<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

Striped bass fishing slowed considerably on the local Delaware River, Bill Brinkman from Philadelphia’s <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> wrote in an emailed report from the shop. The fishing was better at Trenton, farther upstream. Good catches of stripers, 24 to 29 inches, were hung there last week on crank baits and popper lures during daytime, and livelined eels or white perch or popper lures at night. The river’s shad fishing slowed at places like Lambertville. But good shad fishing was had at Callicoon, far upstream, beyond Delaware Water Gap. The river there ran low and warm, but that was productive for the angling.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Local trout streams ran somewhat low, and bug hatches, blue quills and Hendricksons, began, said Brian from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. The hatches were late, after the cold winter. Rain could be good to raise the streams for fishing. Customers fished streams including Musconetcong, Pequest and Paulinskill rivers, and South Branch of the Raritan River. On lakes, largemouth bass were hooked, and must be released by law through June 15, because of spawning.  Walleyes were taken, and so were chain pickerel and panfish including crappies. Lakes fished included Lake Hopatcong, Budd Lake and Museconetcong Lake. Brian didn’t know whether many northern pike and hybrid striped bass were fought from lakes yet. In Delaware River, shad migrated upstream from Delaware Water Gap. The run had gathered at the Gap, toward Worthington, last week.

Weigh-ins from the lake included hybrid striped bass this week, Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong wrote in an email. The fish included Bob Smith’s 7-pound 3-ouncer, the biggest among more than a dozen he hooked on livelined herring. Mike Tomicich’s hybrid was trolled and weighed 4 pounds 2 ounces that he checked-in. Walleyes were also caught, and John O’Neill’s 4-pounder was his largest on a trip. Walleyes also sometimes began to be landed at night, on Bomber lures. Dave Smith trolled a 4-pound 2-ounce rainbow trout. Yellow perch and crappies were also nabbed from the lake, on fathead minnows, small crappie jigs and Rufus Jr. Lures.

Passaic River fished well, said Joe from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. The river ran at a normal or average flow and gave up catfish, crappies, northern pike, smallmouth bass and carp. Anglers trout fished, catching at Verona Park Lake and Rockaway and Ramapo rivers. Largemouth bass, required to be released through June 15 throughout the state, because of spawning, were played at Ramapo Mountain Reservation. Customers who largemouth fished bought Senko worms and Keitech swim baits. In saltwater, many big bluefish were fought. Striped bass were hooked from saltwater, and shore anglers might’ve had more difficulty than boaters fighting through the blues to catch stripers. But some of the boaters scored well on the stripers, not a lot of large. Customers fished saltwater at Raritan Bay and the Sandy Hook area. Two anglers also boated more than 50 stripers on Connecticut’s Housatonic River on a charter.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Water really began to run low, said Scott from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. South Branch of the Raritan River flowed at 50 cubic feet per second, compared with an average flow of 140. But experienced trout anglers landed fish on low streams, and stocked trout were no problem to catch. Fly-casters mostly tossed nymphs like pheasant-tails, Prince’s and bead-heads. From Ken Lockwood Gorge, for instance, they didn’t really fish with dry flies yet.  Largemouth bass fishing began to perk up. The angling is restricted to catch and release through June 15, because of spawning. The fish were indeed spawning, but were angled at places including Delaware and Raritan Canal. Spinner baits, flashy things, Scott said, caught the largemouths, and top-water lures didn’t grab them yet. Other fish that bit included carp. The crew at Efinger’s fishing department had a contest among themselves to see who hooked the most fish on a type of ice-fishing rod, but in open water. Braden from the store reeled in a 30-inch carp on the rod at a pond in Middlesex. Most customers currently fished for bluefish and striped bass in saltwater. The blues tore around everywhere, including along shore at Raritan Bay and in the ocean surf. Stripers seemed mostly to be trolled, like on Stretch lures or bunker spoons in the bay. Sometimes the abundant blues could be avoided that way.  

Chain pickerel turned out some action in the Toms River at Trilco, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in the town of Toms River. 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. A few largemouth bass and pickerel were drilled from Lake Riviera. Release any largemouths, by law, through June 15, because of spawning. One customer kept nailing crappies, on meal worms 2 feet under a float, at all different ponds. He bought meals about every two days, so the slabs were biting. A few customers still trout fished, and caught, mostly on the South Branch of the Metedeconk River. That was probably because the river offers more spots to fish from the bank. The Toms River’s trout stretches really need to be waded. Manasquan River’s trout waters have steep banks and mud. The South Branch of the Meteconk is just closer for locals, too. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Delaware River’s striped bass fishing remained decent from Trenton to Burlington, said Karl from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Clams, frozen Atlantic herring and bloodworms tied into them. A few shad swam the water, though the main migration of shad swam upstream some time ago. But sometimes shad were caught and chunked for bait for the stripers. In lakes, largemouth bass were on spawning beds, and must be released through June 15, because of that. But the bass were socked on Zoom Brush Hogs in black or pumpkinseed, chartreuse or black, rubber lizards, and black Senkos. Those were used to annoy the bass to make them bite, while they didn’t feed during the spawn.

Some big crappies were reported from Penbryn Lake at Penbryn Wildlife Management Area, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. Minnows lit into them, and nothing was really heard about largemouth bass, and some anglers said the bass were spawning. The bass are relegated to catch and release through June 15, because this was the breeding season. Chain pickerel were wrestled from all different lakes on minnows. A couple of customers still fished for trout, though stocking ended locally, some weeks ago. No catches were heard about. Reports about striped bass catches also dried up from Delaware River. This was the time of season that happens, Ed agreed.

Fishing was good for largemouth bass, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. The bass were released, required through June 15, because of spawning, but hit, often on Senkos. Shallow-running crank baits and wake baits were also popular. Buzz baits began to work. Lot of shallow stuff, he said. Parvin Lake reportedly fished well for them. Good reports came from Elmer Lake about the bass. Trout were tugged from Maurice River. Nothing was really talked other catches, like crappies. In saltwater, striped bass fishing from shore kind of slowed at Fortescue, as horseshoe crabs began moving in. But sounded like bluefish swarmed thick along the coast, in the surf and back bays, and nearly everywhere.  

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