<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

Delaware River’s striped bass fishing was slowing down, but this wasn’t time to give up on the fish, Bill Brinkman from <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Philadelphia wrote in a report on the shop’s website. He fished the river last week on Tuesday, boating 10 stripers to 23 inches and 10 catfish. The cats weighed up to 10 pounds and were mostly 4 to 6 pounds. Know the regs for fishing for stripers on the river, including because the laws are different for Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and the fishing is currently closed from Jersey on the tidal river. Anglers release the fish there, and certain hooks are required to be fished for stripers on the river from Jersey. On his trip the next day, that Wednesday, the angling was slower, through weather was some of the best this year on his trips on the river. Still, a 35-inch striper and some 24- and 25-inchers were tugged in, and so were eight catfish to 7 pounds. One or two fish per hour were caught. But Bill’s trip seemed to crush striper catches, compared with other anglers he spoke with who fished the river that day. Some picked a striper or lost one. One bloodwormed plenty of white perch and small stripers at Linden Avenue on the river. Another played a bunch of small stripers and catfish near Philadelphia airport on the river on bunker, clams and bloods. What a difference a couple of days made on the river, Bill said. Farther upstream, shad fishing was slowing down last week at Delaware Water Gap on the river. But some anglers totaled five to 15 of the fish in an evening there. An angler who fished farther upstream, at Narrowsburg, hammered shad that week. Several anglers talked about trying for shad, catching none, from Frenchtown to Trenton. Good catches of walleyes were made at New Hope and Point Pleasant on the river, though higher water last week slowed the angling somewhat.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Trips were weathered out the past two weekends with <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b>, Capt. Dave Vollenweider said. Trips were actually weathered out farther back in time than that, and this has been some stretch of weather. Boating for muskies was canceled Sunday aboard because of wind. But Dave plugged for trout on foot at Paulinskill River that day instead, whaling 41 rainbows released on Rapala Countdown lures. One place on the trip gave up one trout after another. It was crazy, lots of fun, he said, and some of the hooked fish leapt from the water. A better-sized trout 18 or 20 inches was hooked and got off. The river ran a little high and brown, apparently because of rain. Trout streams were low previously. Weather was chilly or cold, and he bundled up in a hoodie. Dave hoped to boat overnight for walleyes on Lake Hopatcong or Greenwood Lake with a friend later this week, maybe fishing for muskies in the morning. A mix of walleyes and hybrid striped bass reportedly bit at Hopatcong at night. Friends boated six walleyes at Greenwood in the dark. Dave targets walleyes with cast plugs when the fish push into shallows at night to forage on spawning herring in spring. That action was reportedly underway, though Dave in the past has caught them in June. The sizable walleyes smash the lures along the water surface. Sometimes the angling turns on only late at night or in the small hours of the morning, when the water is quiet or least-disturbed by boaters. The fishing is an adventure or an experience in the dark. Dave’s friend and tournament bass angler Paul Schmidt fished Connecticut’s Candlewood Lake in a tournament, because New Jersey’s fishing for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass is limited to catch-and-release through June 15 for spawning. Paul didn’t score so well, but 19 pounds was the winning weight, and was all smallmouths. A 6-pound smallmouth – that’s huge – was largest in the event.

Trout streams seemed to run at a “fair” level, because of rain, after low water previously, said Don from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. He lives near Rockaway River, and the Rockaway flowed not high or low, but at the level it should, he said. No white water was seen, so the river didn’t seem to flow high. Not a lot of details were heard about trout fishing, but trout anglers generally seemed to catch. Small, pink Gulp worms probably sold most for the angling. Trout Magnets seemed to work well. Garlic salmon eggs were a hot seller one day this week. Largemouth bass fishing is restricted to catch-and-release through June 15 for spawning, and that kept reports scarce about them. The fish were probably spawning, and they’re reluctant to bite then. But they should spawn and begin feeding within a couple of weeks, and anglers will get back after them. Hybrid striped bass and walleyes might be swimming lake shallows at night, feeding on spawning herring there. Anglers plug for them then. A customer who focuses on hybrids was seen at the shop a few weeks ago, and was yet to fish for them this season then. A few customers headed to Delaware River to target shad toward Milford and Dingman’s Ferry.

Walleyes bit in the lake’s shallows on bait and lures, Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong wrote in an email Thursday. So did hybrid striped bass to 8 pounds. Trout were trolled or hooked on small, live herring in shallows, and Dan McErlean checked-in a 3-pound 11-ounce rainbow trout. Largemouth bass fishing is restricted to catch-and-release through June 15 for spawning, but the bucketmouths to 5 pounds were reported released. John O’Neill and friend limited out on crappies near Brady Bridge on jigs with fathead minnows. Lilly Bunn stopped by with a 3-pound catfish and also reeled in yellow perch.

Good fishing was heard about from Round Valley Reservoir, said James from <b>Behr Bait & Tackle</b> in Lebanon. The state stocked trout at the impoundment two weeks ago, and fishing for them began to pick up. Water began to be pumped into the reservoir, a big deal, he said, after low water in past months. A friend landed 15 rainbow trout to 5-pounds from the Valley’s shore on PowerBait and shiners. Numerous shore anglers scored well. They fished PowerBait on a line with weight or, when wind calmed enough, shiners under bobbers. Some tossed large Rapala lures, like Jointed Minnows in sizes 9, a 3-1/2-incher, or 11, a 4-3/8-incher. Boaters also trolled trout there, sometimes 20 or 25 rainbows and a handful of lakers in a trip. Spruce Run Reservoir’s hybrid striped bass began to be hooked, not a lot of the fish, but big to 8 or 9 pounds, on live herring or shiners, from shore and boats. Boaters slow-trolled the baitfish live. Northern pike and crappies chewed at Spruce, like before. A good mixed bag could be clobbered there, like before. Merrill Creek Reservoir’s lake trout fishing began to pick up, after its fishing had been slow. The lakers smacked live herring or shiners fished 40 feet down on a size-4 or -6 hook on a slide rig, like a barrel weight. Sometimes the baitfish were fished 40 feet down on a bobber.

Largmouth bass seemed to be spawning at Lake Hopatcong, but supposedly good catches of them came from the lake, said Joe from from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. Anglers probably flipped baits like soft-plastics or Senkos or fished drop-shots for them. Release largemouths by law through June 15, because of spawning. Passaic River ran at a great level for kayakers who beat northern pike, pretty-good-sized, from the water. Sometimes smallmouth bass were reported caught from the river. Not a lot was heard about trout, but trout were yanked from the lake at Verona Park on PowerBait and  spinners. From saltwater, lots of big bluefish were fought, and striped bass fishing was intermittent, like usual. Trips whacked a good catch or were skunked.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

From <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook, Burt shad fished on Delaware River at Delaware Water Gap on Saturday, he said. He banked two and almost another that got off at his feet, and probably hooked eight or nine. He arrived at 9:30 a.m., and an angler who arrived at first light said he pulled in 30. First light always seems a time to fish for them, or later in the day, like 3 p.m. to dusk. Burt caught on a small, chartreuse Mister Twister, the next larger than the smallest of the lures. He fished the lure on an 8-1/2-foot steelhead fly rod. The Mister Twister was a lure more commonly fished on conventional tackle, but was light enough for the fly rod. Mister Twisters are also more commonly fished for panfish than shad. Burt saw a spey-rodder that day catch eight or nine shad on flutter spoons light enough for the rod. The river’s level was perfect, maybe a little high, and a little debris floated around, and the river was clear. Burt returned for the angling Tuesday, hooking none, but was fooling around with fishing a switch rod. One or two bumps were felt, but whether they were bites was difficult to know.  For other anglers there that day, the shad fishing seemed sort of a slow pick. Maybe the fish had migrated farther upstream, but one angler reported landing eight or nine. Shad fishing’s happening on the river, though. A young girl weighed-in a beautiful, 6-pound, 12-ounce rainbow trout from the North Branch of the Raritan River, Braden from the shop said. The trip picked up plenty of other trout, too, and garlic salmon eggs have been cleaning up trout. Blue Fox Vibrax spinners have been, too. Lake Hopatcong’s fishing was underway for walleyes and hybrid striped bass at night on top-water lures. Herring were spawning in the shallows that attract them. Sometimes largemouth bass were finished spawning at lakes. Some of the big females began to eat, not just bite in a reaction strike. For the bass that still spawned, lures like chatter baits and spinner baits were reeled along the beds for reaction strikes. Release the bass according to law through June 15 for spawning.

The Toms River’s yellow perch fishing amped up substantially at Huddy Park and Trilco, said Virginia from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in the town of Toms River. The fish were big, 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. Trout fishing was terrific all season, including on the Toms farther upstream, including at Riverwood Park and near the tree farm in Jackson. The river’s Trout Conservation Area also produced. Any kind of PowerBait grabbed trout, and Trout Magnets were exceptionally effective this year. Good largemouth bass fishing was socked at Lake Riviera and the pond across from Ocean County Mall. Largemouths are relegated to catch-and-release through June 15 for spawning. Crappies and sunnies were played at Ocean County College Pond. Catfish were swung from the pond, mostly at night.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Trout fishing was winding down on Grenloch Lake for the season, but a couple of anglers still plucked the fish from the lake, said Ed Jr. from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. One angler hauled large catfish from Grenloch, though that seemed surprising, on chicken livers. The cats included two 10-pounders and a 7-pounder. Largemouth bass were spawning, and must be released through June 15, because of that. But they were released, here and there. A couple were known to be hooked at Grenloch near the dam. Ed’s wife sacked crappies on minnows and a largemouth on a shiner at Glen Lake in Woodbury. Saltwater anglers battled large bluefish on back bays. Small striped bass were still tied into on Delaware River. None big was heard about anymore this season, and striper fishing is currently closed on the tidal river for spawning, and certain hooks are required to be fished for stripers on the river. Anglers release the bass during the closure.

Bob Leeds from Chatsworth subdued at 7-pound chain pickerel at Batsto Lake, said Mike from <b>Sportsman’s Outpost</b> in Williamstown. Derrick Richards from Williamstown released a 5-pound largemouth bass at Parvin Lake on a Yamamoto worm in rainbow-trout color. Largemouths must be let go through June 15 for spawning. Trevor Gallagher from Glassboro eased a 3-pound largemouth from Wilson Lake on a Live Target frog. Dante Elsworth from Clayton had a breeder trout at Iona Lake. On saltwater, Brian McCann and Mike Ludlam bucktailed bluefish to 12 pounds on pink Spros.

Cloudy, rainy, windy weather cut back on fishing news, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Weather’s been like that for weeks, but a few trout were angled from South Vineland Park Pond and Iona Lake. Chilly weather probably delayed largemouth bass from spawning, and the fish are limited to catch-and-release through June 15, because of spawning. The bass were sluggish in the lower temps. For saltwater, many customers geared up for this coming Saturday’s opening of summer flounder season. A few saltwater anglers still chased striped bass from Fortescue’s surf. A few customers wrestled bluefish from back bays on the salt.  

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