<b>North Jersey</b>

A few anglers picked shad on Delaware River, but the shad migration was mostly finished, said Joe from <b>Stokes Forest Sport Shop</b> in Sandyston. Striped bass will migrate to the local river next, and nothing was heard about them, but Joe spoke with nobody who seriously targeted stripers or the river’s catfish yet. But a few cats bit, he knew, and the river’s smallmouth bass fishing began to improve. Smallmouths must be released through June 15, and fishing jerk baits or spider jigs were some of the more effective ways to catch them. Trout fishing was good on rivers and streams. Rains blew out the waters late last week, but the levels became normal afterward. Rains fell again early this week, but would probably only raise the levels somewhat. Customers mostly fish Big Flatbrook and sometimes Paulinskill River for trout. Flies including hares ear nymphs, caddis and Cahills were probably fished most for them. But salted minnows and fathead minnows also hooked up. On lakes, catches weren’t hammered, but were made. Largemouth bass, also limited to catch and release through June 15, and a few walleyes, at places like Swartswood Lake, were yanked in. A few crappies still nibbled, and panfish chewed.

Capt. Dave Vollenweider from <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> in Montvale gave daytime trolling a shot on Greenwood Lake on Memorial Day, he said. He’s waiting for fish including walleyes and muskies to begin smacking on the troll then. But nothing bit, though he had begun to grab a few walleyes by this time last year. His best musky fishing last year happened when waters were warmer. The lake on the trip was about 64 degrees, the same as during the previous week. The lake became busy with pleasure boaters and jet skiers until they mostly left by evening. Dave soon will start nighttime trips for walleyes, tossing top-water lures the fish crush, when they move to shallows in the dark to forage on herring. The fishing was excellent for Dave’s charters last year on the unique outings. Dave also hired a charter to fish for striped bass on the ocean from Belmar on Sunday. But the fishing was slow in strong winds. Only several bunker could be caught for bait to liveline in the seas, and the trip ended up trolling, but still no stripers bit. He’s supposed to try again on the boat soon. 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.

Weather could’ve been better this Memorial Day weekend, but at least weather was good Monday, Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong wrote in an e-mail. Winds blew and sometimes rains fell previously. But anglers sometimes fished. Thomas Soltys and friend ran into a school of hybrid striped bass, landing the fish to a 7-pound 1-ouncer on herring. At night, walleyes to 5 pounds and 5-pound hybrids were sometimes top-water plugged. Several muskies to 48 inches were reported hooked during daytime. Chain pickerel and perch also bit. The Knee Deep Club’s Stu Lant Tournament, a multi-species contest, will take place Saturday and Sunday, June 22 and 23. Check the club’s Web site or telephone Dow’s for info. The shop is open 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. for bait, tackle and boat rentals.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Sulfurs and slate drakes hatched on trout streams, said Angelo from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Adams dry flies or any of the many sulfur imitations caught. Anglers had different favorites. For nymph fishing, pheasant-tails in sizes 12 to 16, tan caddis pupa in sizes 14 and 16 and green caddis pupa in sizes 16 and 18 connected. Waters that fished well included Musconetcong River, Pequest River and Big Flatbrook. Bait still worked on trout, but the fish now “ate bugs,” Angelo said, so this was the season for fly fishing. Burt from the store fly-rodded one shad on Delaware River on Friday, saying the angling was “kind of quiet.” At lakes, largemouth bass, restricted to catch and release through June 15, were spawning, but hit. Anglers often fished for them with Senko worms or anything bright to “trigger predatory instinct,” Angelo said. The fish are reluctant to eat while spawning. Smallmouth bass, also limited to catch and release through June 15, attacked in rivers on bright-colored offerings and big spinners, for the same reason. On rivers, if you’re not catching smallmouths, you’re catching trout, Angelo said.

Customers fished for trout a little on Toms, Metedeconk and Manasquan rivers, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in the town of Toms River. Weather was rough in past days, but mostly brown trout were banked. Browns are the last to be stocked in spring, because they tolerate warm waters best. Killies or fathead minnows clocked them best, and browns forage on baitfish like that more than other trout do. Trout streams were mostly “full,” Dennis said, and a little dirty. They were also full of pollen. Chain pickerel fishing was good on nearly all ponds and lakes. Crappies were snatched up, and largemouth bass fishing, catch and release by law through June 15, was picking up, mostly on shiners.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Trout fishing was off the hook, said Tom P. from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown, the past couple of weeks, because of extra trout stocked. That was in Central New Jersey’s waters including Delaware and Raritan Canal and Toms, Metedeconk and Manasquan rivers, and the trout were in addition to ones that had already been slated to be stocked. Many customers concentrated on that.  An angler bought two dozen shiners who was mopping up on largemouth bass and crappies at Gropp’s Lake. Largemouths must be released through June 15. Others bought baits like bunker to fish for catfish and striped bass on Delaware River, but none reported catches. Usually customers talk about catches and show phone photos, and so on, if they caught. The only fish confirmed lifted from the river were a few smallmouth bass, also required to be released through June 15, at Lambertville and Frenchtown. But catfish usually feed like crazy from now into July at different waters, and Tom would expect this week’s forecasted heat wave to make the angling explode. During cloudy, drizzly weather, like on Tuesday and sometimes during the weekend, crappies and other panfish usually go nuts in lakes. Tom plucked bluegills and crappies from Ponderlodge Pond in Cape May County on Sunday, when his drum trip was weathered out that was supposed to fish Delaware Bay. The pond is the state’s southernmost waters stocked with trout, and anglers still trout fished there, this late in the season. Catch the store’s <b><i>FREE SEMINAR TODAY</i></b> from 7 to 9 p.m. on bay and inlet fluke-fishing tactics by Capt. Brett Taylor from Reel Reaction Sportfishing in Barnegat.

A 25-pound catfish was entered in a tournament on Delaware River last week, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b> in Westville. Angling for cats and white perch went well on the river. Fishing for largemouth bass, catch and release according to law through June 15, produced at lakes, on soft-plastic lures, imitation frogs along lily pads, and, as always, shiners. Lots of crappies were cracked at lakes, mostly on small minnows. Stewart and Newton lakes were some of the places that turned out these catches. Big Timber stocks bait and tackle for fishing on all waters from fresh to offshore.

Parvin and Wilson lakes shoveled up largemouth bass, said Vince from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Be sure to release the bass through June 15 by law, and at Parvin, soft-plastic lures worked. At Wilson, Senkos and chatter baits did the job. Largemouths were also heard about from South Vineland Park Pond, and one angler said a 10-pound 2-ouncer was landed there. That was unconfirmed. Union Lake’s fishing picked up for both largemouths and smallmouths, also restricted to catch and release through June 15.  Chain pickerel, yellow perch, crappies and other panfish bit in lakes, like usual. Fish minnows and worms for them. Trout fishing seemed to be dropping off. In saltwater, drum fishing was on fire on Delaware Bay. Striped bass fishing seemed to start declining, as the fish migrated north. But stripers were banked from the ocean surf. Summer flounder seemed to be boated from back bays, but not much yet from Delaware Bay. That was probably because of cool waters, but weather forecast to reach the 90s in the next days should make a difference, warming the waters. Delaware Bay’s flounder catches could kick in. Shiners, minnows, bloodworms and freshwater worms are stocked.

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