<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

Anglers said the Susquehanna River’s smallmouth bass fishing was heating up, said Bill from <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Philadelphia. They averaged 5 to 10 fish 12 to 15 inches a day on the Sunbury section, and minnows, leeches and grubs were prime baits. Downriver at the Duncannon area, anglers scored even better luck, with catches of 20 to 50 fish per day and some serious-caliber bronzebacks in the 14- to 17-inch range. The larger ones got attracted to tubes and spinners instead of live baits. The Delaware River’s smallmouth activity also kept picking up, and the Lambertville stretch and northward put out 5 to 20 per angler. Silver and black Rapala Countdowns were the best lure there.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Hot weather made largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing a little sluggish at the lakes and ponds, said Bill from <b>Bill’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Phillipsburg. So catfish and carp made up most catches. The Delaware River offered catfish like David Martin’s 6-pound 6-ounce channel cat and 4-year-old Andrew Farley’s 6-pounder. The river was also a place to fight carp like 8-year-old Chris Farley Jr.’s 11-pounder and his father’s 12-pounder. Barry Smith fished the Big D and claimed a 5-pound walleye. Walleyes held in the deeper pools of the river.

Lots of live bait moved out of the store, said Adrian from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Montville, and he suspected the anglers headed to ponds such as Verona Park Pond to save on gas and do battle with largemouth bass and sunfish. The Rockaway River attracted trout anglers, who threw meal worms in the deeper pools. Both pike and bass action went down at the Route 80 stretch of the Passaic River, where waters became the perfect level to fish.

Spilt Rock Reservoir was the haunt to find smallmouth bass, said Dom from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Paramus. Kayakers snuck into the coves and tossed Senkos. Lake Hopatcong was home to largemouth bass in quantity, especially in the back coves, where top-water lures connected after dark and well into night. The Brady Bridge area was specifically productive, and one angler there broke off three unknown fish on 14-pound test. Local still-waters such as Echo Lake got more pressure from bass hounds, because gas prices kept people close to home.

Hybrid stripers 3 to 4 pounds hit consistently, and larger ones turned on after the weekend, said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong. Action blew wide open Tuesday, and customers had difficulty keeping one rod in the waters while another got hit. Jim Welsh combined for two hybrids 7 pounds 15 ounces and 7 pounds 8 ounces. Gary Bruzaud hooked up with a 7-pound 12-ouncer. Mark Spinelli drilled a 7-pound 2-ouncer, and Kevin Scanlon wrestled in a 6-pound 9-ouncer. A good show of both largemouth and smallmouth bass was also around, with Robert Howell checked in a 2-pound 15-ounce smallie that engulfed a herring. What’s more, loads of pickerel to 4 pounds, big crappies and perch were on the hunt.

Both Lake Hopatcong and Greenwood Lake were solid largemouth and smallmouth bets, said Al from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. Black and blue Senkos drew loads of bigmouths in the dawn hours. Al himself tangled with nine bucketmouths to 3 pounds at Hopatcong, and then tried the Highland Lakes on another trip, scoring 14 more, all on top-waters in the mornings. Nick Benigno fished Greenwood Lake with a Senko that a 20-pound muskie hammered but broke off at boat side. Trouters headed to the Paulinskill with garden worms and found a few fish. The Ramapo River produced more smallmouths than trout right now, so be sure to bring small crank baits to fool around with the smallies when out trouting. 

Hybrid bass were on one day and off the next at Spruce Run Reservoir, said Chris from <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop</b>. Live herring trolled around the boat launch area during evenings and nights was the best method when it was good, when six to eight bass per trip were grabbed. The undercuts and deeper holes of the South Branch of the Raritan River housed smallmouth and largemouth bass. Cast a wacky-rigged green pumpkin Senko into the pool, twitching the worm until it lands on bottom.

Trout fishers caught best while fly-casting small terrestrials such as ants and beetles, said Denny from <b>Ray’s Sport Shop</b> in North Plainfield. The Ken Lockwood Gorge was a better spot because of its deep, cool pools. The Clinton stretch of the South Branch was fun for fly rodders launching out poppers for bigmouth bass.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Beaver Brook gave up bruiser trout, said Mark from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Joe Krainatz nailed a 6.4-pound brown and a 3.5-pound rainbow on butter worms. Mike Krainatz creeled five rainbows to 15 inches. The Pequest River also carried rainbows that honed in on tiny flies such as sizes-20 to -22 sulfurs and Tricos. At the Delaware and Raritan Canal and the South Branch, a wide array of warm-water species including panfish, catfish and carp were on hand.

Pickerel enthusiasts pulled on lots at the Presidential Lakes, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. The key seemed to be free-lined killies with no weight. Kayak anglers had luck on large pickerel at the Double Trouble Lakes with the same bait, stump-jumping to find schools of the fish. Manasquan Reservoir’s hybrid striper fishing was hit or miss, though some mornings were hot for the wipers that aggressively smacked top-water poppers. Largemouth bass at the reservoir will chase down 7- to 8-inch rubber worms fished around the bottom structure in the deeper waters, but patience is a must, because anglers might have to wait some time before the fish decide to get hungry. A steady stream of trout swam the Riverwood Park section of the Toms River. Roostertails got attention. 

Gropp’s Lake was a top spot, said Ryan from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. He worked green and gold-flaked Yum ribbon-tails rigged Texas-style to load up on largemouths, pickerel and crappies to more than a pound. Smallmouth bass activity amped up on the Lambertville stretch of the Delaware River, and Rapalas and Senkos earned attention. On Mercer Lake huge pickerel to 25 inches and frying pan-sized yellow perch were the fare. Oft-overlooked Tindall’s Lake was a bucketmouth producer, and the fish to 4 pounds sucked down fat, juicy nightcrawlers.

Smallmouth bass chewed again in the Delaware River, especially in the Trenton area and above, said Bob from the <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Small stripers were also in the mix. Stone Tavern Lake and Prospertown Lake were the best largemouth locales around, and Senkos, Gambler plastics and Yum Dingers all worked in the early mornings.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Tuckerton Lake turned up a medley of perch, largemouth bass, pickerel and sunfish, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Mystic Island. Simple hook-and-worm rigs either cast with a split shot or floated under a bobber got chomped by any fish roving about. To land larger pickerel and bucketmouths, try live killies floated underneath a bobber.

Most fishing revolved around largemouth bass, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait &  Tackle</b> in Brooklawn. Malaga Lake was a top producer, and the new Yum Money Minnows fooled the fish to 4 pounds in the mornings and evenings. Largemouths in the Delaware River were on the pre-spawn and a little sluggish, but crank baits or Spro Aruka Shads caused bites at the mouths of Big Timber Creek and the Schuylkill River, around Petty Island north of Camden, and along the turns, edges and rips of creeks. Channel cats to 10 pounds could be found prowling the bottom of the Big D. Bring a medium action set-up and use whole dead herring to target the larger ones on moving tides. Schoolie striped bass could also be played on the river around the island off National Park on 3-inch Mr. Twisters, diamond jigs or bloodworms.

Better largemouth fishing was copped at Lake Worth and Blackwood Lake, and Senkos twitched along the banks enticed jarring attacks, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers</b> in Blackwood. Sunfish kept angler happy at the spillway at Blackwood Lake. New Brooklyn Lake was the pickerel place to be, and Roostertails got pounced. Top-water offerings such as Hula poppers and Jitterbugs flew off the shelves, so there must’ve been an early morning and late evening show going on for largemouths around town.

A good blend of pickerel and largemouth bass came from Malaga Lake, said Lou from the <b>Sportsman’s Outpost</b> in Williamstown. Jim Clark winged out buzz baits in the evenings to put a formidable catch of both together. Decent early morning largemouth fishing was the scene at Iona Lake, and Senkos and Rapalas were weapons of choice. Another customer ventured to Woodbury Lake, fished small garden worms and minnows and totaled 41 crappies and sunfish during the daylight.

The Salem Canal was the best bucketmouth area, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Both quantity and quality were the game there, and plenty of the fish to 4 pounds chased Senkos. Other decent bass hangouts included Malaga Lake, Sunset Lake and Mary Elmer Lake. The Maurice River contributed a fair share of both largemouths and smallmouths in the upper stretches.

Catfish dominated the Maurice River, as the summertime pattern continued, said Ki from <b>Huck’s Place</b> in Millville. The whiskerfaces gobbled up any dead baits sunk to the bottom, and could be caught well into the nighttime. White perch scarfed down grass shrimp fished on the higher tides. Largemouth bass hung at Union Lake, willing to bite Senkos or small crank baits.

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