<b>North Jersey</b>

A musky 22 or 25 pounds was caught and released Thursday, and another bit 15 minutes afterward but threw the hook, aboard Greenwood Lake with <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale, Capt. Dave Vollenweider said. The musky landed wasn’t weighed or measured, so the fish could be released quickly, and both were trolled on Joe Bucher Depth Raider Lures, one in plumb shad color, the other in crappie. Dave wasn’t asked whether the lures were 6 or 8 inches or jointed or not – they come on those options, according to Bucher’s website – and which fish hit which color. The fish were hooked in water 25 feet deep, and the lake was as warm as 80 degrees on the trip. The trip fished just before Friday’s storm, and anglers say musky fishing can turn on before a front like that. An angler and his two sons fished the lake with Dave on Sunday, tackling a dozen smallmouth bass and a bunch of rock bass on Cabin Creek Spider Jigs, while fishing along shore, out to 15-foot depths. Even sunnies that were hooked had pushed out to the 15-foot water. Smallmouths really fight, Dave noted. They flew out of the water as soon as hooked. Paul’s friend’s bass club held a tournament on the lake a few days before, and mostly smallmouth bass were entered. The virus in Greenwood’s largemouth bass last year seemed to take a toll on the largemouth population. But some big smallmouths were entered. Dave’s trip also tried walleye fishing that night, but seas were rough, because of boat traffic, not good conditions. Fourth of July fireworks had been postponed to Sunday night from Friday, the holiday, because of the storm. A fleet of boats gathered at the lake’s north end for the fireworks, and many of the vessels were sailed back to the south end afterward, roughing up seas. Dave was going to run a trip for walleyes Monday night, after he gave this report in a phone call. He sent an email afterward, saying the fishing was tough, but landed one walleye, and he included a photo that was posted on this site’s photo pages. Wind blew strongly until the sun went down, and then the wind, and seas that the wind caused, calmed. Dave fishes for walleyes at night with surface lures this time of year, because walleyes move into the shallows, where they can be plugged, in the dark to forage on spawning herring. Other anglers want to fish for walleyes with him as late as July 19, and he told them he never fished for them that late, so the trip will see what happens. He’s had trips with catches like 10 walleyes as late as July 12. On any given night, while walleyes are still pushing into the shallows in a season, Dave knows walleyes are active somewhere in the lake. The fishing’s just a matter of where.

Largemouth bass were angled well at many lakes, like Lake Hopatcong, and were off the spawn and feeding, said Brian from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. Keitechs on jigs caught them, and Senko rubber worms always work. Lots of Senkos were sold. Hybrid striped bass and walleyes were fought from Hopatcong at night. Livelined herring was best bait. Sometimes chicken livers are fished for the stripers.  This was definitely the time of season for smallmouth bass fishing on Delaware River. Brian’s found the fishing to be stellar on some days, good on others, and bad on others. He’d fish something like a ¼-ounce jig with a black rubber bait or twister tail or a 3-inch twister tail in black, brown or crawdad. Those colors usually work. Striped bass could be found in the Delaware where Pequest River dumps in at Belvidere. Nothing was heard about trout, and the season was warm for trout fishing. Some anglers avoid trouting during the warmth, to avoid stressing or killing the fish. But trout streams were still fairly cool, and rain had fallen, through last week. Trout could probably still be fly-rodded in evenings on patterns like sulfurs.

Lots of smallmouth bass and largemouth bass were seen from the lake, Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong wrote in an email. Chain pickerel and crappies were also tugged in. Hybrid striped bass were honked on livelined herring off points or cast lures along weed lines. The Knee Deep Club will hold a hybrid tournament on the lake from 5 a.m. Saturday to 12 noon Sunday, and cash will be awarded for the three heaviest fish. Dow’s can be telephoned for info at  973-663-3826.

Anglers, plenty, more than before, talked about wrestling northern pike from Passaic River, said Cheryl from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. But the fishing was still a bit slow. Smallmouth bass and largemouth bass were clubbed from the river. Was a good week of fishing. Saltwater anglers nabbed fluke near Sandy Hook and Point Pleasant Beach. “Lot of fun,” Cheryl said.

<b>South Jersey</b>

A load of shiners was just stocked, and all baits, including killies and nightcrawlers, are on hand, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. A few customers fished Manasquan Reservoir, boating hybrid striped bass on any live bait like shiners or on chicken livers while drifting. That angling was starting to heat up. Crappies were played at the rez at the trees on jigs 3 feet under floats. For largemouth bass at the impoundment, mostly spinner baits were cast, or large rubber worms were worked along bottom. At Lake Riviera, crappies, chain pickerel and largemouth bass, nothing great, but catches, were angled off the dirt road under the trees, for shelter. Water was cool in the Toms River at Trilco, making pickerel fishing good, on spinners or killies. One angler pulled small catfish from the first of the three lakes called Lacey Lakes or something in Lacey Township – Dennis forgot the actual name. Mostly bluegills and turtles milled around Ocean County College Pond. The warm water made panfishing good there. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, bought <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River, and is running both shops now.

Delaware River looked like chocolate soup, said Karl from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. “That’s out,” he said, and that was after Friday’s storm from the offshore hurricane. Previously, the river’s smallmouth bass fishing was alright, on small silver-and-black or perch-colored Rapala CountDown lures. Largemouth bass were lifted from Manasquan Reservoir toward the dam on 5-inch Senkos in watermelon or June Bug. At the trees in the reservoir in early mornings, largemouths were cracked on ¼-ounce buzz baits in white or white-and-chartreuse. At Assunpink Lake, the bucketmouths were clunked on black or red-shad rubber worms. Chain pickerel were on the bite at many of the Pines Barrens ponds, the ones that weren’t weeded over. They’ll attack small, red-and-white Daredevle spoons or shiners under bobbers.

Fishing was a little spotty in the heat, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland.  But it was best in early mornings or at dusk, like usual in summer, and lots of small largemouth bass seemed to be pasted from different lakes. A couple of good days were scored at Union Lake on largemouths and smallmouth bass.  Top-water lures and rubber frogs turned up decent catches of largemouths at lakes in mornings and evenings. Rubber worms and soft-plastic lures produced during mid-day. Panfishing was great in the heat. Grab a container of worms, and catch all day. The best fishing was actually for summer flounder on Delaware Bay in saltwater. That angling was good, and boaters from Fortescue might’ve been into the fish best. Flounder fishing was fairly good at the ocean reefs.

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