<b>North Jersey</b>

A 40-inch musky, probably 15 to 18 pounds, was trolled and released on Greenwood Lake within 5 minutes of fishing on Sunday with Capt. Dave Vollenweider from <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale, he said. He took the trip solo, after a friend decided not to join him, because of forecasts for heavy rain. The fish hit a Bucher Depth Raider lure in Miller Perch color in 25 feet of water, before Dave even set out a second rod he was going to troll. He had just set out the first rod that hooked the fish, and Dave thought he was going to start catching fish, after the musky was landed. But that was the only catch on the trip, not uncommon in fishing for muskies, the fish of 10,000 casts. Trips aboard totaled seven muskies released this year, and the fish were good-sized, no smaller than the one on this outing. Dave was supposed to give a talk about musky fishing at the Bergen Bowmen’s meeting earlier this week. Rain fell a little, not much, during the trip. The lake was 75 degrees, and Dave on another trip on Labor Day tried fishing Monksville Reservoir. He trolled a smallmouth bass, not big, and a friend on the reservoir landed a walleye and a bass on another boat there. Dave didn’t hear whether the bass was a largemouth or a smallmouth, and Monksville has a reputation for being tough to catch anything there. Anglers call the impoundment “Skunksville.” The water is deep, holding large fish, no doubt, but anglers have to work for them. Dave nailed his largest musky there. The reservoir’s also beautiful, surrounded by woods. On this trip, not much bait was marked, only a pod here and there. Lots of bait was marked on the Greenwood trip. A client is supposed to fish with Dave on Saturday.

Delaware River’s smallmouth bass fishing was great, and hardly anybody fished the water, now that Labor Day passed, said Kevin from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. He didn’t know how the river flowed, but trout streams ran low, so he wouldn’t be surprised if the Delaware did. Not many anglers fished the trout streams yet, waiting for cooler weather and water. Fall trout stocking will begin on October 7, and that will also attract anglers. But some fished the streams early in mornings, catching trout. Rain could be used to raise the streams. Fishing on lakes seemed good, like largemouth fishing at Lake Hopatcong, or fishing for hybrid striped bass there in evenings. Landlocked salmon were landed at <a href=" http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/news/2014/salmonstk_tilcon.htm" target="_blank">Tilcon Lake</a> that were stocked there for the first time this spring. Click the link to read about the new lake.

Hybrid striped bass were hooked from the lake off points on chicken livers or herring, Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong wrote in an email. Walleyes were sometimes taken on nightcrawlers or herring, and Rapala ice-fishing jigs were set out in the shop, anticipating fall jigging for walleyes. The Knee Deep Club will hold a walleye tournament on the lake on the weekend of September 20 and 21. Look for info on the club’s website, or anglers can call the shop for info at 973-663-3826. Smallmouth bass bit, and Max Hushen socked a 1-pound 12-ouncer. Brandon Wood scored a 2-pound 5-ounce largemouth bass. Catfish chomped, and perch and crappies were nabbed on small jigs. Chain pickerel smashed spinners along weed lines.

Fishing on lakes was tough, and anglers had to work for catches, but they caught, said Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. The waters dipped to the low 70 degrees, because of colder nights. Nick won his fourth largemouth bass tournament in a row, though this one was in New York, at Swinging Bridge Reservoir. Nick was the only entrant who limited out, and the rest of the anglers totaled about one bass apiece. The angling was tough, and Nick dragged a Senko worm slowly along bottom. The lake’s water was down 8 feet, and most of the structure was out of the water. Lake Hopatcong’s largemouthing was a little slow, from what Nick heard. But catches were made, including along the docks at Woodport, on Keitechs, Senkos or nearly anything. Largemouth fishing was good at Pompton Lake, and weeds filled the water, so anglers fished rubber frogs or plunked jigs through the weeds. Anglers also pounded the shoreline of the river at Pompton to catch. Greenwood Lake’s fishing sounded pretty slow. A buddy managed three largemouths in a trip all day at Greenwood, at docks on Senkos, fishing hard. Passaic River turned out a good bunch of smallmouth bass and northern pike, including upstream from the falls at Elmwood Park. Moving around to find the fish was key. If bait was found, fish were there. One angler talked about finding the fish busting all over bait. Ramapo Reservoir gave up chain pickerel and largemouth bass. Nothing was heard about trout.

Anglers reeled northern pike from Passaic River, said Cheryl from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. Two reported nailing really big pike, and the rest of customers considered the pike they caught small. But some of those were 30 inches. Sometimes carp were eased from the river. Saltwater trips were weathered out in the nor’easter this week.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Lots of Senkos and crawfish were sold for smallmouth bass fishing, said Scott from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Book.  Smallmouths were socked on the North Branch of the Raritan River toward the town of North Branch and on the South Branch from about Flemington to the town of Raritan. A little, not a lot, was heard about hybrid striped bass lifted from Spruce Run Reservoir. Weather wasn’t cool enough for trout fishing from shore at Round Valley Reservoir. The trout still swam deep for lower water temperatures. In saltwater, fluke were boated at Ambrose Channel and along rough bottom in deep water. Scott and Braden from the shop decked 15 bluefish 9 to 12 pounds, losing four or five more apiece, last week on one of the nighttime trips for blues on the Norma-K III from Point Pleasant Beach. Was a good trip, Scott said. Customers were happy with tuna fishing offshore, catching during both daytime and nighttime.

Bluegills were plucked from Ocean County College Pond, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. Shiners were bought from the shop to tangle with a few largemouth bass and chain pickerel at lakes and ponds. Waters were choked with weeds, and weather had been hot, slowing fishing. But now weather was cooling. Pickerel could always be fought from the Toms River at Trilco. That angling’s usually fantastic, and Trilco is a closed building supply. No sign identifies the building, but locals know the stretch by the name, located near Garden State Parkway. That’s a terrific location for kayaking and canoeing, too. 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. Shiners, killies and worms are stocked at Murph’s, and killies and worms are carried at Go Fish.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Delaware River became somewhat cooler, now that the season was becoming cooler, and that lit up smallmouth bass fishing, said Karl from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. The river’s smallmouthing became super in the Lambertville and Fireman’s Eddy area. Small popper lures, small jerk baits like 3 inches, and 3-inch twister tails in green pumpkin or black smoked them. The twisters were fished on small jigheads, like 1/8 ounce, and also picked up a few walleyes, not many. Small shad and herring started to migrate down the river, turning on small striped bass, 12 or 15 inches, that bit at Bordentown and Trenton. A few were caught every day, and small jerk baits 3 or 4 inches were fished for them. Assunpink Lake tossed up good largemouth bass fishing at night on spinner baits, buzz baits or Jitterbugs, all in black, or 10-inch, rubber worms.

Heat had slowed largemouth bass fishing, but the current cooler weather should improve the catches, said Andrew from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Anglers will still fish for them with summertime choices like rubber frogs in the pads, Senkos fished deeper or even Carolina rigs deeper. Chatter baits and spinner baits will also be worked for them. No particular lakes were reported to produce during the warmth. But usual spots like Union, Rainbow and Parvin lakes will be fished. Panfish could be played on lakes like usual. Grab worms or minnows to dunk for them. In saltwater, summer flounder were cranked from Delaware Bay, and were still found in back bays. The fish might’ve been moving toward the ocean, getting ready to migrate offshore for the year. Croakers, white perch and spots were nabbed from brackish rivers and creeks.

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