Started fishing early this year, April 3rd. Found water in the 40's and fishing was tough. As the water warmed up in April I was able to find nice fish in all of the usual small lakes I target early in the season. It's best to fish those small spots early before Memorial Day, otherwise they get very weed choked and makes for difficult fishing. Sexy shad color crankbaits and blue gill color swim baits where working well for both bass and pickerel. A slow steady retrieve would produce strikes, as well a slow retrieve and pause method.

The winds were also a problem for most of the month. It seems everywhere I went I would encounter wind, with gust as high as 25 mph on some days. In these conditions it's tough fishing so I drag a 3lb ball anchor to slow me down and allow me to make the proper presentation. I also like to fish the leeward shoreline. Use faster moving baits in these conditions.

If anyone is interested in fishing some of New Jersey's smaller lakes and learning a few new techniques I still have a few open weekdays in May and a few weekends open in June.