Newton Reservoir

[bblake98]

I went yesterday, and caught 1 bass before 4:30 and had a few strikes before the dark clouds blew over, and it got very windy. I saw a little school of yellow perch, probably averaging 3 to 4 inches long. Are there very many perch in Newton?
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[Got_Bait]

It varies from year to year, but usually yes.
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[SkunkedAgain]

I seen a ton of perch on the camera last winter as I ice fished it, but sure was tough to get any of them to bite... Most were really small... Did the bass have any size to it? I got a couple small ones there through the ice, but figured there should be some good ones there somewhere... How about crappie? There was a batch two years ago that were around 11" and I expect there should be some good fish there this year, but I never could find any through the ice last winter, so maybe they all got fished out... Seen a bunch of carcasses last fall by the boat dock, so it looked like someone had figured out how to catch them... Too bad if they are gone, I like crappie... Later J
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[bblake98]

Yes, it (the bass) weighed probably about 2, 2 1/2 lbs and was 14 to 15 inches long.
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[gaardvark]

I stopped by Newton late yesterday, but didn't spend long fishing. The power squadron was present as expected for a weekend. There is limited shoreline, further restricted by people camping right on the accessible spots.
I have never seen the lake fuller than it is right now, so there is a lot of flooded brush along the shore, which makes shore fishing hazardous to the terminal tackle budget.
After a few casts off of 20 foot cliffs and steep banks, we decided to enjoy the drive home on a scenic tour of the valley.

All in all, I like that lake, but it is tough to fish without a boat this time of year, and dangerous to fish with a boat as long as the ignorant segment of the power squadron is present. With little or no law enforcement presensce, it is a magnet for those who prefer to operate without regard for safety or courtesy.

Incidentally, it appears the gun range has been permanently closed up there, and is now posted with US Government property signs all over the place.
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[SkunkedAgain]

That's a nice bass congrats. Later J
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[SkunkedAgain]

Wow that's new if they closed the range and I thought that was all private owned land around there. Too bad if they closed that area it was a great spot for long range rifle practice. Thanks for that info. Later J
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[bblake98]

I did hear quite a bit of shooting Thursday, so I don't know what was going on there.
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[gaardvark]

It has been a publicly available shooting site for years. I imagine a few boulders across the entrance/parking area won't be enough to deter some users. Something changed the status. It was closed off for some work on the dam last fall, and now it is blocked by boulders that will prevent cars from parking there. I know it was posted as US gov't property, and possibly No Trespassing signs, though I don't specifically remember. I have seen and heard people shooting at various locations on the hill, so maybe some are still accessible, just not the primary site at the dam.
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