<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

The Delaware River was on a solid late-summer pattern, with loads of smallmouth bass and catfish running rampant, said Bill from <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Philadelphia. One customer nabbed and released more than 100 smallies on a trip to Yardley, and other anglers waded the Treasure Island stretch to play 30 to 50 of the bronzebacks during 10-hour sessions. Another scored plenty at New Hope, and many of the fish in these areas measured 10 to 15 inches. Minnows worked well, but many of the bass pounced on watermelon grubs, poppers and spinners. Smallmouths also chased minnows in the upper stretches near Narrowsburg, but more walleyes bit there, especially on grubs in smoke, pumpkin and watermelon. The catfish weighed up to 8 pounds and sucked up cut baits, chicken livers and shrimp fished on the bottom at Trenton and the lower sections of the river. The Big D ran low but cool and very clear.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Merrill Creek Reservoir was the place to be, because a mix of trout and smallmouth bass gave up action, said Bill from <b>Bill’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Phillipsburg. Darrell Veigh wrestled in a 4.5-pound brown trout and a 4-pound smallmouth, and Paul Steele picked up a 4.6-pound brown. Clayton Mallory claimed an 8.8-pound lake trout, and Greg Gerhard mugged an 8-pound laker. The Delaware River was another notable fishery for an assortment of species. Pat Storm earned a 4-pound 12-ounce smallmouth, and Mike Riffert hauled up a 6-pound channel cat. Greg Cartagena beat two walleyes 3 pounds 8 ounces and 3 pounds 10 ounces, and Jim Bellesfield whacked a 23.6-pound striped bass. Angelo Carducci fished Bushkill Creek to reel in a 4.6-pound walleye.

Waters ran low on the Passaic River, because of lack of rain, said Adrian from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Montville. But the river was ultra clear and fishable, with no silt muddying it up. Anglers grabbed smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappies and carp, and shiners were the best all-around bait.

Greenwood Lake offered most of the action, said Kevin at <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Paramus. Both largemouth and smallmouth bass chased down dark-colored Sweet Beavers and Senko plastics. The waters were discolored, so the fish could see darker colors better when looking up. Yellow perch hounded down white and gold spinner baits on the lake as well. A pretty decent walleye chew was on tap at Lake Hopatcong, and live herring fished around the bait pens attracted the ‘eyes to 6 pounds during nighttime.

Decent-sized hybrid striped bass were pulled from the lake lately, said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong. Most of the activity centered around the points or back into Byram Cove. Bill Condon weighed in an 8-pound 10-ounce hybrid that attacked a live herring. Emil Slepak gathered a healthy bag of fish including a 3.25-pound pickerel and a pair of 4.5-pound and 3.8-pound largemouth bass. Anglers got into lots of largemouth action, and just over 3 pounds was the average size. But smallmouths also swam around, and Jerry Freeman took a 3.4-pounder that inhaled a nightcrawler. Walleyes 3 to 4 pounds also pummeled live herring fished in the 16- to 20-foot depths off the points in the main lake.

A shop bass tournament took place at Lake Hopatcong over the weekend, said Al at <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. The bucketmouth action was right on schedule, he said, because largemouths were on the bite from sunup to sundown, and the feeding seemed to get better as the sun got higher in the sky. Jerry Otto bailed a 5.5-pound bigmouth and a five-fish stringer to 13.7 pounds. Most fish were taken near the shoreline on spinner baits and Senko worms. Smallmouth bass were on a pretty good tear in the Ramapo River, and black wooly buggers tricked the 10- to 15-inchers in the fast runs.

Bigger largemouths seemed to go into hiding on the South Branch of the Raritan River, said Chris at <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop</b>. But plenty of smaller ones were willing to hunt down a Senko worm. Chris was out on the South Branch to bang out largemouths as well as a few crappies around the stick piles. The shop has live herring in stock, and be sure to pick up some to head straight to Round Valley Reservoir for trout that are on the feed.

Early mornings on the Big Flatbrook were solid times to fish for brown trout, said Ron from <b>Ray’s Sport Shop</b> in North Plainfield. The before 6 a.m. hours had brownies hitting size-12 hopper flies. Smallmouth anglers traveled to the Delaware River to cast size-1 Clouser minnows and size-8 wooly buggers for hook ups, especially at New Hope to Frenchtown.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Substantial hatches took place on the South Branch of the Raritan, said Bert from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Blue-winged olives, caddis and tricos all hit the water surface, and fly casters caught brown trout feeding on the hatches just under the surface. The trout also seemed to feed along the river bottom, because Bert saw trout rolling and flashing on the bottom, apparently chowing on larvae.

Manasquan Reservoir finally showed its largemouth potential, said Dennis at <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. Anglers dropped 7-1/2-inch Zoom worms down deep, working them in a slow-and-low pattern in the deep channels. Bass averaging 2 to 5 pounds hit the slow-worked worms, and trophies to 6 1/2 pounds were taken with this method. The Trilco section of the Toms River was a battleground for white perch and 8- to 12-inch striped bass, and both Hoovered grass shrimp and small spinners. The river near the Parkway Bridge held pickerel that hammered medium-sized Mepps spinners. The shop will carry live shiners starting next week.

Most anglers focused on the Delaware River for smallmouth bass fishing, said Sean from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. Rapala Countdowns and Senkos were top lures, and the key was to let the current take them deep, where the smallies hung. Live herring fished deep during night drew walleyes in the Trenton area as well. Largemouth bass and crappies reignited a feeding pattern on Carnegie Lake and Lake Assunpink, and both species jumped on small to medium shiners fished under bobbers.

Carnegie Lake and Lake Assunpink were best bets for largemouth bass, said Tony at the <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Shiners were the top baits, fished under floats in the mornings to 11 a.m. Lake Mercer and the Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area lakes doled out pickerel action, with the chainsiders honing in on nightcrawlers tossed under bobbers or purple flake Senkos twitched inside the coves.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Big Timber Creek was a hotbed for largemouth bass and catfish catches, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b> in Brooklawn. But tiger muskies really took the headline. Muskies to 38 inches slammed big, top-water lures such as Skitter Pops, and anglers saw the tigers sunning themselves near the surface during mid day. The Cooper River was another place to watch for tiger muskies in the coming weeks, as the waters begin to cool, and the tigers start to eat. Stewart Lake had anglers tying into largemouth bass that followed creature baits and spinner baits along the surface. Newton Creek and Mantua Creek put out a good show of largemouths as well as big catfish, with large shiners getting punched by the bass, and chunked shiners getting sucked in by the cats off the bottom.

Water levels were very low on the lakes, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers</b> in Blackwood, but largemouth anglers still found their fare at Lake Rene, Penn Bryn Lake and Blackwood Lake. However, Alcyon Lake was the gem, and anglers there averaged four to seven of the fish on a day out. The bigmouths ranged 1 to 2 ½ pounds, and shiners swum under floats attracted the strikes.

Wilson Lake and Malaga Lake ran 2 or 3 feet lower than usual, said Lou at the <b>Sportsman’s Outpost</b> in Williamstown. Most largemouth anglers cast shiners underneath floats to get a bass to chomp in the waters. Other anglers found luck at the Salem Canal on shiners, especially because the waters there maintained the usual levels. Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 13, when the 23rd annual Kids Fishing Derby takes place at Wilson Lake. The event is free, and youths 18 and under can fish from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Now that Labor Day passed, largemouth fishers waited for the lakes to cool and turn over, said Jeff from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Meantime, the feeder creeks leading to Parvin Lake and Sunset Lake were best spots to toss crank baits or shiners to tangle with largemouth bass. In the lakes themselves, try fishing rubber worms ultra-slowly along the bottom. If you think you’re fishing too slow, take it down a notch even slower, because the bass are sluggish in the low, warm waters, refusing to chase a bait that’s too hard to catch up to.

Most customers paid attention to catfish in the Maurice River, said Ki from <b>Huck’s Place</b> in Millville. The whiskerfaces eagerly gobbled up cut herring and stink baits in the evenings and at night. White perch could also be caught in the river, mainly around the higher tides on frozen grass shrimp drifted down-current underneath a float.

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