<b>North Jersey</b>

Thirteen walleyes were plowed on one of the overnight trips for the fish Friday to Saturday with Sal Lostan and son aboard, said Capt. Dave Vollenweider from <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale. Five of the walleyes, one of the best-tasting fish, a member of the perch family, were kept, and the rest were released. Two large ones got off near the boat. The trip’s walleyes were axed from a lake on Original Floating Rapala lures in size F18, a 7-incher, the largest. Lostan and son fished from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m., and Dave returned to the waters afterward, catching three more walleyes. Live to Fish this time of year stalks walleyes in the middle of the night, when the fish move to shallows, foraging on herring. Then the walleyes can be crushed on top-water lures for exciting surface attacks. The trips are an experience. Herring were beginning to spawn, and not a ton flipped around, and Dave’s seen more, but some were around. Walleyes will keep foraging in the shallows in the dead of night until waters become warmer soon. The lake was 71 degrees, and Dave marked no thermocline yet. Once waters warm and stratify, walleyes will “suspend,” Dave said. Then he’ll catch them while trolling. Another trip for the fish is slated for tonight. A musky trip is scheduled for the weekend. Dave tried for muskies on Echo Lake with his wife on Sunday, but none bit. On his previous trip for muskies, covered in the last report, he nailed and released a large musky, missed a blow up and scored a follow. For the fish of 10,000 casts, a follow is even half the battle. That musky was tagged by the Hackettstown Hatchery, and Dave recently heard back from the hatchery about the tag. The hatchery had caught the fish for spawning in April, then released it. The fish then was 47 inches, weighing 26.2 pounds. A musky 50 inches is the benchmark for a truly big one. On the musky trip this week, skies were overcast, and waters were choppy. The lake was 77 degrees in the back, the direction winds were blowing, and 73 degrees in the front. Conditions were optimum, and Dave expected the fish to bite. But that’s musky fishing. Catching one is never a guarantee. But people fish for them because a catch can be an angler’s biggest. A variety of lures including spinners and a Bull Dawg were fished. 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.

On a trip that fished Pequest River, Ben from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna saw plenty of trout rising, but the fish, in low waters, were spooky when approached, he said. He got none to bite, and talked with a couple of old anglers who said they also found catching them difficult. Ben ultra-lighted a bunch of smallmouth bass and two trout on Musconetcong River on rubber grubs. His friend on the trip landed a couple of smallies and a couple of trout. Trout streams seemed warm, but not extremely. On Ben’s trips to lakes, waters seemed pretty warm. A friend was catching hybrid striped bass, not many walleyes, on Lake Hopatcong in the dark after midnight on top-water lures.

Fishing picked up on the lake, said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong in an e-mail. A mix of catches hit, including lots of crappies, and some smallmouth and largemouth bass, chain pickerel, hybrid striped bass and walleyes. Bob Smith and son limited out on crappies and whacked a walleye larger than 6 pounds on a trip. Most anglers tried for the different catches off the points and at the drop-offs with livelined herring. But nighttime produced on top-water lures. Hybrids, walleyes, largemouths and crappies all jumped on the lures. The Knee Deep Club’s Stu Lant Tournament will be held Saturday and Sunday on the lake, a chance to win cash or rod-and-reel combos, and a fun contest, Laurie said.

Tremendous walleye fishing was socked at Greenwood Lake and Lake Hopatcong at night, mostly on surface lures, said Mark from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield.  Swartswood Lake turned out very good largemouth bass catches. Trout were still caught at Big Flatbrook and Ramapo River, mostly on flies in the warmth. Joe Santiago landed a beautiful, 8-pound brown trout at Merrill Creek Reservoir.

At Round Valley Reservoir, Jim Saccento slow-trolled 10 lake trout 20 to 23 inches or 2 to 3 pounds on chrome Dodgers and shiners 3 to 5 feet off bottom, said Jody from <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport</b> in an e-mail. Seventy feet of waters was best, and the trip fished “in (the) vicinity of (the) back corner to (the) 50-Foot Hump,” Jody said. Another angler checked in a 17-inch brown trout from Round Valley that bit a Cow Bell fished 5 feet off bottom in 70 feet of waters. At Merrill Creek Reservoir, Rich Tedesco and friend reeled in quite a few largemouth bass and a chain pickerel on crank baits, and Richard Hollar pounded a 26-inch pickerel. Dan Smith tugged in a dozen carp 8 to 15 pounds from feeder streams flowing into Delaware River.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Lots of small smallmouth bass were fly-rodded on Raritan River at Duke Island on white and gray Clouser Minnows on a trip that Burt from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook took, he said. A staff member from the shop’s camping department beat lots of smallmouths at Spruce Run Reservoir. He fished with worms where Spruce Run enters the impoundment. Waters were becoming warm for trout fishing, and the Raritan was 70 degrees on Burt’s trip. But a couple of customers talked about good trouting on Big Flatbrook, and bought sulfurs and Cahills. Landing trout without killing them in the heat was probably becoming an issue. Many anglers avoid trouting in the heat for that reason.

Weeds filled waters, but shoreline fishing was productive on Toms River at Trilco, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in the town of Toms River. Chain pickerel were punched there on shiners fished with a heavy split shot under a bobber to slow the bait in current. A channel runs there that fish gather around. Trilco is a building supply that closed down. No sign identifies the building, but locals know the stretch of river by the name, located near the Parkway. Carp, super catches, were clubbed at Trilco on dough balls, raisins and corn. A few white perch nipped there. At Lake Shenandoah, also carrying lots of weeds, mostly panfish and a few largemouth bass were angled. Trout fishing was mostly finished for the season at the lake. Most who fished for trout hit Toms River. The stretch of the river with trout will give up the fish a while yet, and the river’s temps there will remain in the 60s. Hybrid striped bass kept snapping in Manasquan Reservoir on chicken livers drifted along bottom. Largemouth bass fishing was improving at the reservoir around the woods. Largemouths spawn late there and were getting active after the breed. Jigs and pigs in black-and-blue, black-and-purple or all-black caught. So did chartreuse spinners, and gold blades on the spinners worked best. At Lake Riviera, largemouths, pickerel and crappies were picked. “No one’s setting the world on fire,” Dennis said, but they caught. Kids tackled lots of bluegills at Ocean County College pond. Turtles kept grabbing the baits.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Delaware River dished up smallmouth bass and walleyes in early mornings and evenings, said Eric from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. Largemouth bass were on a top-water bite at lakes in evenings on lures like Jitter Bugs, poppers and frogs fished across weeds. The lakes at Assunpink Wildlife Management area, Gropp’s Lake and Mercer County Lake were producers. Carp fishing was good at the local carp holes. Trout gave up catches at the northern streams, though few fished for them anymore this season. “Underutilized,” Eric guessed.

Delaware River cleared up, and catfishing was good there at Trenton and Bordentown, said Carl from <b>Sportsman’s Center</b> in Bordentown. The river’s smallmouth bass fishing seemed slow, and Joe Kasper, the river guide, talked about only a few of the fish biting, Carl said. Largemouth bass were on an evening feed at the lakes at Assunpink Wildlife Management Area on buzz baits and spinner baits. But plenty pounced during daytime on Power Worms. Largemouths were active at Manasquan Reservoir “in the wood,” Carl said. Jigs and pigs whacked them in colors like black and blue, chartreuse and blue, all black or all brown. Lots of chain pickerel attacked at Turn Mill Pond at Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area. Daredevils and shiner sacked them.

Striped bass to 25 inches, lots of sizeable white perch and quite a few catfish to 8 and 10 pounds were cranked from Delaware River, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b> in Brooklawn. Largemouth bass anglers did a job on catches at Newton Lake, the DOD ponds, Greenwich Lake and Wilson Lake. At Wilson, a Live Target Mouse worked well. The lure is stocked at the shop and is difficult to find. Waters were inundated with snakeheads, an invasive species. But the fish were large, like 4 and 5 pounds, and tough fighters, and anglers fished for them. Mantua Creek was loaded with them. Strawberry Lake held them. The snakeheads jumped out of the waters. Top-water lures like frogs and buzz baits worked through the lily pads caught them. Not much was heard about Cooper River. Big Timber stocks bait and tackle for fishing on all waters from fresh to offshore.

Most local lakes served up good fishing for largemouth bass, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Evenings were a time to catch them, and rubber frogs, Senko worms, Power Bait worms and shaky head worms drilled them. Rainbow Lake fished well for the bass, and quality catches, including big largemouths, were reported from Salem Canal. Largemouths and smallmouth bass were picked at Union Lake. Smallmouth fishing was actually better there now, in the warmth, than earlier in the season, though anglers would expect better fishing for smallies in cooler waters. Lake Audrey put up fair, or okay, fishing for a mix or largemouths and smallies. In saltwater, summer flounder fishing sounded like a slow pick. Delaware Bay’s fishing for flounder was “eh,” Steve said. The fishing was better on back bays.

Back to Top