<b>North Jersey</b>

Conditions were terrible, in strong winds the whole time, for walleye fishing on a trip on a lake aboard at night, said Capt. Dave Vollenweider from <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale. Nevertheless, the trip nailed an 8-pound walleye and a 6-pounder, lost two that jumped off the hook, and missed a blow-up at boat-side. What’s more, a large musky, probably 25 pounds, was trolled and released when the sun came up. The walleyes were plugged on cast Original Floating Rapala lures in size F18, the largest size, a 7-incher. Dave’s been fishing the lures with prism tape on the side and a small piece of glow tape toward the rear, using a laser to activate the glow. The glow tape was something he read about, and only a small piece of the tape should be used, supposedly. So Dave was trying that out. Walleyes are swimming into shallows in lakes in the dark to forage on spawning herring. Then walleyes, big, tasty fish, can be plugged, good sport. They smash the lures along the water surface. The herring are feeding on plankton that blooms there, and the fish-finder screen was filled with the plankton, and the herring were heard flipping around. Walleyes with hybrid striped bass mixed in were reportedly also slammed at Lake Hopatcong at night, Dave heard. He specializes in walleye trips in late spring and early summer, and the fishing doesn’t last long. Go now. The musky was trolled on a Leo-Lures Shayla Shad jointed crank bait. The fish hit when the lure was dragged above humps where the water started to become shallow, while the boat was being turned. Dave thought the lure was snagged, until the huge fish started shaking its head. The musky was tagged by the state, but Dave didn’t grab the info from the tag, because he was concerned about releasing the fish promptly. He informed the state about the catch, though. Dave will keep musky fishing, and when anglers join him on the trips, a catch is never guaranteed. That’s just the case with the fish of 10,000 casts. But anglers fish for muskies, because a catch can be the biggest in a lifetime. The lake on the trip was 68 degrees at night and 71 when the sun came up. That was getting to be ideal for much of Dave’s fishing. Ed Martin and son from Montclair fished a lake Sunday aboard, and wanted to target bass. They tackled a 1- to 1-1/2-pound smallmouth bass, a large perch and a bunch of rock bass. Another smallmouth was lost that jumped and threw the hook. Smallmouths fight hard, much harder than largemouths, Dave noted. Both smallmouths and largemouth bass are restricted to catch and release through Sunday. The state makes the law because of spawning.

Smallmouth bass and channel catfish began to be cranked from Delaware River, said Andy from <b>Stokes Forest Sport Shop</b> in Sandyston. Smallmouths are required to be released through Friday on the river and through Sunday at lakes. The river’s shad fishing was slowing down locally, but shad were still fought. Big Flatbrook fished well for trout, and lots of sulfurs hatched. Customers who trout mostly fish the Flatbrook. Lake fishing was hit or miss, depending on the lake. Largemouth bass and sometimes catfish and hybrid striped bass were pulled in, at lakes that held hybrids. Largemouths must be released through Sunday. Some still spawned, and some were finished spawning, depending on the lake.

Largemouth bass were spawning in lakes and should finish soon, said Brian from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. They’re restricted to catch and release through Sunday, but customers hooked them best on Senkos and Keitechs. Top-waters failed to attract the bass much yet. Trout, leftover from spring stocking, continued to be angled from streams. Flies hatching should include sulfurs and gray foxes. Walleyes and hybrid striped bass were pasted on Lake Hopatcong. A variety of other fish like chain pickerel also chewed there. Smallmouth bass fishing should begin to amp up on Delaware River in warming water.

Passaic River’s northern pike fishing was picking up, though not a lot of reports rolled in about the angling, said Cheryl from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. Anglers mentioned the fishing now and then, and shiners will hook the pike, but so will Blue Fox spinners. The river had “rushed” a moment after rain, but came back down quickly. Largemouth bass, restricted to catch and release, were reeled from small lakes and Lake Hopatcong. One customer clubbed a 4-pound largemouth on a Senko.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Sulfurs and caddis hatched on trout streams, said Angelo from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Sulfurs were predominant, and caddis were less abundant than usual, maybe because of relatively cool weather. Pheasant-tail nymphs and hares ear nymphs in sizes 14 to 18 will hook up. Trout started to move into a late spring and early summer pattern. They started to leave particularly deep holes and swim white water and pocket water instead. Water there is more oxygenated, and the bubbles offer the fish protection from predators. Trout were also becoming spread out in streams. When one is hooked, an angler isn’t likely to find another there. At lakes, catfish bit, including at Spruce Run Reservoir. Hybrid striped bass hit at Spruce. Crappies bit at Spruce, Delaware and Raritan Canal and different lakes. Largemouth bass seemed on spawning beds, but should finish spawning soon. They must be let go through Sunday by law, and Burt from the shop landed a largemouth at Watchung Lake on a popper. Lake trout were nabbed at Round Valley Reservoir in 40 feet on livelined herring and on the troll. On Delaware River, shad probably migrated far upstream, toward Roscoe. Customers who travel to Roscoe are more likely to target trout in the Catskills than shad in the Delaware.

Parents took kids to Ocean County College Pond to bank bluegills, sunnies and a few largemouth bass, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. Be sure to release the bass through Sunday per law, and at Lake Riviera, a few largemouths and some chain pickerel were clutched on killies. No customers trout fished anymore, or that was finished for the season. A few anglers stopped by who were headed for hybrid striped bass at Manasquan Reservoir. No results were heard, but hybrids usually start becoming active now in the impoundment. Largemouthing was on the slow side at the rez, and the bass usually spawn later there than at other places, in cold water. Jigs and rubber worms were tossed to them to try to coax a bite. Sometimes spawning largemouths will pounce on lures like that, not to eat them, but to remove the invader from the spawning bed. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, this year bought <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River, and is running both shops now.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Small striped bass were played on Delaware River around the Turnpike Bridge, said Karl from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. They weren’t large, but the biggest were 30 inches, and sometimes anglers totaled 10 or 12 apiece in a trip. The bass were eeled along the edge of the channel at the top of outgoing tides on 2- or 3-ounce weights. Catfish occasionally bit there. Carp fishing started to be good at lakes including Assunpink and Mercer. Homemade cornmeal bait, made with strawberry-flavored Jell-O powder, was fished on small, size-8 hooks, on a leader with a swivel, and an egg sinker. Largemouth bass fishing, catch-and-release by law through Sunday throughout the state, was good at Mercer and Carnegie Lake. White, ¼-ounce, top-water buzz baits and frog-colored Jitterbugs cleaned them up.

The spillway at Blackwood Lake gave up snakeheads, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. That’s an invasive species, and in the lake itself, largemouth bass, relegated to catch and release through Sunday, were eased in. Catfish were tugged from the lake. New Brooklyn Lake tossed up chain pickerel on minnows.

Anglers fished for largemouth bass heavily, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Be sure to release the bass through Sunday, according to law, and fishing for them was great at Union Lake. Rubber frogs, shaky heads and buzz baits smoked them. Smallmouth bass, required to be let go through the same date, also gave up good catches at Union. Rainbow Lake’s largemouthing was consistent. In saltwater, lots of summer flounder were swung from back bays. Many customers picked up tackle for weakfish lifted from back bays and inlets. Delaware Bay’s drum fishing became a little spotty, but when boaters ran into catches, the catches were good. Striped bass were still beached from the ocean surf.  

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