<b>North Jersey</b>

Capt. Dave Vollenweider from <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale took a season’s third trip this past week that trolled for muskies on Greenwood Lake, he said. But the fish of 10,000 casts was yet to bite on the trips. Maybe the season was early for the fish to hit, and he landed his first in June last year. The lake currently was cool for the time of year, 63 degrees along the surface, though air temperatures have often been high, despite a cool spell last weekend. The surface would normally be in the 70 degrees. The lake 10 feet below the surface was probably in the 50 degrees.  Cold-blooded muskies probably moved slowly in the cool water. Someone suggested to Dave that maybe weed-killing pesticide that was added to Greenwood affected the muskie fishing. But maybe the lake was just too cool for muskies to be trolled. Dave knew that muskies were caught at Lake Hopatcong, including two on the troll Saturday. Hopatcong was 7 feet lower than normal. Dave didn’t know whether Hopatcong was treated with the pesticide. But every lake can fish differently, and Dave thinks that trolling muskies on Greenwood is a matter of time. He spent three 8-hour days trolling on the trips, covering the entire lake. Outdoor writer Lou Martinez joined him on this last trip. The trip trolled lures on four rods. The line on one rod fished a lure no more than 10 feet behind the stern. Another trolled a lure 25 to 50 feet behind, and another trolled one 75 to 100 feet behind, and so on. The longer the line fished, the deeper the lure swims. So the trolling “strained” the water column. Most musky anglers, including magazine writers, say to troll no more than 15 feet down. When the water surface is in the 70 and 80 degrees, the thermocline, the comfortable temperature where the fish hold, is supposedly no more than 12 to 15 feet below. The cool lake currently might’ve been yet to stratify much or form much of a thermocline. Two clients are supposed to join Dave for trout fishing on a stream this weekend. He’ll bring lures for the angling, but also Berkley PowerBait Mice Tails. He prefers the lure fishing, usually Rapala Countdowns in size 3, because the plugging is fun and effective, and can attract large trout. But trout streams ran low, because of lack of rain, and lure fishing requires a fair amount of water flow to avoid snags on debris like logs. Still, Dave knew about good catches of trout, like 12 or 15 in a trip. The trip will fish the Mice Tails, artificial bait, if necessary. Dave might also bring fly rods, because trout can begin to home in on bugs, when streams become low and therefore warm. He might bring flies like sulfurs that hatch this time of year, or bead-headed nymphs that can work. Sometimes if trouting matches the hatch, the fishing can clean up. Dave usually concentrates on plugging for trout on streams through May. He might boat for panfish like crappies on lakes at times through the month, usually. But he already began boating more often this year, because of the low streams. Coming up, Dave usually boats for walleyes on lakes at night in June into July. But walleyes were already caught on Lake Hopatcong at night. Walleyes move into shallows in the dark to feed on spawning alewives this season. Then Dave casts surface plugs that walleyes, big, tasty fish, smash. Good sport, and good eating. Dave’s a school teacher, so he doesn’t usually fish on night trips during weekdays, until school lets out for summer. But if anglers want to fish for walleyes on a Friday night currently, he’d possibly go. An article that Dave wrote on the night walleye fishing is supposed to be published in the July issue of On the Water magazine. Catch Dave giving a talk about fishing structure for the East Jersey Chapter of Trout Unlimited at 7:30 p.m. June 10 at the American Legion hall at 33 West Passaic Street in Rochelle Park.

Trout streams ran low, and anglers fishing them hoped for rain, said Brian from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. They talked about fishing pocket water, because of the flow. A variety of hatches came off, including sulfurs, Hendricksons, March browns, gray foxes and various caddis. Musconetcong River probably flowed at a better level than other streams, because of the lakes that feed the river. Trout streams in the Catskills were in a similar low-flow condition.  In lakes, largemouth bass, restricted to catch and release through June 15, because of spawning, just began to come off spawning beds. Fishing for them should pick up soon, including because more anglers will target the fish, when the catch-and-release is ended. Walleyes bit in Lake Hopatcong. They mostly seemed to be taken in evenings, mostly on livelined herring.

The lake seemed on the “quiet side,” somewhat, from pleasure boaters during this Memorial Day weekend, probably because of cooler temperatures at first, Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong wrote in an email. The boat traffic picked up on Memorial Day afternoon a bit. But the weekend’s lighter traffic was good for anglers. Roman Pera limited out on walleyes to a 6-pound 3-ouncer at night near the shoreline on cast Bomber lures. Greg Sednik weighed-in a 6-pound 7-ounce hybrid striped bass that swiped a livelined herring on a trip with his dad. Chain pickerel smashed Mepps spinners along weed lines. Panfish nibbled worms under bobbers in the shallows. A few trout were caught on small, live herring and Phoebes.

Passaic River fished really well, said Cheryl from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. A couple of anglers whaled northern pike from the river during the weekend, probably at Twin Bridges. Largemouth bass were hooked from lakes. Be sure to release the bass, according to law, through June 15, because of spawning. Trout were tugged from streams but not from ponds anymore this season. Ponds give them up earlier in spring, when the waters are stocked and cool enough for trout.

<b>South Jersey</b>

A 2.04-pound rainbow trout was checked-in from the Toms River this week, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in the town of Toms River. Lou Santucci hooked the fish on PowerBait, and the river flowed well, not low, and clear, unlike many streams that ran low, because of lack of rain. The Toms always holds water and is cold because it’s spring-fed. Farther downstream, chain pickerel bit like crazy in the Toms at Trilco. Carp also attacked hooks there. 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. Fishing for largemouth bass, restricted to catch and release through June 15, because of spawning, became better and better at Lake Riviera. A customer fished Manasquan Reservoir on Tuesday, going a few times a week, and he’s been catching largemouths in the trees on shiners, even if the season was early for that. He’s also been landing crappies in the trees, and largemouths seemed to be coming off the spawn, beginning to feed.  Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

On Delaware River, smallmouth bass were socked at Lambertville around the wing dam, said Karl from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Small popper lures and small Zara Spooks tied into them. Walleyes also hit there on 3-inch, black Mister Twisters on jigheads like ¼ ounce, bounced along bottom. Lots of catfish were cranked from the Delaware at Trenton, Bordentown and Florence on Gulp catfish bait, nightcrawlers and clams. Largemouth bass fishing went well on Senkos in green pumpkin, watermelon and black. Anglers fished a little all over for them, including at Assunpink Lake, Stone Tavern Lake, Rising Sun Lake and Manasquan Reservoir. Assunpink, Stone and  Rising Sun are located in Assunpink Wildlife Management Area. Release the bass, by law, through June 15, because of spawning.

Chain pickerel were yanked from different lakes, but mostly New Brooklyn Lake, on minnows, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. That’s always a lake for picks, and largemouth bass fishing seemed somewhat slow on lakes. Whether that was because of spawning or another reason was unknown, but catches always depend on factors like where was fished, and when. Shiners hooked them, and the bass must be released through June 15, because of spawning. People stopped by with kids to fish for sunnies at places like the spillway across the road from Blackwood Lake and Puppyland Lake. Nothing was reported about trout anymore.

Fishing for largemouth bass was pretty good on lakes, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. “Lot of shallow fish,” he said, and the angling was great on soft-plastic lures. It was pretty good on spinner baits, and anglers are supposed to release the bass, according to law, through June 15. Largemouths might have another round of spawning around the full moon, but that will probably be the final time this year. A few customers still probed Maurice River for trout. In saltwater, many anglers attempted summer flounder fishing during this opening weekend of flounder season. Windy weather was less than favorable, but a few sizable caught were reported. Big bluefish tore around the surf and back bays like before. Delaware Bay’s drum fishing slowed during the weekend, and had been great. A lull like that can happen, and anglers hope for another round of the bites.

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