<b>North Jersey</b>

Capt. Dave Vollenweider from <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale’s dry spell was over! he wrote in an email. He trolled and released a musky on Greenwood Lake. That was after he trolled for the fish of 10,000 casts on five previous trips, without catching them, this spring on the lake. He did troll a musky, his biggest ever, estimated at 35 pounds, on Lake Hopatcong during that time, covered in a previous report here. The musky on Greenwood was hooked on a YG Lures Canadian Black Perch Lure, fished in 43 feet of water, in the prop wash, 15 feet behind the boat. Dave’s friend Yvon Grise builds the outstanding plugs, Dave said. Dave was unsure about the reason muskies failed to bite in Greenwood previously, he said in past reports. Conditions like water temperature and the time of year were right. He speculated whether pesticide added to the lake to kill weeds affected the fishing, but that couldn’t be known. Dave, a biology teacher, will begin to fish more often now, because school is letting out for summer. His trips this time of year also include plugging for walleyes on lakes at night. The big, tasty fish, a member of the perch family, move to shallows, where cast plugs can catch them, to forage on spawning herring in the dark, this time of season. The walleyes smash the lures, good sport. See an article Dave wrote about the fishing in the July issue of On the Water magazine.

Rain raised water levels in trout streams, so anglers will probably trout again, said Brian from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. The water ran low recently, and anglers then fished pools that attracted trout, because of deeper, cooler water. The higher water now probably affected bug hatches on the streams. Flies including sulfurs and blue-winged olives usually come off this season. Trouters had been fishing those in small sizes, but the water might’ve affected those bugs. The higher water might trigger isonychias or slate drakes to hatch. Usual patterns like caddis should also come off. The season is coming when the streams will become warmer than most trout anglers prefer to fish. The warmth becomes likely to kill the trout if the fish are fought, and the anglers prefer to avoid that.  When the streams become 62 degrees, the trout don’t feed much anyway. Largemouth bass fishing improved on Lake Hopatcong. Keitech soft-plastic lures and Senko plastic worms sold for largemouthing. Nothing was really heard about fishing for walleyes and hybrid striped bass on Hopatcong. That can be popular at night this season. Some anglers catfished at places like local ponds, Hopatcong and Musconetcong Lake.

Northern pike definitely roamed Passaic River, said Cheryl from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. The river ran less high than previously. But it still ran a little high, she thought. Cheryl landed largemouth bass at Lake Hopatcong on green-pumpkin Senkos on a slider head retrieved slowly through weeds. Anglers needed to find the weeds to locate the bass. Hopatcong’s level was somewhat low. From saltwater, the word was that lots of throwback fluke bit, but occasional big were nailed this year. One of the crew from the shop boated an 8- or 9-pounder.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

After rain during the weekend, a few anglers pounded trout, good catches, at Ken Lockwood Gorge, said Braden from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. They fished mostly San Juan worms, while the water ran high a little. Higher water can wash forage like worms into streams. Many sizable largemouth bass were clutched from some of the farm ponds and Spruce Run Reservoir. Most customers fished a shiner under a bobber, the old favorite, for them, but others threw other usual tackle for largemouths, he said. One customer was landing six to 10 hybrid striped bass at Spruce Run in mornings, during daylight, saying the climbing water temperature reached the magic number. Many crawfish were sold at the store for smallmouth bass fishing. The same anglers kept buying them, and were fairly quiet about the fishing. But if they kept buying, they must’ve been catching.

Most anglers played bluegills and crappies at different ponds and lakes, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. One angler headed to Manasquan Reservoir to fish for hybrid striped bass with shiners, but results were yet to be heard. Hybrid fishing is usually best in this heat, and the reservoir’s anglers usually fish for the stripers straight off the boat ramp. The fish can school the deep or the shallow. Dennis has hooked them in 3 feet of water. He’s also seen schools of 20 or 40 in the shallows, and they won’t bite then, for some reason. Some anglers liveline shiners to the hybrids. Others drift chicken livers on a hook with split shot. Chain pickerel gave up catches on the Toms River at Trilco. That’s a closed building supply, and no sign identifies the building, but locals know the stretch by the name, located near Garden State Parkway. The picks were fought, including from kayaks, upstream from the Parkway, and up the river from there, on spinners and Johnson spoons. Deep holes 12 or 14 feet are located there. A customer was tying into largemouth bass at Assunpink Lake, walking the shoreline, casting Rat-L-Traps and spinner baits. Shiners, killies, nightcrawlers and garden worms are stocked. Meals worms are still carried, and some anglers fished them for crappies. No more will be stocked this season, once the meals run out. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Rubber frogs socked good largemouth bass fishing at lakes and ponds locally, said Karl from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. The frogs were worked overtop lily pads and grass at lakes including Assunpink, Rising Sun, Stone Tavern – all at Assunpink Wildlife Management Area – and Mercer. At Manasquan Reservoir, largemouths were tackled in the wood on 3/8- or ½-ounce, black-and-blue jigs with black-and-blue trailers. Buzz baits clocked the bass in early mornings at the reservoir. Delaware River ran dirty because of rain. Smallmouth bass fishing is usually good on the river, when the water’s clear, this time of year.

Many largemouth bass to 5 pounds caught were heard about from Glen Lake in Woodbury Heights, said Ed Jr. from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. Crappies chewed like crazy there, too, and Ed and kids fished minnows and nightcrawlers for the crappies. His daughter also hooked one of the bass, on a nightcrawler. Minnows and shiners were mostly fished for largemouths at lakes. Senko rubber worms were popular. Rubber frogs also worked, and the water was warm enough. A customer talked about grabbing a couple of bass at Grenloch Lake on the frogs. Grenloch is choked with lily pads, and the frogs can catch at lakes with the pads. Another customer said lots of largemouths hit at the spillway across the road from Blackwood Lake on rubber worms. From saltwater, not a lot of details were mentioned about summer flounder. But all who talked about them said many flounder were throwbacks.

Early and late in the day sounded like the best times to catch, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Mid-day fishing seemed sluggish in the heat. A ton of rubber frogs and Horny Toads were sold for largemouth bass fishing. Senko worms also moved for the angling. Hot spots included Salem Canal that gave up the catches pretty consistently. An angler reported a good evening of buzz-baiting largemouths at Malaga Lake. Anglers could paste all the bluegills they wanted at lakes on nightcrawlers or trout worms. In saltwater, summer flounder fishing was fair on back bays. Hear anything about Delaware Bay? Steve was asked. A bunch of nothing! he said. That was unfortunate, he agreed. Croakers were reported caught from Delaware Bay. 

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