<b>North Jersey</b>

Waters were high, because of rains, including trout streams and Delaware River, said Joe from <b>Stokes Forest Sport Shop</b> in Sandyston. That limited fishing, and Big Flatbrook, where most customers trout fish, just started coming down in the past day. Nobody was heard from who fished Paulinskill River, where customers sometimes trout fish, because of high waters. But when streams were fishable, trout anglers mostly fly fished this time of season. Blue winged olives and sulfurs hatched. Delaware River might’ve been fishable, Joe guessed. If rains keep falling in New York State, the Delaware could remain high some time. When anglers fished the Delaware, they mostly targeted catfish and striped bass. In another couple of weeks, smallmouth bass will become a favorite on the Delaware, even if the fish are small that time of year. Baby shad usually appear in the river around July or so, and fishing really picks up then, because other fish feed on the shad. Lakes were also high, but fishing was decent on them. Most lake anglers fished for largemouth bass, especially because the fish could be kept starting Sunday, after the angling was catch and release by law from April 15 through June 15, for spawning. The bucketmouths were considered in “transition,” Joe said, so anglers tossed small, dark Senko worms, like 3 to 4 inches, and lightweight jigs to them. A few people fished for walleyes at Big Swartswood Lake.

 The next trip is supposed to fish for walleyes Saturday night on a lake with <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale, Capt. Dave Vollenweider wrote in an e-mail. The night trips, going well lately, cast top-water lures to walleyes that move to shallows in the dark to forage on spawning herring. Then the walleyes, fish that can be large, and are tasty, wallop the lures, for good sport. The angling is an experience, using equipment like head lamps. Quite a few anglers are calling Dave for trips. Dave jumped on another captain’s charter for striped bass on the ocean from Belmar on Saturday, but the angling was slow, and only one striper, 18 pounds, was landed. Some of the anglers on the trip switched to fishing for fluke, and also caught dog sharks and skates. Dave soon will travel to the Ottawa River, a trophy musky fishery, to fish for them. He’s also guiding for muskies on lakes in New Jersey. Catch Dave give a talk on fishing Thursday evening for the Round Valley Trout Association at the American Legion Hall in Whitehouse on Route 22.  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.

Customers sometimes fished lakes, and trout streams were blown out because of rains, said Brian from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. Weeds started to make lake fishing challenging, so anglers fished weedless, like with Texas-rigged rubber worms, for largemouth bass. Trout fishing was good before streams flooded, and some streams could still be fished now. Hatches included isonychias and caddis, and the streams were cold this season, so the fishing was lasting longer than sometimes. Because of that, trouting should be good when streams recede.

Hybrid striped bass 5 to 7 pounds were whacked on livelined herring from the lake in 20 feet off points, Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong wrote in an e-mail. The lake was under a no-wake restriction, because waters were high. Though that made traveling slower from spot to spot, it also made the lake peaceful, “with the bigger boats going at a slower speed,” Laurie said. Makes for a nicer day for anglers in smaller boats, she said. Hybrids and walleyes were top-water plugged at night, and that should last another two weeks, while herring are spawning. Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass to 2 and 3 pounds were taken.  Chain pickerel smashed Mepps spinners along weed lines. The Knee Deep Club’s Stu Lant Tournament, a multi-species contest, will be held Saturday and Sunday. Info is available on the club’s Web site or by calling Dow’s at 973-663-3826.

Though Passaic River ran somewhat high and strong, fishing was good there for striped bass on Storm swim baits, said Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. He explained in a previous report that high waters from rains seem to make the stripers follow baitfish upstream. The stripers, small, are caught and released, below the falls. Northern pike were wrestled from the river upstream at Twin Bridges, if anglers wanted to “work,” Nick said, throwing large spinner baits or jerk baits. Lake Hopatcong was under a no-wake restriction because of high waters, but a buddy fished for largemouth bass there Sunday, preparing for a largemouth tournament that Nick’s club is supposed to hold there this weekend. That’s if the contest isn’t moved to another lake. The buddy scored well on the bass on Senkos along the shoreline and the outer edges of docks, because waters actually covered some of the docks. Greenwood Lake’s north end fished well for largemouths on rubber frogs, Senkos and jigs along heavy weeds and docks. Its south end gave up the catches on Senkos, jigs and drop-shots along weed lines. A buddy who’s been fishing Pompton Lake for largemouths, with success, did another job on a handful of 2- and 3-pounders, very early in the morning, on Senkos along the shoreline. Not a lot of docks are there. One angler rental-boated good largemouth fishing at Shepherd Lake on white and chartreuse spinner baits. Nothing was really heard about trout fishing by this time in the season. Sunnies were played at Dahnert’s Lake on meal worms and baby nightcrawlers.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Sulfurs and slate drakes hatched on trout streams, said Angelo from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Sizes 12 to 16 pheasant-tail nymphs imitated isonychias, the slate drake larvae. Spotted sedge and grannums were caddis that hatched, and trout taking cicadas started to be heard about, mostly from northern streams. Large dry flies like size 8 could be fished to imitate them, so that was cool. Angelo recommends imparting some action to flies, like using a strike indicator and twitching, or giving the line pulls at the end of swings. That’s because the fish are active in warmed waters. The coldest waters were 60 degrees on trout streams, and Angelo recommends fishing for trout in mornings and evenings. Trout, a cold-water fish, can become stressed and die if fought during the heat of day now. While streams ran high, anglers fished the edges, because trout held either in shallows along the edges, or on bottom in the middle of streams, escaping currents. Anglers couldn’t fish for trout in the middle when depths might be 13 feet. Musconetcong River and North Branch of Raritan River fished great for trout. South Branch of Raritan River rises and drops quickly, so that’s a place to hit when water level is an issue. If trout fishers want to keep fishing after the day warms, they could swing for smallmouth bass at slow waters on the same streams. Smallmouths could be kept starting Sunday, after fishing for them was restricted to catch and release, just like largemouth bass. Smallmouths will swipe the same flies as trout, or big hellgrammites, or cicada imitations, and can be just as challenging or more difficult to catch than trout. Trout are just more popular. Anglers can fish for trout again in the evening. Largemouth fishing was good on lakes, including on Senkos or lures like Rapalas. If anglers fish flies for largemouths, try streamers.

At Manasquan Reservoir, largemouth bass were coming off spawning beds, and waters were warming, so the bass were hungry, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. Shiners often caught them, but so did spinner baits. “Anything that’s moving, right now,” he said. The fish were hooked from dock or boat. Catfish, okay catches, were docked from the reservoir on chicken livers. Some anglers fished fillet of bluegill, caught from the waters, for the cats. Boaters began to hook hybrid striped bass from the impoundment, mostly on the troll. The angling wasn’t great, and usually picks up in late June, into July and August. Chain pickerel were kayaked at Trilco on Toms River on any spinner like a Roostertail or Rapala lures. Trilco is a closed building supply, and no sign identifies the building. But anglers know the stretch by the name, located near Garden State Parkway. Farther upstream on the Toms, a few trout were still caught, mostly on live bait or killies or Rapalas. That’s because brown trout, the most willing to chase baitfish, were the final stocked during the spring stocking. Browns tolerate warm waters more than other trout. Bluegills were on a tear at Ocean County College Pond, and kids had fun landing them. At Lake Riviera, anglers picked away at a mixed bag of fish, including largemouths and crappies. Shiners, killies and nightcrawlers are stocked.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Mostly local ponds and lakes were fished for largemouth bass and chain pickerel, and customers kept buying shiners for the angling, said Tom P. from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Some fished frogs like Spros for the bass. But not a lot of people fished in high waters, because of rains. Delaware River was flooded, and so was Delaware and Raritan Canal. So were trout streams, but lakes fished included usual ones like Oakford and Allentown lakes. Rosedale Lake’s crappie fishing was good on small Mister Twisters and Skippy Fish. “Little, 2-inch stuff,” Tom said. Nobody really catfished, because customers usually chase them at Delaware River, Crosswicks Creek and Rancocas creek that were all flooded. Trout fishing had been great until the flood. Places like Pequest River and Big Flatbrook were loaded with trout. Closer to the store, waters like Stony Brook and Toms, Metedeconk and Manasquan rivers were deluged and brown.

Snakeheads caught were still heard about, said Joan from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. Anglers this season talked about hooking the invasive species at Blackwood Lake and Big Timber Creek. Three or four were reported reeled in during past days. One customer talked about good catches of largemouth bass and catfish from Lakeland Lake. Many customers headed to Brigantine for surf fishing. One landed 20 weakfish on a speck rig there. The bag limit for weaks is one, so any more caught must be released.

Largemouth bass were latched into, but high, muddy waters from storms made fishing tough, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. A couple of very good reports rolled in about largemouthing from Salem Canal. Union Lake had put up plenty of largemouths and smallmouths before dirty waters. For largemouths at lakes, lures fished included frogs, buzz baits, Senkos and creature baits. Many anglers began catfishing at places like Maurice River, Delaware River and any tidal ditches. Maurice River can offer up good catfishing, and the angling is a chance to tug on a larger fish. In saltwater, summer flounder were mostly bagged from back bays. Not a lot was reported about flounder from Delaware Bay, and fishing for them there seemed yet to take off completely. The bay’s drum fishing slowed a week or two ago. Weakfish were wrangled from back bays and along some of the ocean surf jetties.

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