Baitshops Near Round Valley Reservoir
Lebanon Bait and Sport - located on 1110 Route 22 west in Lebanon NJ 08833 – about 3/4 mile East of Round Valley and 1/4 mile East of BagelSmith Deli, they open early. Visit their Facebook page for most current hours and info. They do not seem to have a website. Call for winter hours ! (908) 236-9466.
- Business Hours:
- Mon – Fri: 7:00 am – 5:30 pm
- Sat – Sun: 6:00 am – 5:00 pm
- View Google Maps Directions
- They have Round Valley specific lures and bait
- They have live Shiners and usually have live herring
- They sell fishing and hunting licenses
- They are a Yamaha, G3 & MirroCraft Dealer
Dick Dows – Fishing and Boat Rental- 145 Nolans Point Road, Lake Hopatcong, NJ 07849 Phone: (973) 663 3826. Call and ask if they have live Herring in stock – the herring are caught right in Lake Hopatcong so there is a good chance they do. Call for winter hours. If Lake Hopatcong is frozen solid, they are open regularly in the winter.
- Business Hours:
- May-Sept. Mon – Sun: 5:00am – 7:00pm
- April & Oct. 6:30am – 6:00pm
- Winter if there is ice Mon. -Sunday 6:00am – 2:00pm
- View Google Maps Directions
- If they don’t have live herring, no one has live herring.
The following baits are commonly used at Round Valley
Alewife (Herring)
Here is a video from Maine of Herring swimming around, doing what Herring do:
- The Best baitfish to use if available.
- The alewife is a species of Herring.
- Round Valley Trout Association and Division of Fish & Wildlife have stocked the lake with these fish in an attempt to reestablish a viable forage base for game fish. More here.
- Average length 3 to 5 inches.
- Herring will out fish Shiners 15 to 1 (in my experience).
- Keep in an aerated livewell or insulated cooler adding ice every 1/2 hour or so.
Shiner
- Golden Shiner, commonly referred to as just Shiners.
- Most commonly used baitfish because they are hardy and cheap.
- Shiners are a Cyprinid like Minnows and Carp.
- Average length 3 to 5 inches.
Fathead Minnow
- Not as popular because they are small so you will catch everything in the lake except sunfish.
Gammarus (Scud)
- Little fresh water shrimp, normally 1/4 inch in length or smaller and flat. If you bring up a snagged branch while fishing deep, take a close look at it, these things will be all over it.
- As far as I know, these are naturally occurring in the lake.
- As far as I know, no one sells them as bait.
- Fisherman use small salad shrimp from the grocery store as an alternative.
Mealworm
- Are most effective when fished with an egg sinker and marshmallow to keep it off the bottom.
- Effective when used after stocking in the Spring.
Garden Worms
- You can catch anything in the lake with garden worms.
- They are a favorite bait of mine when fishing from shore under a slip bobber.
Night Crawler
- You can catch anything in the lake with night crawlers, however I’ve found that trout prefer the smaller garden worms.
Crayfish or Crawdads
- Smallmouth Bass go nuts over crayfish
- More than one state record bass has been caught on crayfish
- Lebanon Bait and Sport occasionally stocks live crayfish
- Hook the crawdad through the tail, from the underside up and out. Drift or anchor, but beware of the crawdad diving into a rock and hanging you up.
Chicken Livers
- Ok, this isn’t a live bait, but it was alive at some point.
- Supposedly you will catch catfish on this stuff when fishing at night.
- I have never had any success with Chicken Livers.
- Buy from the grocery store, stick them in an old stocking, insert hook.
