when I clocked out of work and hoped into my truck. My kayak was tied down in the bed and fishing rods fixed and ready to go. I had one more stop to make to pick up my friend Bill and get his kayak in the truck so we could start of on this journey. The location we were headed to was Mountain Lake on the border of Jenny Jump State Forest. This lake has everything a good lake has to offer. From the boat ramp left it's full of thick slop and lily pads. Off the right of the ramp is open water and boat docks that are great for plastics and spinnerbaits. On this trip we headed deep into the slop, the sun had been over head for awhile now sending the bass into the thick amazon cover of the slop to keep cool. I had a Spro Popper Frog tied on my line and fan casted through the jungle of weeds on the water. I like to test a area out and see if the bass are active by making quick casts and hurry that frog along. My first cast got a reaction strike big time, it had to be a big boy. It sounded like a cannon ball blowing out of the water. I through the frog back into the same section of weeds and I got a three ponder. The bass kept pulling me into the weeds and slop, I kept constant pressure on my rod not letting him wrap me up to bad. Bill paddled over at this point and started to roll the video tape. I reached my hand into the abyss and pulled out a decent largemouth.

       We did a quick video segment for The Reel Deal and released the bass back into the lake and traveled on. In the distance I could see a big break in the weeds and some swirls caused by feeding fish. One of the most important parts of top water fishing is always keep your eyes and ears open. You never know when a fish will surface or make a splash and you need to be ready to throw you bait at it. I gave my frog a cast into this opening in the weeds and caught a good fish. It was a nice size largemouth and released him as quick as I could. I saw some bigger swirls coming from the whole and knew that a big bass was lurking. The big bass hit like a freight train and gave me a good fight. By keeping pressure and not horsing the fish let me get him up from the slop. So far this was turning out to be a awesome trip. It was turning out to be classic text book frog fishing. We made our way over to a bunch of boat docks on the left side of the lake. A few locales called out to us " they biting today'. We waved and nodded our heads as we paddled past.

        I saw a boat dock that was providing a lot of shade and threw out a spinnerbait and got another bass. Bill was getting skunked and I offered him some baits that were working for me. Every fisherman knows some days what works for your buddy might not work for you. I'm sure another trip the same might happen to me. The sky started to get dark and the wind picked up. Could the gods of fishing put a damper on this awesome trip? We paddled quick to the boat ramp with lighting crashing over or heads. We loaded our gear and kayaks into the truck. Then we made our way back to route 80. Bill checked his smart phone and saw the area we were driving out of was in a tornado warning. The rain began to fall in sheets and made route 80 slow down to a crawl. When we made it home back to Bergen County the sun was out, the birds were singing and all we were left with was this fish story.RichieMoschella.Com