<br>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

The lower Delaware River really gave up fine catches of smallmouth bass, said Bill from <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Philadelphia. Bill himself hit up the river for 37 smallies to 19 ½ inches, and most were 12 to 15 inches, on watermelon red Zoom grubs and live minnows. One customer waded the Treasure Island area, picking up 25 bronzebacks to 18 inches on minnows. The New Hope section doled out average catches of 20 to 30 fish per angler. The Bull Island area from the wing dam down to the foot bridge was a solid smallmouth spot, and one customer there landed more than 100 smallies, 20 catfish, two walleyes and 17 small striped bass while tossing a wide array of grubs, tubes, spinners, top-water poppers and nightcrawlers. Catfishers soaked shrimp, chicken livers, nightcrawlers and herring to connect, and most bank anglers wrestled in 3 to 10 a day, but boaters scored up to 20.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Plenty of walleyes and smallmouth bass swam Delaware River, said Bill from <b>Bill’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Phillipsburg. Leeches and crawfish tempted both, but chicken livers were better baits for a few striped most, mostly schoolies, in the river. Barry Montilone reeled up a 6.6-pound walleye, and Joe Lattimer dusted a 22-pound striper. Merrill Creek Reservoir really turned on for smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and trout. Earl Amey and Rob Amey teamed up to boat a 4.4-pound largemouth and a 3.8-pound smallmouth, and Mary Stamets put the brakes on a 4-pound brown trout. On other waters, Rob Regains creeled a 9.4-pound catfish on the Lehigh River, and Dave Winter tackled a 4.3-pound brown trout at the Musconetcong River.

Water levels dipped down a bit on the Passaic River from lack of rains, but the river was clean and productive, said Adrian from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Montville. Most customers found luck with smallmouths while throwing Rapala Countdowns and Gitzits on leadheads. Fish early mornings or late evenings, when the smallies are moving around more comfortably, Adrian said.

Most anglers headed to Lake Hopatcong or Greenwood Lake to do battle with bucketmouth bass, said Kevin from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Paramus. Dark-colored Sweet Beavers worked well in the dawn hours, and live herring got more strikes during nightfall. The Delaware River was a solid smallmouth fishery, especially around Lambertville, where Senkos and white Mister Twisters fooled the fish.

The lake served up lots of largemouth bass and decent smallmouth bass fishing in the 15 foot depths, and live herring took the bulk of the bites, said Laurie from <b> Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong. A good showing of 3- to 5-pound hybrid striped bass hit live herring at Byram’s Cove, and Rob Martins got into 6- to 7-pounders there. Walleye fishing started to improve, just in time for the Knee Deep Club’s Walleye Weekend Tournament on September 13 and 14.

Although largemouth and hybrid bass anglers fished Lake Hopatcong for sporadic action, there was talk of good catches of both at Culver’s Lake, said Tom from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. If anglers could get live herring, the fishing was a virtual lock.

Waters at Spruce Run Reservoir were really getting low, said Chris from <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop</b>. Most customers fished Round Valley Reservoir to tangle with trout and largemouth and smallmouth bass. The bass hung in the coves, and toss a top-water popper, and if a bass blasts it but fails to connect, switch to a Senko worm, slowly twitching it back for a sure hook-up. The dock at the boat launch was a place to search.

Fly casters had a ball at Ken Lockwood Gorge, said Ron from <b>Ray’s Sport Shop</b> in North Plainfield. Both rainbows and browns ate up midges in sizes 18 to 22 and elk hair caddis in size 16, and mornings before 9 a.m. were most productive. At Round Valley Reservoir fly fishers should wing out small nymphs and poppers for rock bass and panfish from the shoreline.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Round Valley Reservoir was a source of sustained trout fishing, said Sean at <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Doug Zielaznik fished a shrimp and Power Bait combo to hang a 3.8-pound rainbow, and other anglers hooked browns and rainbows down about 30 feet, and Power Bait and shrimp baits worked best.

The Winding River was a favorable locale for largemouth bass and pickerel anglers, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. Big yellow perch could also be found on the river, and Jeff bagged a 2-pounder on a live killie. Lake Riviera and the Trilco stretch of the Toms River were safe bets for bigmouths and pickerel, and Lester’s Lake was crammed with plenty of catfish that sucked up chunked herring from the bottom. Manasquan Reservoir kept producing largemouth bass in the deeper channels, and many anglers bought up long rubber worms, fishing them Carolina-rigged across the bottom.

Go to the Delaware River to play smallmouth bass that hit around Bull’s Island and Lambertville, said Sean from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. Most of the smallies were hunted down with Rapala Countdown crank baits or fathead minnows. Gropp’s Lake was a pickerel and largemouth hangout, and hook a shiner by the dorsal fin, fishing it 3 feet underneath a float. Heavy weed cover carpeted Lake Assunpink, and if Scumfrogs were worked over and through the weeds, bucketmouths to 3 pounds could be stuck.

The Delaware River offered several different fish, said Tony from the <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Walleyes whacked 3-inch, white Mister Twister grubs during mid tides in the Trenton area. Smallmouth bass and occasional 20- to 24-inch striped bass also honed in on the grubs. Lake Mercer was fishable, because of very few lily pads, and muskie anglers slow-trolled the deeper waters with big-lipped plugs and Mann’s Stretch 15 lures. Gropp’s Lake and Carnegie Lake hosted good, top-water largemouth bassin’, and Yum Dingers and Brush Hog plastics got pounced. 

<b>South Jersey</b>

In the Delaware River and the tributaries near the shop, catfishing was improving, as waters temps started to drop, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b>. That made the bigger ones willing to leave deeper, cooler waters and swim closer to shore, also causing them to be more aggressive than when lazy from warmer temps. Try dunking cut herring on the Big D at Beach Hill or in Big Timber Creek. Largemouth bass fishing was also on the upswing at the creek mouths, including at Big Timber. Bigmouth anglers connected along old pilings, the docks and the edges of grass beds, casting lures like Spro Aruka shads, Rat-L-Traps or X-Raps. The end of September and beginning of October is one of the best times for catches. Rick also owns Gloucester City Marina, and the American Bass Anglers of Pennsylvania Tournament will be held there October 18. Call the shop for info if interested, and more largemouth competitions will be held at the marina next year.

Largemouth fishing seemed to get stronger by the day, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers</b> in Blackwood. Formidable catches were made at Lake Rene, Lake Worth and Blackwood Lake, and the new Kickin’ Minnow Storm Lures worked exceptionally well. Union Lake was the spot to bend a rod on smallmouth bass that inhaled Rapala Countdowns and Yozuri Pins Minnows.

Wilson Lake was a decent bigmouth impoundment, but Malaga Lake was red hot for the fish, said Lou from the <b>Sportsman’s Outpost</b> in Williamstown. The key to better success was to switch up tactics from using live shiners to floating out nightcrawlers under bobbers in the early mornings around sunrise. Although the worming seemed less sophisticated, it accounted for catches of four to eight fish on a morning out. For some different action, small striped bass 15 to 20 inches hit 3- to 4-inch paddle-tailed shads on the Delaware River near the Delaware Memorial Bridge.

The Salem Canal was a prime time place for bass anglers, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Flip-n-jigs, green pumpkin Senkos and white spinner baits all claimed fish, and solid bass reports also came from Lake Lenape. Catfishing was on a torrid pace on the Maurice and Cohansey rivers, and dead shiners fished on the bottom took the strikes. White perch and small striped bass also attacked on the Maurice, and the stripers aggressively smacked top-water poppers in the early mornings.

Catfishing on the Maurice River was top billing, said Ki from <b>Huck’s Place</b> in Millville. Whole or cut, dead shiners or herring got gobbled up by the kitties on the higher tides. White perch fishing seemed to swim around in greater numbers this week, and use grass shrimp on a float rig to score a few.

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