That’s why any time I need a confidence boost I head to Greenwood Lake. Straddling the state line of NJ & NY you will not have to sacrifice the choices. One side is a virtual weed bed with plenty of stumps. The other side takes on a totally different look. The water is deeper and clearer with rocky drop-offs, sandbars and sunken humps. Docks and Marinas surround the entire lake. The bass on Greenwood Lake are schooling bass. Locate one and school in.

I called my ex-tournament partner asking him to join me. As soon as Frank heard my voice he asked me why I waited so long to call. I explained that I have been busy at work but I now have a couple days off. I am going to fish. Frank then said something very strange, he said his tackle box seemed to be getting smaller. Soon he would be using his son's Mickey Mouse lunch box. I told him of a new tackle shop that just opened on Greenwood Lake. We could stop there to pick-up some new gear. We arranged for the normal drill outside at 4 am. The next morning brought back many memories as I picked Frank up. We had traveled many miles together back and forth to many tournaments looking for the big one. Our different fishing styles complimented one another. His style was to zone in on a location. I on the other hand would flip or pitch a jig looking for that lunker (big fish).

Dawn began to emerge as we arrived at Fox Island Tackle shop on the south end of the Lake. As we entered the shop I noticed Pete Coe an old tournament competitor inside. He shouted out, pre-fishing for the upcoming tournament. Laughing, I said no just up to fish for the day. That is when Pete introduced the guy behind the counter as John his partner in this new venture. At that moment Frank looked at me and I realized we had to get to the water if we were going to try to establish a pattern. We were about to leave when John asked me to wait as he reached under the counter. He handed me a Storm Wiggle Wart blue/chartreuse suggesting that I try fishing it at the dam. It seems he and Pete nailed a couple of bass in the 6-lbs. class using this wide body lure. I snatched up the lure and Frank and I were on our way. I turned onto Lakeside Road memories of my first tournament came rushing back. There use to be waiting line to use the ramps. Businesses boomed. Greenwood Lake was one of the few lakes open for year-round bass fishing but it too has since fallen victim to New Jersey laws. The fishing here remains one of the best in the state with 2 lb. bass being the norm. Again thinking back to the tournament I realized I was a one-dimensional angler but I still managed to finish 13th out of a field 320 anglers. I will always be happy with that accomplishment.

We launched the boat and headed across the lake to Fox Island where we started with a top water lure. The island is surround by weeds and rocks with depths no greater than 7ft. Zara Spooks and Chug Bug work but I prefer blue/chrome Rat-L-Trap. Frank tied a Stanley Wedge Spinner bait on and threw it and then bringing it back to the boat with a fast retrieve. I worked my bait so that it just barely ticked the weed top. My rod arched the bass began pulling my lure down trying to bury himself below weed bottom. He came to the surface and then shot straight down trying to make one last run. That was when I turned his head, recovering line hoisting him into the boat. Frank lipped this fish as it was flopping in the boat. This bass tipped the scale at 3.2 lb. Frank gave me a hi-five spouting out nice fish as he released my catch. Thinking we were on to something we started working the area with worms and jigs we took a few shorts. The sun began to break out from behind the clouds soon the pleasure boaters would be ripping the surface. So we moved over to the dam hoping to fish it before the fish headed into deeper water. Once there I shutdown my gas motor and dropped down my trolling motor so we could work around the docks. My sidefinder begin chirping registering activity under the docks. We both agreed that we should go to a finesse worm, June bug in color. Slowly working these worms we were able to pick up a few more fish but nothing big. I told

Frank he could try the Storm Wiggle Wart. I already taken a good size fish and didn't think this lure would make a difference. On his third cast I saw him reel down then he stopped his retrieve and he began shaking the rod tip. After a couple of seconds he started reeling again bam he had a huge strike. His reel was losing line, he tightened down on the drag, just a hair. Just then I saw the water explode. At the end of Frank's line securely hooked onto that wide wobble lure was a fish that looked to be in the 6lb class. I was sorry I let Frank have that lure. Frank worked him closer to the boat I knew as soon as I lipped him that he had to be in the 7lb. - Class. Looking at him closely I could see where he had been caught and released before. We snapped a picture and headed to the N.Y. side of the Lake to try our luck. That was when we came upon our honey-hole a hump about 15-ft. surround by 40 ft. of water. Frank tossed out a marker buoy. Frank decided to try a grub. But I opted for a suspending Smithwick Rattlin Rogue with an orange belly knowing it one of the most popular lures for feeding bass on Greenwood Lake. We landed a number of bass from deep points, sunken humps and even scoring a good limit of smallmouth Carolina-Rigging Lizards. But I know that from this day forward whenever I fish Greenwood Lake I am still searching for that Big- One!

Directions: Take interstate 287 North to Rt.23 North

Speed Limits 45mph: - Day - 15mph - Night

Vegetation: Eurasian Milfoil/Curly Cabbage