<b>North Jersey</b>

Delaware River’s flow was just about perfect, said Joe from <b>Stokes Forest Sport Shop</b> in Sandyston, and the river’s fishing for smallmouth bass was pretty good. The fish weren’t big, and a 1-1/2-pounder was a large one, but anglers sometimes landed 40 or 50 in a day. Most fished with jerk baits, but some tried drop-shotting, and that paid off. Catfish and striped bass were reeled from the river, and the striper fishing was yet to take off this season, and that was unusual. But some were caught. On the trout streams, catches weren’t hammered, but an angler might bank 10 or 12 in a day. Lots of trout filled the waters, but the streams became clear, and the trout were “educated,” Joe said, so the fishing took a little work. Most trouters fished with midges or small nymphs, and most trout-fishing customers angle Big Flatbrook. Some hit Paulinskill River. In lakes, largemouth bass were completely in the summertime pattern. Rubber frogs caught them well. Top-water lures connected, and so did soft-plastics like worms or jigs, especially in dark colors.

Capt. Dave Vollenweider from <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale returned from fishing Quebec, Canada’s, Ottawa River, one of the top-five musky fisheries, he said. Muskies grow large there, and he nailed a 52-incher, with a 22-inch girth, probably larger than 35 pounds, within 20 minutes of fishing. The fish smacked a cast Smuttly St. Croix Sucker Lure, a wooden glide bait, and was released. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye7sK12Kbo4 " target="_blank">Watch a video</a> of the musky landed. Dave proceeded to fish the river, at Lake of Two Mountains, or  Lac des Deux-Montagnes, four days, and that was the only musky seen. That’s musky fishing! Dave’s guide that he hired, Michel Basley, told Dave that rains fell previously, and waters were discolored. The first day of the trip was rainy and rotten, and air temperature dropped into the 60s. The rest of the days were clear and beautiful, but the fishing seemed affected by the cold front. The guide said he heard about muskies to 62 inches heaved from the river. They grow huge there, and another guide, famous for musky fishing in the area, has said the next world-record musky could be caught in the area. The river there is a broad, large expanse of waters, more like a lake, and includes plenty of islands. The immense size is a reason the muskies are large. On Dave’s trip to the Ottawa last year, he landed a small musky. Back in New Jersey, Dave is slated to guide an angler tonight on one of his nighttime trips for walleyes on a lake. The fish are top-water plugged for good sport, when the walleyes move to shallows in the dark, to forage on spawning herring, this time of year. Dave is scheduled to guide another angler for muskies on Monday on a lake. 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 streams ran somewhat high during the weekend, because of rains, said Brian from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. But the level would probably drop by today or the next day. Trout were caught, even during the high waters, and previously the fish fed on cicadas at Musconetcong River at Point Mountain Trout Conservation Area. But that was mostly finished, and standard patterns like sulfurs or light Cahills were fished now. Isonychias or slate drakes should come off soon, and trichos usually begin to hatch in the next month, on waters like Big Flatbrook. Delaware River had flowed high, so nothing was heard about fishing there. But the Delaware’s smallmouth bass fishing usually lights up now. In lakes, largemouth bass pounced on Keitech soft-plastic lures, Senko rubber worms and rubber frogs. Lot of weedless artificials, Brian said. Customers also bought up lots of natural worms to fish. “Stuff like that,” he said.

The lake’s fishing was a little on the slower side, Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong wrote in an e-mail. That was probably because of heat, but largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and chain pickerel were still reported caught. To boat hybrid striped bass, fish drop offs off points with herring. The Knee Deep Club will hold a hybrid striper tournament this weekend, and information is available on the club’s Web site or by calling Dow’s at 973-663-3826.

Pompton Lake fished well for largemouth bass, said Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. Many of the fish were good-sized, and were beaten on Senkos, either tight to shore or a little off the shore at sunken structure or lay downs. Waters were high, so a decent amount of waters surrounded the structure. A buddy scored okay on largmeouths at Lake Hopatcong along docks on jigs. Greenwood Lake’s largemouths reportedly had a virus, so fishing for them was slow. But Greenwood’s smallmouth bass fishing was okay on Keitechs, jigs or Senkos. From what Nick understood, smallmouths don’t catch that virus, and the virus doesn’t kill largemouths, but slows fishing for them, for maybe a year. A friend pulled five or six largemouths from Barbour’s Pond at heavy lily pads, and had lots of blow-ups. His catch, including a couple of 2-pounders, was okay, and he was pleased with the action. Another angler yanked in four or five largemouths from Dahnert’s Pond on 3-inch Keitechs swum without weight. A few customers fished Passaic River, smoking northern pike like crazy, after the river ran high previously. One angler hauled a 34-pound carp from the river. Definitely no trout fishing was reported by this time in summer.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Trout streams were warm, so anglers fished early in mornings and late in the day, so trout that were hooked weren’t stressed and killed in the heat, but fishing for them was good, said Angelo from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Trouters fished an hour before and after sunrise, and just before sundown. So many bugs hatched this time of year, and Angelo loves that about this season. Anglers almost couldn’t go wrong with the flies they fished. One customer even said he caught on Prince nymphs and eggs, usually winter patterns. But currently pheasant-tail nymphs in sizes 12 and 14, green-leaf hoppers in size 12, crane fly larvae, and midges worked well. Angelo caught plenty of trout at Ken Lockwood Gorge, but waters there were becoming low. So he’d recommend fishing Pequest and Musconetcong rivers and maybe Black River, if anglers can fish there early. Trout reportedly hit terrestrials well there. Smallmouth bass also chewed in rivers like the Raritan. Angelo hooked them while nymphing for trout, but others fished for the smallmouths with top-water lures or crawfish. On lakes, largemouth bass fishing was good. Senkos in dark colors with metallic flakes were often fished for them. Spinner baits were popular for largmeouths, and Angelo prefers the baits in red or chartreuse, but that’s a personal preference. Largmouths attacked top-waters at sundown. In saltwater, fluke swam everywhere, and began to be pulled from Ambrose Channel. Striped bass were sometimes still live-baited along the coast this late in the season for them. Ling fishing was super in 130 feet in the ocean.

Recent warmth kept fishing participation to a minimum, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. But chain pickerel could always be played on Toms River at Trilco, the closed building supply. No sign identifies the building, but locals know the stretch by the name, located near Garden State Parkway. Bluegills could always be nipped from Ocean County College Pond on nightcrawlers under bobbers. Nobody mentioned fishing Manasquan Reservoir in the heat, but this is when hybrid striped bass fishing picks up on the impoundment, into August. The fish had already started to be trolled, the last time anglers talked about the fishing, some weeks ago. Now the stripers should be hooked on drifted chicken livers or shiners. Shiners, killies and nightcrawlers are stocked.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Delaware River was “up,” so nothing was really doing with fishing there, said Tom P. from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. But catfishing was good at Delaware and Raritan Canal on chicken livers under bobbers. A few customers were doing a job on carp at Carnegie Lake on homemade baits, like one of the angler’s concoction of Quaker oatmeal, creamed corn and Ketchup. He lobs out balls of the bait sometime before fishing, maybe even a couple of days ahead. Then he comes back and fishes with the bait. Largemouth bass fishing was pretty good at Assunpink Lake in Assunpink Wildlife Management Area, Turn Mill Pond at Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area, and Turkey Swamp Park Pond. Strike King Baby Burner Spinner Baits and Pro Assassinator Buzz Baits were fished for them. Spro frogs were also fished for them along the mats, if anglers could afford to lose the lure, pushing $10 in price, like if a chain pickerel bites. Buzz baits grabbed sizeable largemouths 4, 5 and 6 pounds at Oakford Lake in New Egypt. Other than these locations, anglers mostly fished for largemouths on private farm ponds and such. One kid showed a photo of an 8-pound largemouth he caught on a smaller largemouth he was reeling in from a private pond, from a dock, no less! Trout fishing was good at Musconetcong, Pequest and Paulinskill rivers, either on flies or fathead minnows or hellgrammites. The bait was especially effective at the Musky and Pequest.

Big catfish milled around Delaware River, and anglers needed to fish for them early and late in the day, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b> in Westville. The fish wouldn’t chomp in the mid-day heat, and white perch and small striped bass swam the river. None of the stripers was keeper-sized, but there were lots. They could even be hooked on nightcrawlers. Snakeheads, the invasive species, filled the Delaware’s tributaries. Though that wasn’t welcomed, because snakeheads could overrun native species, snakeheads were fun to catch, were tough fighters, and many fished for them. Newton Lake put up good largemouth bass fishing. The DOD ponds gave up a few of the bucketmouths. Many of the small lakes or ponds in Medford and Burlington County produced largemouths. Again, largemouths needed to be fished for early and late in the day, not in the warmth of mid-day. Top-water lures and rubber frogs were popular to fish for them. Big Timber stocks bait and tackle for fishing on all waters from fresh to offshore.

Lakes were clearing up, after rains muddied them, but last week was so hot that many anglers seemed to stay indoors, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Still, rubber frogs were sold like crazy for largemouth bass fishing on lakes. Fishing in evenings into night became common. Union Lake’s fishing sounded pretty darn good for largemouths and smallmouth bass. Catfish were dragged from Maurice and Delaware rivers. A few anglers plucked white perch from tidal rivers like that and creeks. In saltwater, Delaware Bay’s fishing was kind of spotty. A couple of summer flounder and croakers were boated, nothing exciting, Steve said. But flounder fishing seemed to begin picking up at ocean reefs.

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