<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

Plenty of small striped bass swam the local Delaware River, said Bill Brinkman from <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Philadelphia on his Facebook page. “Some bigger fish down below,” he said. In a post last Wednesday, he said: The upper river has slowed to a crawl. For the smaller bass that currently swam locally, bloodworms were best bait, but clams and bunker also caught. Bill shared a post from a fishing guide that said the river’s largemouth bass fishing “is getting hot.” A trip landed a dozen in the coves on Senkos and drop-shots. The bass were about to spawn.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

A 2-1/2- or 3-pound walleye, the first of the season aboard, was trolled from Lake Hopatcong on Friday with <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale, Capt. Dave Vollenweider said. The fish smacked a Cabela’s banana-bait lure in black with silver sides on a planer board off Pickerel Point in 30- to 40-foot depths. The lure was meant to match herring swimming the lake. Crappies, yellow perch and rock bass were angled in the River Styx area on the trip on a Rapala X-Rap Slash Bait. Waters there were very weedy, because the river was 2 feet lower than normal. When Hopatcong reaches 60 and 70 degrees, fishing on the lake, including for walleyes, will probably become very good. On the trip, the main lake was 58 degrees, and the coves and shallow waters were 64 or 65 degrees. Coming up, Dave’s trips this summer will include walleye fishing in the middle of the night. The fish move into the shallows then, following baitfish, and can be whacked on top-water lures. Another trip with Live to Fish banked four brown trout on Paulinskill River on Saturday, on a blue-and-silver Rapala Countdown lure in size CD3. Live to Fish specializes in lure fishing for trout in spring. A longear sunfish and a smallmouth bass also jumped on the lure, and fish like that will begin to bite as rivers warm. The Paulinskill was becoming low again, after rising a moment from rains, after the drought this season. Dave did no fishing for muskies in the past week, but also specializes in trips for them, and that angling will keep improving this season, as waters warm. Live to Fish Guide Service guides trips for trout, muskies, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleyes, crappies, chain pickerel, panfish, yellow perch, white perch, carp and more. Lakes fished include Greenwood Lake, Lake Hopatcong, Monksville Reservoir, Echo Lake, Mountain Lake and Furnace Lake. Rivers fished include the Flatbrook, Pequest, Paulinskill and Ramapo.

Walleyes smacked Zara Spook top-water lures at Lake Hopatcong on trips there for Ben from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. On a nearby lake, he caught largemouth bass, including a large one on Monday, on rubber crawfish on a football-headed jig. He also angled smallmouth bass on a reservoir on Senkos. Largemouths and smallmouths must be released through June 15. Little was heard about trout, but the fish were stocked at Rockaway River on Monday. Rains fell this week, and when that happens, raising the Rockaway, the trout usually gather along the sides of the river. Anglers bought tackle for shad fishing on Delaware River, but nothing was heard about results. Lots of reports were heard about the fishing for a moment when shad invaded the waters at first this season. After the initial shot, news dried up.

“Some nice stripers,” said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong, were weighed in from the lake. The hybrid striped bass included Bob Smith from Ogdensburg’s 10-pound 15-ouncer, the new record for the Knee Deep Club. The fish was taken on a live herring at Brady’s Bridge. The lake’s hybrids ran from shallow to deeper waters, and were usually hooked on bait. But they began to swipe top-waters lures at night. Cousins Eddie and Tom Mackin checked in a 9-pound 8-ounce hybrid and an 8-pound 11-ouncer that were livelined on herring. Eddie also dredged up a 4-pound 2-ounce white catfish off Nolan’s Point. Casey Christiansen threw a Rapala lure to catch hybrids to 5 pounds. Michael Hogan, his dad and his uncle walloped hybrids to 5 pounds 14 ounces.  The Knee Deep Club will hold a trout tournament on Sunday. Anglers can enter at the store until 8 a.m. that day. Dow’s is open at 5 a.m. on weekends and 5:30 a.m. on weekdays.

Trout, good catches, kept biting at Ramapo River and Barbour’s Pond, said Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. Most were scored on yellow Power Bait nuggets and meal worms. Butter worms would work but were scarce this year, and the shop ran out, but more might be stocked by today. Trouting went well on Pequest River on salmon eggs and Blue Fox spinners. Largemouth bass fishing was becoming somewhat better on Lake Hopatcong, mostly on jigs or Rapala X-Raps. The bass must be released through June 15. Friends released a bunch of largemouths at Pompton Lakes on Rapala X-Raps or Husky Jerks. Boats started to be able to be launched, if anglers were careful, on the north end of Greenwood Lake, after the lake was too low previously. The river was lowered for dock repairs during winter. Then the drought kept rains from replenishing waters like normal. Very good walleye fishing was axed at the north end on jerk baits, though waters remained very shallow. Nick fished Passaic River at Elmwood Park, tackling two healthy-sized smallmouth bass and 10 rock bass. Many rock bass swarmed the waters, and he could’ve kept landing them.

On Round Valley Reservoir, Ron DeGraff and Roger Drew trolled six lake trout 15 ½ to 22 ½ inches on a trip, said Jody from <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport</b> in an e-mail. They lost a rainbow trout on the troll, and helped with trout stocking on the impoundment, saying some big ones were stocked. At Spruce Run Reservoir, George Link drilled a 24-inch northern pike from shore on a shiner. Also at Spruce, Dan Krzykowski totaled 11 crappies, three largemouth bass and a pike. The crappies were mostly small, but two were 14 and 15 inches. The bass weighed up to a 2-pound 11-ouncer. Largemouths must be released through June 15. The reservoir was 63 to 66 degrees. Dan also fished Swartswood Lake, coming up with 30 crappies. David Gulics fished the South Branch of Raritan River, landing two 4-pound brown trout.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Good fishing for trout on Musconetcong River was talked about, said Burt from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Blue winged olives were the most common hatch on trout streams. But sometimes sulfurs came off, and a customer brought a fly to the shop that looked like a green drake. The Musky’s water level had been okay, and rains helped. But an angler called the shop Tuesday, saying waters flowed high and dirty at Ken Lockwood Gorge but better at Claremont on the South Branch of Raritan River. Burt saw a few shad and a few striped bass managed on Raritan River in freshwater. Shad fishing was good on upper Delaware River, but the week’s rains might’ve raised the flow, affecting the fishing.

Fishing for trout was good on Toms River and okay on the South Branch of Metedeconk River, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in the town of Toms River. Rapalas and Mister Twisters worked well in the clear, cold waters of the Toms. Mostly Power Bait caught on the Metedeconk. Water levels were good on the trout streams, and waters were fairly clean. Trout fishing was productive on Lake Shenandoah, mostly on worms under bobbers. A customer was fighting chain pickerel, small, on Lake Horicon. Picks always seem to remain small in the cedar waters. Lots of hybrid striped bass were chicken-livered on Manasquan Reservoir from drifted boats. The bait was fished on a bait-holding hook fished on bottom, with a split shot 18 inches or 2 feet above the hook.  Largemouth bass fishing, limited to catch and release through June 15, was somewhat slow because of spawning. To catch them, anglers dropped worms or bait in the spawning beds to make the bass try to remove them. Bluegill fishing was active at all the ponds like at Ocean County College. Nightcrawlers under bobbers hooked them.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Crappies were clapped from Gropp’s Lake, said Chris from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. Largemouth bass, restricted to catch and release through June 15, were probably coming off spawning beds at the different lakes. Striped bass fishing definitely slowed on Delaware River. But shad, fewer than previously, were still fought on the river at Lambertville. Largemouth bass fishing was taking off on the river.

Few striped bass remained in the local Delaware River, and the ones that did were smaller, said Carl from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Good catfishing was clobbered on the river at Trenton and Bordentown along edges of channels in depths like 20 feet on chicken livers and Gulp catfish baits. Large crappies 12 or 14 inches could be found in the spillway at Prospertown Lake. Toss small Mister Twisters on the smallest jigheads possible, under a float. For largemouth bass fishing, catch and release by law through June 15, a bite on buzz-baits was on at the lakes at Assunpink Wildlife Management Area. Use ½-houce white spinner baits with a clacker. The bass seemed finished spawning. At Turnmill Pond, at Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area, good chain pickerel fishing was hammered on big Mepps spinners or shiners.

Some good fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass went down at Lake Audrey on minnows and shiners, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b> in Brooklawn. Both are required to be let go in the catch-and-release lake, but, by law, also in all lakes through June 15. largemouths gave up quality catches at Greenwich Lake and Cooper River. Crappies were bailed on the Cooper at the bridges. Trout were hung from Swedesboro Lake fairly steadily. On Delaware River striped bass were clammed, sometimes bloodwormed, upstream from Ben Franklin Bridge, and were bloodwormed farther upstream at Tacony-Palmyra Bridge and Burlington-Bristol Bridge. Catfishing was on a decent tear on the river and at Salem River and Rancocas Creek, mostly on fresh cut baits.

Catches of trout started to slow, but could be claimed from Rowan’s Pond and Oak Pond locally, or Iona Lake or Hammonton Lake farther away, said Jim from <b>Creek Keeper Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. Chain pickerel were minnowed at New Brooklyn Lake. Largemouth bass, required to be released through June 15, were hitting at the private Victory Lakes and Timber Lakes. Victory is catch and release anyway, and check the rules for Timber. Small largemouths were reeled in from Lakeland Lake. Kids played sunnies at Puppyland Pond.

The pond at South Vineland Park turned out largemouth bass, said Vince from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland.  The law requires largemouths to be released through June 15. Largemouths were also released at all the usual lakes, and they began to hone in on rubber frogs and soft-plastic lures. Many bass seemed finished spawning. Lots of smallmouth bass, required to be released through the same date, swarmed Union Lake. Chain pickerel, crappies and bluegills could always be caught at the different lakes. Bluegills were probably on the spawning beds. In saltwater, not much was heard about summer flounder, and the season was early. Drum began to be boated from Delaware Bay.

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