<b>North Jersey</b>

On a trip with an angler and son aboard Greenwood Lake this past week, at first, the son missed two or three smallmouth bass on a Yo-Zuri 3DB Prop Lure, said Capt. Dave Vollenweider from <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale. The fish were biting, but they smashed the lure so powerfully, that if the chance to hook up was missed, the fish was lost. Then the father landed one of the smallmouths, probably the biggest that hit, on a Heddon Torpedo. After dark, the anglers fished for walleyes, and the dad boated a good-sized one on a Smithwick Suspending Rattlin’ Rogue. Fishing wasn’t slamming walleyes aboard, but walleyes at night still swam the shallows, where they could be plugged, good sport. That was apparently because of cool water this year. The lake was 72 to 73 degrees, and is usually in the 80s this time of summer. Usually, the temperature makes walleyes move deep for cooler water this time of season. Fishing was slow on Greenwood on a previous trip aboard, on Thursday, with another father and son. A couple of small white perch were reeled up during daytime, and the trip tried for walleyes after dark. The son fought one, but the hook pulled near the boat, and the fish got off. The son was happy for a chance at one, at least, Dave said. Both trips also trolled for muskies during daytime, and the fish of 10,000 casts was never caught. One was on a moment, pulling a drag, but got off. The fish was apparently a musky because of the size and the depth fished, deeper in the water. But Dave’s been scoring well on muskies this season. Bass fishing’s reportedly been going well in tournaments for Dave’s friend’s club, the Northeast Bassmasters, at Lake Hopatcong and Greenwood, with winning weights about 13 pounds, this season.  Catch Dave give a talk about musky fishing at the Bergman Bowmen’s meeting at 7:30 p.m. on September 8 at the Closter Elks at 148 Railroad Avenue in Closter.

Small lake trout and brown trout were heard about that were boated at Round Valley Reservoir on drifted herring, said Kevin from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. Figuring the depth to fish was the challenging part. Nothing was heard about Lake Hopatcong, but Kevin assumed catches were happening there. Streams ran low, but sometimes trout were landed in mornings, when the waters were cool, on midges and terrestrials. Kevin hoped to fish for smallmouth bass on Delaware River last weekend, and didn’t get the chance. But the smallmouthing must be great. The river’s probably the right temperature, and few people will be on the river after Labor Day.

Lots of chain pickerel to 3 pounds were mugged from the lake, on cast or trolled Mepps spinners or Rapala lures along weed lines, Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> wrote in an email. Not many hybrid striped bass bit, but a few did. Jeffrey Crawford pasted a 6-pound 8-ounce hybrid on a trip with dad. Tom Facciola smoked a 9-pound 4-ounce hybrid on a livelined herring. Several walleyes to 3 or 4 pounds were winged on live herring. Catches also included Stephen VanNess’s 3-pound 4-ounce largemouth bass and 2-pound 12-ounce smallmouth bass from a trip. White and yellow perch and a few crappies were also nabbed from the lake.

Mark from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield and another angler found fishing slow on Greenwood Lake on two trips Sunday and Monday together, Mark said. On Sunday, they tugged in eight smallmouth bass, only two of them keepers, and results were similar on Monday. Mark fished Senkos and Keitechs, and the other angler jigged crawfish. But the other angler caught well on Monksville Reservoir on another trip, totaling four keeper largemouth bass and all the chain pickerel you could shake a stick at, Mark said. Passaic River’s fishing seemed slow, and not one catch was heard about from there in past days.  One angler banked trout, a bunch, on Ramapo River near Halifax Road on baby nightcrawlers.

Anglers on Passaic River latched into northern pike, including on spinner baits, Blue Fox Vibrax in-line spinners, and spoons, said Joe from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. They eased-in catfish, good catches, from the river, on stink baits, and better catches of carp than before from the river, on carp baits. The river ran a little low, a little murky.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Weather was still warm for most trout anglers, Burt from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Book agreed, when asked. Many anglers avoid trout fishing in summer to prevent stressing or killing the fish in the warmth. But he stopped at Musconetcong River, where the river meets Delaware River at Riegelsville, and didn’t fish, but stuck his hand in, and the Musky felt cool enough for trout. Springs feed the Musky that can keep the river cool. Many customers bought shiners and a few crawfish to fish for largemouth and smallmouth bass. The shop carries crawfish that aren’t too big, a good size for fishing. Many anglers fished for smallmouths on Raritan River and at different places on Delaware and Raritan Canal. Lots of walleyes, including sizeable, were yanked from the Raritan in spring, and Burt saw some landed then. But he saw none lately. He also saw none of the small striped bass hooked that usually swim the river this time of year, and had no chance to try for them yet, but knew that some were caught.

Lake Riviera dished up chain pickerel, largemouth bass and sunnies, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. Killies caught the picks, and not a lot of largemouths were hooked, because shiners were scarce for bait this time of season. But a few largemouths were beaten on killies. The store is stocking killies, and usually stocks shiners again starting in late summer or fall, when demand picks up. The sunnies were wormed. Lester’s Lake shoveled up pickerel and largemouths on killies. Ocean County College Pond turned out sunnies on worms, and harbored pickerel and largemouths, but nobody really caught those two fish. Nothing was heard about Manasquan Reservoir and the Toms River at Trilco. The Toms is usually a spot for pickerel at Trilco, the closed building supply. No sign identifies the building, but locals know the stretch by the name, located near Garden State Parkway. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, bought <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b>, on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River, this year, and is running both shops now.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Smallmouth bass were fought from Delaware River to the north, around Lambertville, on small popper lures, small Zara Spooks, small creature baits or small rubber crawfish in mornings and evenings, said Karl from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown.  The river ran at a perfect level and clarity. No walleyes were heard about from the river. Largemouth bass fishing socked good catches at Assunpink Lake at night on ¼- to ½-ounce, black buzz baits, black frogs, black Jitterbugs or dark-colored, 10-inch, rubber worms, like in Tequila Sunrise color. That was about all the fishing talked about.

Fishing for largemouth bass was kind of slow on lakes, said Jeff from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. But rubber worms, fished slowly along bottom, could tie into some. So could live bait like minnows, and, in evenings, rubber frogs or buzz baits along the surface. Panfish like bluegills or sunnies can always be played in the warmth of summer. In saltwater, summer flounder fishing was slowing down in Delaware Bay. A few weakfish were heard about from the northern bay, like around Ship John. Croakers were around in different places. Saltwater angling was tapering off for the season, and anglers waited for the striped bass migration in fall.

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