<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

The Delaware River churned out smallmouth bass, and the waters from Bull’s Island to Stockton were a solid stretch for the angling, giving up the fish on nearly everything in the box, said Bill from <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Grubs, tubes, Rapalas, top-water plugs and minnows scored. One customer worked the river at Lambertville, landing 20 to 40 smallies per trip on Zoom grubs in watermelon seed and cotton candy. Another fished the river downstream from Tohickon Creek, totaling 140 of the bronzebacks in five days on live crawfish and minnows and popper lures. Yet another on one trip drilled 25 smallmouths and five striped bass on minnows while wading along the islands downriver from the Route 95 Bridge. The lower Delaware offered decent largemouth bass catches, such as 25 that one angler scored at Dredge Harbor on plastic lizards and crank baits. The lower river at Linden Avenue dished out catfish and small stripers, and both hit bloodworms, nightcrawlers, chicken livers, clams and chunks of eel or herring.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Fish suddenly got on the feed all around, said Bill from <b>Bill’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Phillipsburg. Carp and catfish foraged along the bottom of the Delaware River. Shawn Dornblaster tackled a 13.8-pound carp, and Chris Bogoly grabbed a 6-pound channel. Walleyes in the river chased down crank baits and minnows. Delaware Lake shoveled up quality largemouth bass on shiners, and Merrill Creek Reservoir put out big chain pickerel like Dornblaser’s 5.8-pounder.

Walleyes honed in on livelined herring in the 30-foot depths at Lake Hopatcong, said Don from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Paramus. Hybrid striped bass also chomped on the live herring off the points. Many customers traveled to New York’s Salmon River in Pulaski, because king salmon and steelhead fishing seemed to be on big time.

A variety of fish were caught from the lake, and lots of hybrid striped  bass came from the waters at Great Cove and Byram Cove, said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong. But fishing in the hot zone in deep waters 30 to 40 feet down off Chestnut Point, Elba Point, Pickerel Point and Nolan’s Point also nailed the fish on Rapala ice-fishing jigs and Gotcha jigs. Hybrids included Jim Smith’s 9-pound 13-ouncer, Lou Marcucci’s 7-pound 9-ouncer and Paul Avenius’s 6-pound 13-ouncer. Ivan and Lawrence Stiscia weighed in a 5-pound 11-ouncer and a 5-pound 6-ouncer. Chris Pereira wrestled in a 14-pound 3-ounce channel catfish after he dropped a herring off a dock at Nolan’s Point. Jacek Dzidick heaved in a 13-1/3-pound channel that scarfed down a herring at Elba Point.

Largemouth bass fishing picked up at Lake Hopatcong, said Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. White and chartreuse spinner baits hammered the bass around the rock jetties. Keitech jigs in green pumpkin with a spider jig trailer also worked well. Big pickerel were in the mix at Hopatcong.

Round Valley Reservoir’s rainbow trout fishing was really going off, said Steve from <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop</b>. Shoreline anglers near the boat launch tossed out meal worm and marshmallow combos or M&M combos, small shiners and Power Baits to wallop rainbows to 20 inches in the mornings and evenings. But in overcast weather the bite could last all day. Trout fishing on the streams was on fire, and big breeders to 5 ½ pounds were checked in from the north and south branches of the Raritan River. In-line spinners did the job on many.

Trout fishing on the streams was great, said Bill Hoffman from <b>Skylands Angler</b> from Clinton. This was an ideal time to fish the waters, as the weather cooled and water levels were healthy. Rainbow trout that his fishing landed during the weekend were in beautiful, bright spawning colors to boot. The Musconetcong River during the weekend ran a little high because of rains Friday into Saturday but fished well. Blue-winged olives hatched, and anglers should use light-colored imitations, because the flies were pale, unlike the bright-colored ones in spring. A size-20 Comparadun worked well. The dry flies will be some of the last of the season, but anglers could also fish terrestrials like ants for dry patterns. Otherwise generic nymphs like hares ears will connect. Bill took a shot at surf fishing at Sandy Hook on Friday evening, but not much was doing for any surf anglers at the time. None of the blues that had torn up the waters previously for Bill came in. The season was a little early for the surf, but blues, big ones, should still be around, and when trips can locate a pod, there’s hardly any better fishing than dealing with the big, powerful gators. False albacore fishing in the suds seemed to come to an end for the season, though they could possible still pop up. Bill already had a blast landing the powerful members of the tuna family this year. Striped bass will be the next fish to come through, when the migration drops down from the north. Bill hoped that the week’s cold front would help trigger surf action like dropping temps can do in fall. The year’s best surf angling was ahead but should take off soon. Skylands Angler guides fly-fishing trips for trout on the Musconetcong and Pequest rivers and Ken Lockwood Gorge. Bill aims to teach anglers, whether beginners or advanced, how to fish the rivers, even so they can come back and catch on their own. That includes fly selection, how to fish the flies, casting lessons and all aspects. He also offers trips for other freshwater fish, like pike, hybrid striped bass, carp and largemouth bass, if anglers want to fly rod for them. Plus he guides trips in the ocean and bay surf during the spring and fall migrations at Sandy Hook and Island Beach State Park.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Some of the recently stocked, breeder trout hit the scales, said Amy from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. The Pequest River gave up a 4.8-pound rainbow trout for Dave Barrett on a Rapala. The Musconetcong River turned out a 3-pound 10-ouncer for Ray Chorneski on a Mepps spinner. The North Branch of the Raritan River produced a 1-pound 11-ounce rainbow for Charles Bush on Power Bait. Chris Ambrose fished the Delaware and Raritan Canal, tickling a 10.6-pound channel catfish into eating a hot dog chunk.  Catch 50 percent off all Sno-Bee waders at the shop.

Crappies began to feed aggressively, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. Lake Carasaljo’s bridge area, and the apartments area at Lake Riviera, were a couple of top spots to cast out killies underneath a float for a slab. Manasquan Reservoir had largemouth bass hitting jig-and-pig combos around the edges of the tree lines and hybrid striped bass that busted up the water’s surface during the evenings. Trouters had a ball on rainbows at the Route 195 overpass on the Manasquan River and the South Branch of the Metedeconk River.

Smallmouth bass fishing was on a roll in the Delaware River, said Eric from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. The bronzebacks filled the Frenchtown section, pouncing on grubs, Rat-L-Traps and popper lures in the evenings. The deeper waters at Lake Assunpink held largemouth bass that attacked drop-shotted Senkos and deep-running crank baits. Stone Tavern Lake and Rising Sun Lake offered great panfishing on small grubs. Large pickerel slammed shiners at the Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area lakes.

The Delaware River from Trenton to the Water Gap produced plenty of smallmouth bass on white grubs and 4–inch tubes, said Carl from the <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Work the tubes and grubs with the lightest jigheads possible that can still hold bottom. Muskies in the Water Gap area whacked black and red Mepps spinners. At the Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area largemouth bass exploded on shiners, and pickerel swiped Rapalas in black and chrome.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Striped bass began to open their mouths in the Delaware River, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b> in Brooklawn. The linesiders to 30 and 35 inches gathered around the Commodore Barry Bridge, and bloodworms and Storm Shads got strikes. Largemouth bass could be found in the tributaries including Big Timber Creek and Mantua Creek, and the bucketmouths knocked around plastic frogs, wacky worms and Spro Shads. Crappie fishing was turned on in the Cooper River on small grubs. Stop by the Brooklawn American Legion on October 24 for a benefit for fisherman Scott Bevans.

Trout were stocked at Grenloch Lake, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers</b> in Blackwood, and Power Baits or meal worms should put a breeder in the creel. Chain pickerel ran thick at New Brooklyn Lake, toothing up fathead minnows. The Puppyland Ponds held plenty of panfish, especially for young anglers looking for a fight.

Chain pickerel were a main fare, and look for them at Iona Lake and Grenloch Lake, said Lou at the <b>Sportsman’s Outpost</b> in Williamstown. Shiners and crank baits will get them to attack. Trout were stocked at the local streams and lakes, and Power Baits and fathead minnows  were baits to hook a sizeable breeder to take home.

Striper fishing was off the hook at the creeks and tidal ditches off the Delaware River, said Wade from <b>Shag’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Salem. Tons of 20- to 30-inchers chased after rubber shads or bit cut baits like mullet or peanut bunker at places including the Cohansey River, Salem River and Mannington Meadows. Double-digit catches were the norm, and fresh peanut bunker are stocked.

Trout anglers were ready to jump on the Maurice River and local lakes for loads of 3- to 8-pound breeders being stocked, said Jeff from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Largemouth bass anglers headed to the Salem Canal to mug a catch on Senkos and Rapala crank baits. A few striped bass were reeled in from the Maurice River, and a good number of white perch gobbled up bloodworms in the river on the higher tides.

Catfishing was the mainstay for anglers on the Maurice River, said Ki from <b>Huck’s Place</b> in Millville. Dead baits or stink baits lured in channel cats to 5 pounds. White perch, sometimes double digits, could be rounded up from the river on bloodworms.

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