<b>North Jersey</b>

Delaware River anglers yanked in catfish and a few striped bass, said Joe from <b>Stokes Forest Sport Shop</b> in Sandyston. They mostly fished for cats, hooking stripers on occasion, so they mostly fished with chicken livers and nightcrawlers. A few smallmouth bass, small ones, and walleyes were reeled from the river. The smallmouth fishing was yet to turn on much. Be sure to release smallies and largemouth bass through June 15 by law. Trout fishing was decent on Big Flatbrook, where most customers trout fish. A few trout fish on Paulinskill River. Stormy weather during the weekend slowed the Flatbrook’s trouting this week, compared with before. But catches were still made, and the stream’s level was good. Most trouters fished with flies, often blue-winged olives, March browns and sulfurs. Bait-fishers dunked salted minnows and fatheads for the brown trout that were the final to be stocked this season. Browns tolerate warmer waters and forage on baitfish more than other trout. In lakes, largemouth bass were in post-spawn, and weren’t hammered, but were caught. They’ll get into their “summer pattern,” Joe said, in a week or so. A few crappies were plucked from lakes.

Ten walleyes to 7 pounds were pasted on a lake on the season’s first nighttime trip for them Friday to Saturday with <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale, Capt. Dave Vollenweider said. The fish, mostly 5 pounds, were plugged on Rapala Original Floating Lures in size F18. That’s a 7-incher, but even a couple 2-pound walleyes smacked the large plug. So the fishing was very good, and is just beginning. It should last into July. The trips stalk the large fish in shallows near shore. Walleyes move there to forage on spawning herring in the dark. Then the walleyes can be top-water plugged. Often, first the baitfish are heard flipping. Then sounds like a gun-blast, Dave said, will be heard. Those are walleyes crashing on herring. Then you know the fishing is beginning that night. Sometimes the angling becomes best only deep into the night. Dave took the trip with friend Paul Schmidt, a tournament largemouth bass angler. Two walleyes were plugged before Paul had to leave. Dave returned to the lake after Paul left, plugging eight more. Catches especially lit up between 2:30 and 3 a.m. The trips are unique, an experience, using equipment like head lamps. Sometimes not much can be seen in the dark. Catches tend to be better when moon phase creates darker nights. A couple of the trip’s walleyes blew up on the lures right next to the boat, alarming for the angler. All the fish attacked near rocks. Some of the lake’s rocks were located in shallows near quick drop-offs, where the fish seemed to gather. Not a lot of herring seemed around. One of the walleyes spit up the baitfish. The lures were cast slowly and methodically toward shore. A couple of smallmouth bass were also landed. The fishing was tremendous last year. Recreational lakes where the fishing can take place, like Hopatcong, can be crowded with pleasure boaters and jet skis during daytime in the warm months. That can turn off fishing during daytime. Then waters become completely different at night, alive with fish, like a whole different lake. Coming up, Dave’s musky fishing, another specialty for him, should heat up on lakes. One customer is set to fish for carp with him on a river when mulberries ripen soon. The large catches gather under mulberry trees to feed on the berries, and can be hooked on fruit on a plain hook. The fishing takes stealth. 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.

Trout were crushed at Ken Lockwood Gorge and Musconetcong River, said Brian from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. On the Musky, small, olive scuds caught well in sizes 16 and 18. But on trout streams in general, flies that were fished included small, bead-headed nymphs. Usual patterns like wooly buggers were worked. Sulfur mayflies in sizes 14 and 16 could hatch in evenings starting around 6 o’clock. At Lake Hopatcong, lots of hybrid striped bass and walleyes were caught, mostly in evenings or mornings on top-water lures. Chug’n Spooks and Scatter Raps worked well. Zara Spooks did the job. The fish could also be hooked throughout daytime at deep-water drop-offs. Ponds fished well for largemouth bass, required to be released through June 15. Cast Keitechs or Senkos.

Lots of nighttime fishing was going on, Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong wrote in an e-mail. Anglers fished the lake at night for hybrid striped bass and walleyes on top-water lures. Bombers, Zara Spooks and Knuckleheads were popular during the week, and though Knuckleheads were discontinued, the store is stocking plenty. Paul Grel, Garfield, weighed in an 8-pound 12-ounce walleye. Most walleyes weighed 3 to 5 pounds, and most hybrids weighed 3 to 8. Sometimes hybrids were picked off in mornings on livelined herring at drop-offs. Chain pickerel smashed Mepps spinners along weed lines. “Bass, perch and crappie” were hooked on small jigs or small bait, Laurie said. Largemouth and smallmouth bass must be released through June 15.

Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield’s club fished Waywayanda Lake, he said. He couldn’t attend, but lots of largemouth bass were plastered, though weather was windy or difficult. Largemouths must be released through June 15, and the club’s members all caught, mostly on Senkos or jigs. The fish held at rocks, lay-downs and the shorelines. One customer put up good largemouthing at Budd Lake at docks, rocks, including the rock pile in the middle of the lake, and the shoreline on small jigs. Walleyes and hybrid striped bass, lots, were plowed at Lake Hopatcong late at night, like from 9 p.m. to 12 midnight, on trolled live bait or crank baits. One angler jigged and trolled muskies at night at Hopatcong. On Passaic River, Nick’s son socked a few smallmouth bass at Elmwood Park on green-pumpkin Wackos, a rubber worm, made in Pennsylvania, similar to Senkos. That was above the falls, and northern pike were tackled from the river below the falls, at the pipe. A few anglers still trout fished. Catches slowed – and waters sometimes ran low – but were made at Ramapo and Pequest rivers. Salted minnows often connected. A couple of customers socked smallmouth bass and a few walleyes on Delaware River. Smallies must also be released through June 15.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

In rains during the weekend, trout fishing was good, said Darrel from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. That made trout streams a little off-color, so the fish became less spooky. Places fished included Ken Lockwood Gorge and South Branch of Raritan River at Califon. Typical flies like nymphs, including hares ears, and Hendersons hooked up. When water levels were down a bit, small emergers were  popular. One of the shop’s staff caught on emergers. Walleyes were wrangled from Raritan River toward the confluence with Millstone River or Route 287 Bridge or Somerset.

The usual chain pickerel attacked at Trilco on the Toms River, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in the town of Toms River. Trilco is a closed building supply, and no sign identifies the building, but locals know the stretch by the name, located near Garden State Parkway. That area usually gives up picks reliably, year-round, including winter. Bluegill fishing was on at Ocean County College Pond. Fishing was slow for largemouth bass, because of spawning. They spawned late this year, and must be released by law through June 15. Crappies bit at different lakes. Shiners, killies and the different worms are stocked.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Good reports rolled in from Allentown Lake and Oakford or New Egypt Lake, said Tom P. from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b>. At Allentown, largemouth bass to larger than 4 and 5 pounds and good-sized crappies were slugged. For the bass, fish shiners, buzz baits, or spinner baits in chartreuse-and-white or yellow-and-white. Be sure to release largemouths through June 15, according to law. At New Egypt, channel catfish 10 pounds were cranked from the spillway below the falls, behind Tootie’s Restaurant. Carp that must’ve weighed 30 pounds were also seen there. In the lake proper, look for largemouths to 4 and 5 pounds. Four-inch, red-shad Senkos will nab them well. Largemouths and crappies chomped well at Rosedale Lake. On Delaware River, smallmouth bass were few and far between locally. Most came from the river from Frenchtown to farther upstream. Smallmouths must also be released through June 15. Customers bought bait for catfishing on the river, like at Florence, but no results were heard back, the same as recently. The season was becoming late, but anglers still fished for trout at Delaware and Raritan Canal, like toward Washington Crossing.

A bunch of customers pulled catfish from Blackwood Lake, said Joanie from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b>. Many said invasive snakeheads swam Blackwood and Grenloch lakes, so they killed them when caught.  The government requests that. Two anglers talked about landing largemouth bass, restricted to catch and release through June 15, at Blackwood and Harrisonville lakes. One mentioned grabbing at least a 5-pounder, and fished top-water lures. The other fished Senkos. In saltwater, customers heaved in large striped bass from the Ventnor Pier.

Largemouth bass were beaten at Parvin’s Lake, said Vince from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. Soft-plastics like Senkos or other worms nabbed them, and both largemouths and smallmouth bass were tugged from Union Lake, and plastics honked them there, too. Be sure to release both bass through June 15, as required throughout the state by law. Largemouths were also winged at Wilson Lake. Chain pickerel and panfish were belted at lakes like they usually are. “They’re eating machines,” he said. Trout fishing seemed finished for the season, pretty much. Nobody talked about trout. In saltwater, summer flounder were bagged from back bays. Delaware Bay was yet to produce many reports about flounder. But drum fishing sounded good on the bay. 

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