<b>North Jersey</b>

Delaware River ran high and muddy, because of rains, said Joe from <b>Stokes Forest Sport Shop</b> in Sandyston. The river had crested at 13 feet. That’s 7 feet higher than usual. Then it came back down, but rains fell again, and the level reached 11 feet on Wednesday. So nobody really fished the river, though previously decent catches of channel catfish and striped bass came from the Delaware. Trout streams were also flooded, though not as badly as Delaware River. A few still fished Big Flatbrook for trout, thought that wasn’t easy. Lakes fished well, and most lake anglers targeted largemouth bass, though a few walleyes were landed from Swartswood Lake. The walleye fishing should become good soon. But most chased largemouths, mostly with rubber worms like Senkos or, on weeded lakes, with rubber frogs. Top-water lures like Zara Spooks were also fished, and started to become really productive.

Customers had been reeling in striped bass from Delaware River on silver Rapala lures in size 9, said Brian from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. The river might’ve been flooded from rains now. Trout fishing was good on streams, including on Musconetcong River at Point Mountain Trout Conservation Area on cicada imitations. Sulfurs and light Cahills were also popular for trouting on the different streams. Largemouth bass started to be whacked on popper plugs on lakes. At Lake Hopatcong, at least before the rains, hybrid striped bass jumped on livelined herring in evenings like 6 to 10 o’clock.

The lake’s night fishing began to slow down for walleyes and hybrid striped bass, Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> wrote in an e-mail. The fish had been top-water plugged then, but started to move to deeper waters now. Still, a few were tackled, including walleyes by Kris Kupiec and hybrids by Jack Dziduch. Both caught on Bombers and Knuckleheads. Brandon Schmidt weighed in a 4-ound 3-ounce walleye. In mornings, late afternoons and early evenings, hybrids were honked on herring. Lots of good-sized smallmouth bass were taken. Bob Gilmore landed several smallies to a 2-pound 10-ouner. Largemouth bass to 3 pounds were banged out, and many bullhead catfish 1 to 2 pounds were dragged in. Perch and crappies nibbled small baits or small rubber baits on jigs.

Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield came in second place in a largemouth bass tournament at Lake Hopatcong during the weekend, he said. Three entrants, including him, limited out, and the fishing went well, and good weights were caught. The fish were mostly hooked on Senkos at docks, particularly at docks with boats. The worms were cast between the docks and the boats, and shoreline between docks also produced. At a largemouth tournament at Greenwood Lake last week, the fishing was okay, mostly along weed beds on jigs. But a few of the bass, reportedly the better-sized ones, were claimed along docks on Senkos. The winning weight was only 8 pounds, and the angler with that bag fished deep weed edges at Fox and Storm islands. Nick slammed 2- to 3-pound largemouths at Pompton Lake last week on Wednesday, losing a 4- or 5-pounder, mostly on Senkos flipped wacky-style along the rocky shoreline. Fishing with rubber frogs was slow for him, but he landed a few small bass on the frogs on the trip. Few docks are at Pompton. He fished a private lake in Vernon on Sunday, also cleaning up on largemouths, lots, this time on 3-inch Gulp ghost shrimp, and hit another lake at a park from shore, doing another job on largemouths, on another trip. Warmest waters on his trips were 76 to 78 degrees. Hopatcong was 76, and Pompton was 78. A couple of kids at Barbour’s Pond hung crappies on shiners and sunnies on nightcrawlers under bobbers. The fishing was nothing crazy, but the kids caught. Passaic River was no good for fishing because of flooding.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Tan caddis or spotted sedges, in sizes 14 and 16, began to come off trout streams, said Angelo from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Sulfurs in the same sizes kept hatching, and many trout began to be banked on crane fly larvae. Trout streams ran high, even South Branch of Raritan River that drops quicker than most, because of rains. But Angelo expected the south and north branches and small creeks to drop by this morning, if weather forecasts remained accurate. If forecasts did, he hoped other streams dropped by Friday morning. Water temperatures were good for trout fishing on the streams, and bug hatches were great. Smallmouth bass also fed in rivers like the Raritan. Angelo latched into them on cicada flies, and sizes 6 and 8 will work well. Other anglers winged the smallies on Clouser Minnow flies or natural crawfish. If anglers could find smallmouths, they could catch well. At lakes, largemouth bass punched Senko worms and spinner baits during daytime and buzz baits and poppers in evenings. Catfish also began to feed in evenings, and Angelo clocked them at Amwell Lake on raw shrimp.

Chain pickerel snapped in Toms River at Trilco, like always, and small striped bass 12 to 18 inches were plugged there on small Rapalas, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in the town of Toms River. Carp were active in the river there, and fishing for them became better and better. They were like small rockets in the shallows, he said, and dough balls or corn caught them. 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. Fishing for sunnies and bluegills was great at Ocean County College Pond for kids. Anglers there couldn’t go wrong, Dennis said. Nothing was mentioned about Manasquan Reservoir, probably because of weather. But Dennis assumed fishing was the same as before at the rez. Previously, hybrid striped bass were trolled more and more often, and the fishing picks up as summer goes on. Largemouth bass were yanked from shore on shiners at the impoundment, fishing that improved as the bass came off the spawn. Boaters at the reservoir previously picked away at crappies outside the trees.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Shiners, lots, were sold to anglers heading for great crappie catches at Assunpink Lake, said Tom P. from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Channel catfish to 10 pounds were tugged in there on hot dogs. Smaller cats, but good angling for them, were copped at Crosswicks Creek around Crosswicks Creek Park. Crappie and largemouth bass fishing was fairly good at Rosedale Lake. Buzz baits and surface lures cracked the largemouths, and Mister Twisters, small shiners or fathead minnows nipped the crappies. One young angler showed a photo of a 17-inch crappie nailed at Gropp’s Lake on a surface popper near the school. Largemouths and chain pickerel were fought from Delaware and Raritan Canal from Washington Crossing to Titusville. Delaware River ran high from rains. Carnegie Lake was super for carp fishing. 

Large catfish milled all around Delaware River, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b> in Westville. Largemouth bass were lifted from creeks that ran into the river, like Big Timber Creek and Mantua Creek. Senkos or wacky worms and top-waters, like rubber frogs fished in lily pads, were fished for the bigmouths there and at lakes. Haddon Lake put up good largemouthing. A few sizeable largemouths were creamed from the DOD ponds. Smaller largemouths were played at ponds in Washington Township and in the Medford area. Any waters connected to Delaware River were loaded with snakeheads, the invasive species. Cut bait caught them, and the snakeheads really smacked top-waters. Crappies and chain pickerel were wrestled at lakes like Wilson Lake and others in that area. Big Timber stocks bait and tackle for fishing on all waters from fresh to offshore.

Lakes were muddy, so fishing wasn’t great, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. But lots of largemouth bass were entered in a tournament at Salem Canal during the weekend. Anglers pounded away at largemouths and smallmouth bass at Union Lake, despite the rains. In saltwater, summer flounder catches remained good in back bays, and weakfish were picked away there. Not much was heard about catches, including flounder, from Delaware Bay.

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