THE SALEM CANAL, NJ

It is one of the ten best locations for bass in New Jersey,” Chris Smith succinctly stated. Smith is a tournament pro and former New Jersey Bass Angler of the Year. He added, “In fact, I’d put it with some of the best Delaware and Maryland have to offer when it comes to numbers.”

“It” is the 12-mile Salem Canal in the Garden State’s southwestern county of Salem, a hotbed of largemouth activity that continues to fly below the angling radar, even with the likes of big bass-hot Parvin Lake (managed as a Lunker Lake) and Lower Alloway Lake, among several other still and moving swims.

An additional credential is that Smith is a principal biologist with the Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Bureau of Freshwater Fisheries (856-629-4950), and the southern region of the Garden State is his bailiwick. He also hunts bass competitively and recreationally in the neighboring states.

Formerly known as the Deepwater Canal, the Salem Canal was constructed by the damming of the Salem River, the new artery shaving 25 miles off the shipping time to get produce by barge from county farmers to the markets in Philadelphia.

So much for history – the time is now, and now is the prime time for largemouth in the Salem Canal.

There is a launching ramp on the westbound lane of Route 40 in Carney’s Point, and power is unrestricted. (A new double ramp on Salem County Route 540, aka Hawk’s Bridge Road, is nearing completion.) That’s right: unlimited outboard. This wide-open invitation comes with a warning: be extremely careful, as the stained, low-visibility water hides myriad prop-eating obstructions. This plus the fact that the canal varies in width from 200 feet down to 30 feet with many turns and laydowns extending from the brush-infested bank can make for some think-blink, quick situations. Just because it’s there (the unlimited rating) does not mean it has to be used, especially by those new to the venue. Sure, local anglers and tourney competitors who’ve fished here before know the deal, so use brainwave instead of heartbeat when deciding to open ‘er up.

Salem Canal bass will average two to two-and-a-half pounds, with mossbacks between four and seven pounds hitting the livewells every year. The primary forage is gizzard shad, followed by sunfish and then crayfish. Top hardware includes ¼- and 3/8-ounce tandem willow leaf blade spinnerbaits sporting a gold and silver metal, and square bill crankbaits in chartreuse/black back and white/gray back. Preferred plastics include creature baits such as the Sweet Beaver and Brush Hog in green pumpkin, a seven-inch plastic worm in black or green pumpkin, and the black/blue jig with a black or blue chunk trailer or a green pumpkin chunk. When pitching along the heavily shrouded, snag-infested shorelines, opt for 17- or 20-pound-test mono in a green hue. Hold on tight to your britches because bass fishing has never been hotter than in the Salem Canal.