<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

Wasn’t much to report during the past couple of days, Bill Brinkman from Philadelphia’s <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> wrote on his Facebook page.  “I know there are still lots of smaller fish being caught,” he said, because of bait that was sold. A few bass, catfish, sunfish and carp bit, he said, but none of his postings mentioned Delaware River’s striped bass fishing in some time.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Some days still turned out good shad fishing on Delaware River, but the angling slowed a lot, said Joe from <b>Stokes Forest Sport Shop</b> in Sandyston. The river was low, but not brutally, he said. Striped bass were yet to arrive in the local river, but should soon. Smallmouth bass fishing, limited to catch and release through June 15 for spawning, began to pick up on the river. It wasn’t “banging,” he said, but improved. Carp were finally eased from the river, he said. Trout streams ran low, but trout fishing was good on them. Mostly flies caught, but bait connected at downstream areas, because of higher waters. Salted minnows and fathead minnows worked well, because brown trout were stocked, and they like “meat,” Joe said. Browns are the final trout stocked in spring, because the fish tolerate warmer waters better than other trout. Baits like butter worms and Power Bait catch rainbow trout and brook trout more commonly. Customers mostly trout fish on Big Flatbrook and sometimes on Paulinskill River. Lake fishing was productive, mostly for largemouth bass that also must be released through June 15 for spawning. Many largemouths currently spawned, and smallmouths mostly spawned already.

Seven brown trout were banked on Paulinskill River, running very low, on a blue and silver Rapala lure on a trip last week with <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b>, Capt. Dave Vollenweider said. A smallmouth bass was also landed, and a fly-rodder on the river that day told Dave he hooked seven trout, some carp and a bunch of smallmouths. Dave saw lots of sulfur mayflies hatching, and saw all the different species of fish rising on them. Live to Fish specializes in lure fishing for trout in springtime, and trout are slated to be stocked through Friday. Trips could still trout fish with Dave, though waters will probably become too low for lure fishing soon. Angling with the lures, an interesting, fun way to fish, and a way that often catches larger trout that forage on baitfish that the lures imitate, requires some depth to avoid snagging, like on bottom or logs. But one of the next types of trips Dave runs seems to be heating up: Nighttime fishing for walleyes on lakes like Greenwood or Hopatcong with top-water lures that the large fish smash. Good fishing for the walleyes was reported. Walleyes swim shallows, where they can be top-water plugged, at night, when herring gather there to spawn in spring. The fishing could last two months and was just beginning, and Dave’s trips scored some incredible catches last year, including 18 and 20 walleyes landed on two trips. Sometimes the fishing only breaks loose late at night, like 1 or 2 o’clock in the morning. The fishing is an adventure and unique. Equipment like head lamps is used. First herring are heard splashing. Then bombastic splashes are heard. Those are walleyes attacking the baitfish. Lakes like Greenwood and Hopatcong become busy with pleasure boaters and jet skiers in late spring and summer, another reason to fish them at night. They can become a whole different lake, alive with fish, at night. Dave will also fish for muskies in coming weeks, and tried trolling Greenwood Lake during the weekend for six hours on a trip, but nothing bit. After trolling, Dave cast a large, 7-inch, size F18 Rapala lure, catching and releasing a 2-1/2- to 3-pound walleye, perfect eating size, he said. His best musky fishing last year happened when waters were warmer, and the lake was 63 to 65 degrees on the trip. But musky catches are possible now, and the marina owner told Dave about a 40-pounder reeled from Greenwood recently. The fish was erroneously reported as a 40-incher in last week’s report here from Dave. A 40-pounder, a fish that must’ve measured 50-plus inches, is huge, and the state record is in the low 40 pounds. Greenwood’s southern end was choked with weeds, though the weeds weren’t bad a week before, when Dave fished there.  Heads up: Dave will give talks for the Round Valley Trout Association in June and the Knee Deep Club in August. 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.

Fishing for trout with flies was picking up on rivers and streams, said Brian from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succassunna. Red quills and March browns were “starting to go,” he said, and trout streams flowed about normal, not low, after rains. Customers trouted at places including Musconetcong, South Branch of Raritan and Pequest rivers, and some of the stocked lakes. Besides using flies, they fished with spinners like C.P. Swings, Phoebes in gold and silver, depending on the day, white, brown and salmon Trout Magnets, and orange, yellow and white Power Bait. At lakes, they mostly fished spinners and Power Bait for trout. Many largemouth bass, required to be released through June 15, were spawning, but anglers fished for them. Lots of walleyes and hybrid striped bass were pounded at Lake Hopatcong in evenings, and that was some of the biggest news. The fish attacked Rapala’s suspending Husky Jerks and new Scatter Rap Minnows.  

Lots of fish were yanked from the lake, wrote Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong in an e-mail. That included hybrid striped bass 4 to 8 pounds at Great Cove, Davis Cove and Byram on herring. Hybrids also punched top-water lures at night, and Bombers were currently most popular, and the shop is well-stocked with all colors. Jack Dziduch plugged an 8-pound 3-ounce hybrid at night on a blue and silver Bomber. Stephen Van Ness and dad wrangled up hybrids to 5 pounds and a 2-pound 10-ounce walleye. Carolyn Tuorinsky, 89 years old and still fishing, Laurie said, whacked a 4-pound 11-ounce walleye from her dock at Great Cove on herring. Jim Salerno trolled a 3-pound 11-ounce brown trout on a Phoebe in deeper waters. Largemouth and smallmouth bass came from the lake, and be sure to release them by law through June 15.

Ramapo River still served up trout, and Barbour’s Pond gave up a few, said Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. Mostly butter worms and trout worms caught at both places. Trout will be stocked through Friday, and are only being stocked in rivers now, not lakes. So rivers fished better, and trouting in all waters will slow down, because waters will warm. But for other fishing, like for largemouth bass, water temps were finally “getting right,” he said. The bass must be released through June 15, and a buddy and his dad whaled 40 at Pompton Lake on Spit’n Image lures and Senko rubber worms. Customers winged small largemouths 7 and 8 inches at Dahnert’s Lake, and Nick grabbed a few on Yamamotos. He saw an angler catch on a No. 2 Mepps, and also saw spawning beds everywhere, but few bass on them. Largemouths must’ve been about finished spawning there. Nick won a largemouth tournament on New York’s Swinging Bridge Reservoir with a 7.14-pound bag for five fish. He landed 70, and the lake was drained 7 feet, so was low, and anglers had to be careful boating. But the fishing was phenomenal. Lots of walleyes and hybrid striped bass were trolled at Lake Hopatcong on crank baits at night and were top-water plugged later at night. Greenwood Lake gave up good bass fishing, mostly for largemouths, mostly at the northern cove, on Keitechs and Senkos, and the fish were on spawning beds. Passaic River’s northern pike fishing was good, and nothing was heard about shad from Delaware River, though Nick reported good shad fishing the previous few weeks from there.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Sulfurs and slate drakes hatched on trout streams, both great things, said Angelo from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Hendrickson hatches were slowing down, but grannom caddis still hatched, and spotted sedge caddis should come off soon. They will appear, but the timing depends on water warmth. Trout streams currently ran low, and rains were supposed to fall all week but didn’t, and weather became hot and humid. For trout anglers fishing with spin rods, bait was better to fish than spinners or lures, because of low, clear waters. Fishing meal worms or butter worms in the warmth is suggested. In lakes, many largemouth bass, limited to catch and release through June 15, were spawning, but attacked, like crazy, everything from live bait to Senko rubber worms, trying to remove them from nests. Fish for them shallow. Shad still swam Delaware River at Delaware Water Gap, as far as Angelo knew. From saltwater, many striped bass swam up rivers to spawn, but were still caught in bays and along the ocean. There they bit clams and bunker chunks, and began to chase livelined bunker. Fluke started to be tugged in, and fluke season was opened Saturday.

Customers trout fished on Toms and South Branch of Metedeconk rivers, and brown trout were stocked, but brook trout were also still caught, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in the town of Toms River. Customers also fished Manasquan River for trout, but mostly hit the other two. One customer fished killies for trout, saying the fish loved them, though most trouters fished other bait. Bluegills became plenty active at Ocean County College Pond, gobbling nightcrawlers under bobbers. A few largemouth bass were hooked from the pond, but largemouths were probably about to spawn, so fishing for them was probably slower. They must be released through June 15. Chain pickerel fishing was super on Toms River at Trilco, the closed building supply, on killies, shiners or nearly anything. No sign identifies the building as Trilco, but locals know the stretch of river by the name, located near Garden State Parkway. Pickerel pretty much always bite there.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Surplus trout, lots, were stocked, including at Delaware and Raritan Canal, Toms River and north and south branches of Metedonk River, so anglers were fired up about that, said Tom P. from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. The fish, abundant, were brook trout stocked in addition to brown trout already slated to be stocked. Meal worms, other worms, fathead minnows and Trout Magnets nabbed them. But flies, including good numbers of caddis, and sulfurs that began to show, also hatched. Delaware River’s striped bass fishing seemed to tail off locally. But the bass to 32 or 33 inches were sometimes bloodwormed at Florence. Shad migrated upstream to the river at Delaware Water Gap to Milford-Montague Bridge, mostly swiping flutter spoons. Some anglers fly-rodded them on bright-colored, weighed streamers. Good angling for largemouth bass to 3 and 4 pounds, catch and release through June 15 per law, was socked at Pemberton, Sylvan and Crystal lakes. Snakeheads 5 and 6 pounds and monster carp to 30 pounds tore up waters at Strawbridge Lake. Dunk Uncle Josh carp baits, dough baits and corn for the carp. Catfishing was excellent at Crosswicks Creek and Millstone River on dead shiners or chicken livers. Catch the store’s <b><i>FREE SEMINAR</i></b> on bay and inlet fluke-fishing tactics 7 to 9 p.m. next Wednesday by Capt. Brett Taylor from Reel Reaction Sportfishing in Barnegat.

 Lots of largemouth bass pounced at Oak Pond and Blackwood Lake, according to customers, said Joanie from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. The bigmouths must be let go through June 15, and a few customers landed them on nightcrawlers. But those fish were smaller, and anglers said largemouths jumped all over Yamamoto soft baits. Snakeheads were also cranked from Oak Pond. Anglers talked about landing striped bass at the D.O.D. Wildlife Management Area. Nothing was really heard about trout fishing anymore. Most customers geared up to fish at the shore, talking about heading to places like Brigantine, actually. One kept showing photos of striped bass he was bailing at Ventnor Pier on bloodworms bought from the shop.

Fishing for largemouth bass was getting into summer mode, said Jeff from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. The fish, required to be released through June 15, were mostly in post-spawn, so anglers often fished for them with small soft-plastic baits, like 4-inch worms or Senkos. Lily pads and weeds began to grow, so weedless baits like that and top-waters like Spro frogs and Zoom horny toads were becoming popular. Anglers tried for fish like crappies, but not a lot of reports ever roll in about that, once weather becomes warmer, and the angling probably began to slow. Union Lake’s fishing started to “kick in,” he said, a little. Smallmouth bass, also limited to catch and release through June 15, started to chomp better at Union. Few customers trout fished anymore, but some did. Maurice River was a more likely place to pick up trout, because of running, cooler waters. Jeff would fish inline spinners like Roostertails. In saltwater, drum fishing seemed to come on in Delaware Bay, mostly on the Delaware side. Anglers fishing salt were mostly excited about that, and drumming wasn’t so good last year, so they hoped to boat them now. Catches should last through the next weeks, and not much was heard about summer flounder, since this past opening weekend of flounder season. But weather was rough. A few seemed to be plucked from back bays.

Back to Top