The key to setting a baitcaster is the initial step that no one has mentioned. FIRST thing to do is set the magnetic brake to zero or off. Then you can adjust the side bearing tension. Once this is done, do a fine adjustment with the magnetic brake. If you don't turn off the magnetic brake first, all your adjustments will be wrong and cause lots of grief. I was at a Bass University and Denny Brauer tossed a lure on a BC without touching the reel with his thumb and got no backlash. He said a properly adjusted reel will require a mag brake tuning whenever you change lures of different weight but the side bearing adjustment usually won't require any more setting. Since I did this method, I haven't had any problems.

While phones are great I believe the best backup tool is the alarm built into most autos and trucks today. We all carry the fob with the key on it. Bet no one leaves it in the truck like their phone. If you can't get to the phone, push the alarm button and, if you are close enough to the vehicle, the horn blares. Turn it on for a minute then off for a minute then back on. If you leave it blare steadily no one pays attention to it after a minute or so. Could be your last line of signalling.

Toss a spinnerbait in there and fast retrieve it through the stickups. Also work the edge with the SB.

You guys are confused. There are spinners and spinnerbaits. They are not the same thing. Spinners are like Rooster tails, Aglias, Panther Martins, etc. Spinnerbaits are some times called hair pins and are V shaped with a head on the bottom arm and a giant hook with a skirt. The blades are on the top arm of the wire. These are not interchangeable and each requires a different retrieve. While the spinner is difficult to fish in weeds and wood because it hangs a lot, the spinnerbait comes through like a champ. I tend to think of the spinner being a trout lure and the other is a bass lure.

Your first mistake was moving to NJ. Our fish are very lure shy and hard to entice. If you want to catch them, wait till Spring when they spawn.

After living in North North Jersey all my life, the easiest answer to your dilemma is to move somewhere else. Jersey fishing is at best hard. Actually, after 60 years doing it here, I have come to the conclusion our water has to be 55 or more for everything to start happening. Any temp below that and it's haul water time. Remember, just because the AIR is 55 the water is still cooler than that at this time of year. So wait a couple weeks and then hit them. Don't forget...C&R during closed season April to June.