<b>North Jersey</b>

Trout streams ran low, said Brian from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. Few anglers fished for trout in the summer warmth, but some did, searching the deeper holes and pools to locate fish. Still, not much was heard about trout. That will change as weather cools, especially once fall trout stocking begins on October 7.  See the <a href=" http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/flstk14.htm" target="_blank">fall trout stocking schedule</a> online. Largemouth bass anglers seemed to catch at Lake Hopatcong on tackle including rubber frogs and other top-waters. Panfish like sunnies always nibble there, and nothing was heard about fish like hybrid striped bass from Hopatcong. A week ago was the last time news rolled in about Delaware River. The river ran low then, but smallmouth bass were still caught. But whether the conditions changed now, like maybe the river ran higher because of reservoir water released, was unknown. In saltwater, fluke were still in, and bluefish were wrestled, and this was a season for crabbing.

Lake Hopatcong’s largemouth bass fishing was okay, not good, said Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. He fished there on a trip with Shimano some time ago, and the angling was slow, giving up three largemouths: two at docks, and one sizeable one at weeds. Largemouthing’s been somewhat better at the lake’s docks than at the weeds, because machines were chopping up the weeds to rid the lake of them. That will affect largemouthing, if that continues, because small bass will have fewer weeds to hold in, and some of the juveniles will be lost.  Greenwood Lake was like that already, and almost all weeds were eliminated. Largemouthing there had already seemed slow because of the virus in the bass in recent years. The lake’s largemouth population seemed to be rebounding, but the lack of weeds was a concern. Fishing for Greenwood’s smallmouth bass, not affected by the virus, was decent in deep water at docks, rocks and the shoreline, especially the east shoreline that’s deepest. Pompton Lake’s largemouth bass fishing was phenomenal, though the water was weedy. If anglers could work through the weeds with frogs, rats, jigs or weight, huge bass swam the lake, mostly at the weeds, but sometimes along the shoreline. Freshwater fishing was generally slow this time of year, but Nick’s been on fire, winning three largemouth tournaments. His club is looking for new members, and Nick can be emailed if anglers are interested at: Daiwa710@aol.com. Much of the club is made up of older anglers, so the club maybe doesn’t attract as many anglers as all the clubs with young anglers. But the older anglers could be veteran largemouthers like Nick. Both anglers with boats and without are welcome, and, of course, those with boats are great to have, because the boats are needed for the competitions. Barbour Pond gave up lots of panfish. Walleye fishing was very good at Swartswood Lake at night on trolled bait or Shad Raps. Only electric motors are allowed there, so that can be tough.

Passaic River ran a little lower than usual, making northern pike kind of pool up, said Cheryl from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. But if anglers found a spot where the pike gathered, they could latch into several. The pike weren’t large, but quantity was the thing. Carp and catfish probably remained active in the river, she believed. Surely largemouth bass were angled from lakes, but nobody mentioned the fishing. Saltwater anglers boated fluke, many throwbacks, but sometimes larger in deeper water.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Delaware River’s smallmouth bass fishing was reportedly spotty, said Scott from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. But Burt from the shop heard about a customer whaling smallmouths like crazy at both the north and south branches of Raritan River. Burt headed to Delaware River on Friday, forgetting the river could be crowded, because of Labor Day weekend. Crowds weren’t terrible, but weather was almost too nice, and no smallmouth bass bit for him. Then he tried for trout at Dunfield Creek near the confluence with the Delaware. Holiday gatherers waded in the creek and so on, making fishing difficult. But Burt scored one rise from a trout on a caddis. He fished the lower creek because places like that were probably likely locations to find bigger pools to catch trout during summer’s low water. Small, wild trout will make up most of the trout population at spots like that, until fall trout stocking. Few anglers trout fished in the warmth, Scott said. Most who trout fished traveled to Pennsylvania to places like the West Branch of the Delaware River or smaller streams. They supposedly caught well. Scott fished the Middle Brook, the Raritan River tributary, thinking he’d play sunnies or panfish. He ended up landing a couple of largemouth bass on small poppers.

Shiners will be stocked starting Friday at <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River, Dennis said. The baitfish aren’t carried in the middle of summer, because of demand. No customers mentioned fishing at Manasquan Reservoir, once shiners were no longer stocked this summer. Previously, a few kept stopping by for the baitfish to fish the impoundment. Not a lot was heard about freshwater fishing on the whole, and customers mostly saltwater fished during this past Labor Day weekend. But chain pickerel should bite at usual places like the Toms River at Trilco. 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. Kids surely still had fun with bluegills at Ocean County College Pond. Fall trout stocking will be launched on October 7, and local waters scheduled to be stocked include the Toms, Metedeconk and Manasquan rivers. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, bought <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> this year, and is running both shops now.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Manasquan Reservoir’s largemouth bass fishing was on a tear, said Karl from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. The fish were plastered at the brush piles in the middle of the lake on 10-inch, Carolina-rigged, rubber worms in pumpkinseed or green pumpkinseed. One customer banged them out on the outside of the wood, flipping ½-ounce jigs with trailers. That seemed effective, too. Delaware River’s smallmouth bass fishing became hit and miss. A few were smashed at Bull’s Island in late evenings, almost in the dark, on small poppers. Anglers seemed less active in the past week leading up to Labor Day, virtually the final week of summer and vacations.

Sunnies were tugged from the spillway across the street from Blackwood Lake, and largemouth bass were beaten at Puppyland Lake on shiners, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. Chain pickerel were fought on minnows at New Brooklyn Lake, always a lake for that. Grenloch Lake and Oak Pond will be some of the local waters included in the fall trout stocking in October. Haddon Lake and Rowan’s Pond will be some in the winter trout stocking.  For the fall stocking, yearling, 7- to 9-inch brown and rainbow trout will be stocked, according to literature from the state. The hatchery’s trout population is being rebuilt, after the virus in the fish this past year. The virus caused spring trout stocking to last a shorter time than usual this year. But this coming spring’s stocking is expected to be normal, and larger trout are expected to be stocked in the fall of 2015, according the state.

Participation in fishing was probably the slowest of the season this past week, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. He couldn’t know why, except maybe sporadic weather was a cause. Weather had cooled, dropping lake temperatures, and now a heat wave began. The changes were abrupt. So largemouth bass were sluggish in lakes. Panfish including bluegills can always be messed around with at lakes on nightcrawlers. That angling was decent. Summer flounder fishing on the ocean was really the best fishing. The catches sounded good in the deep water at the reefs.

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