<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

Stripers started to get caught again on the Delaware River, after muddied waters slowed the fishing before, said Bill from <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Philadelphia. Two customers who fished the river at Station Avenue picked up five stripers to 31 inches on clams. Stripers to 28 inches also chomped bloodworms on that stretch, and white perch also nibbled the bloods. The river around the Burlington-Bristol Bridge gave up a mix of stripers to 33 inches, catfish and a load of eels for one customer. Near Linden Avenue the Big D was hot for channel cats to 10 pounds that scarfed up nightcrawlers, shrimp, chicken livers and herring. The Frankford Arsenal area was home to a mix of catfish, carp, white perch and small stripers. Largemouth bass fishing in the lower river was pretty good, and several anglers reeled in 1- to 3-pounders near Dredge Harbor. Plastic worms, crank baits, spinner baits and lipless crank baits got hits. A few anglers scored well on plastic worms, lizards and Senko worms at the harbor at Salem.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Frequent thunderstorms failed to keep anglers off waters, said Bill from <b>Bill’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Phillipsburg. Merrill Creek Reservoir put up big fish, like Mark Gettz’s pair of 6.3- and 4.9-pound brown trout, Austin Stevens’ 6-pound 10-ounce brown and Charles Martinez’s 6.9-pound brown. The Delaware River also shoveled out bruisers, like John Carramedes’ 22.9-pound striped bass, Paul Lombardy’s 22-pound striper and Ray Poyer’s 11-pound channel catfish. Other quality catches included a 6.8-pound largemouth bass that  9-year-old Bobby Freeman caught and released at Hoffman Park Pond and Mack Sullivan’s 7-pound rainbow trout pulled from Pohatcong Creek.

Stream anglers tried to fish through muddy waters, said Dom from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Paramus, hooking trout at times on sulfurs and Muddler Minnows. But waters definitely needed to clean up this week. Yellow perch and largemouth bass were hung from Lake Hopatcong at the state park. Smallmouth bass fishing was a steady thing at Split Rock Reservoir on Keitech swim baits.

The lake was only down 10 inches, said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong. Four muskies to 46 inches were nailed from Chestnut Point to Great Cove on bigger buzz baits and large swimming plugs. Walleyes to 6 pounds and hybrid striped bass to 8 ½ pounds smacked herring or top-water lures, especially at Henderson’s Cove and off the Yacht Club and Elba Point. Pickerel got feisty just off the weed lines off Halsey and Raccoon islands. Try trolling or casting large Mepps spinners.

Largemouth bassing was strong at the Highland Lakes, said Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. He boated 16 of the bucketmouths while casting Senkos and Keitech Swing Impact swim baits. Largemouths were also active at Greenwood Lake. But waters at all lakes needed a break from the rains to clean up a bit.

A torrid trout feed was going on at Round Valley Reservoir, said Steve from <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop</b>. Boaters who dropped down shiners on meathead rigs or trolled Sutton spoons tied into all the 15- to 20-inch lake trout they could handle, with browns to 5 pounds and rainbows to 3 1/2 pounds mixed in. Hybrid striped bass were willing to whack top-water poppers late at night at Spruce Run Reservoir. Plenty of smallmouth and largemouth bass were available at Merrill Creek Reservoir, and jigged silver spoons caught both. Chris Lido hit the South Branch of the Raritan River with mulberry flies, doing battle with two 15- to 20-pound carp that took him for a run.

The rivers were blown out with high, discolored waters this past week, and Bill Hoffman from <b>Skylands Angler</b> wouldn’t even recommend wading them, he said. But he hoped they’d clear up quickly in fewer rains this week. He briefly tried to trout fish on the streams, but nothing was doing, and he had no confidence about catching much in the conditions anyway. Sulfurs and caddis were definitely hatching, but the fish probably couldn’t even see them. When waters are high, streamers can be effective, especially for large trout. Streamers can imitate baitfish or sculpins that get knocked around in the strong currents, and large trout will wait for a chance to engulf the vulnerable bait. But in any angling that targets bigger fish, anglers might hook up, and they might get skunked. Previously Bill’s trips enjoyed dry-fly fishing on the trout streams, mostly with sulfurs, but caddis would also work. 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, hybrids, carp and largemouth bass, if anglers want to fly rod for them. Plus he guides fly trips in the surf during the spring and fall migrations at Sandy Hook and Island Beach State Park. He did more freshwater fishing in the past days, but his surf casting is under way, and most recently striped bass and blues were fought on the trips at the Hook.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Decent trout fishing went down on the Clinton section of the South Branch of the Raritan River, said Nick from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Rainbow trout, but also smallmouth bass, readily inhaled sizes 12 to 14, black Wooly Buggers. Round Valley Reservoir anglers trolled spoons and orange or perch-colored Rapalas to load up on lake trout and rainbows. Some days produced 20-plus fish. Hybrid striped bass could be found, seeming to feed from 11 p.m. through the night, and Zara Spooks got them to strike.

Lake Riviera was a smorgasbord, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. Largemouth bass and pickerel pounced on free-lined shiners, and yellow perch and sunfish went after nightcrawlers. The Winding River and Lester’s Lake held plenty of largemouths and pickerel. Brookside Ponds, where largemouths to 3 pounds swiped Senkos or shiners, was the secret spot of the week.

Bucketmouth bass were the main menu at Mercer Lake, the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area lakes, Gropp’s Lake and Carnegie Lake, said Sean from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. Sweet Beavers and crawfish imitations were top lures. Big channel cats were on the hunt in the Delaware River, vacuuming up nightcrawlers and chicken livers in the Trenton area.

Manasquan Reservoir was a big-time largemouth bass producer, said Carl from the <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Senkos, Kamikazes, Yum Money Minnows and Strike King Shadalicious lures were choice offerings. The key was to let the bait sink down into the wood piles, then pull the bigmouth out from its lair. Muskellunge pounded big, 2-ounce buzz baits in yellow and white at Mercer Lake. The Assunpink Wildlife Management Area lakes should be prime largemouth territory, once they clear up from all the rains.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Big carp meandered around the Delaware River, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b> in Brooklawn. They sucked in Uncle Josh carp baits at the mouths of Big Timber Creek, Little Timber Creek, Mantua Creek and off the Gloucester Pier. Crappies beat up small grubs in the Cooper River and Stewart Lake. Blackwood Lake dished out bigmouth action, and shiners will claim the most.

Big, chunky channel catfish inhabited the Delaware River, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers</b> in Blackwood. A 13-pound 13-ounce whiskerface was the biggest in the shop’s catfish contest this past week, and a bunch of 8- to 11-pound catties were also checked in. Bottoms Lake doled out eight largemouth bass and pickerel for one angler. The Lakeland Lakes were a place to search for bigmouths to 5 pounds with fathead minnows. Lake Rene was a consistent source of bass and pickerel catches.

Customers kept heading to Palatine Lake to pull out largemouth bass to 4 ½ pounds, said Lou from the <b>Sportsman’s Outpost</b> in Williamstown. Culprit Worms will fool them. Tom Ritchie fished Franklinville Lake, drop-shotting Senkos and casting small Bomber plugs, coming up with seven pickerel and two largemouth bass to 3 pounds.

The local ponds were all the rage, said Dave from <b>Shag’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Pennsville. Waterworks Pond and Mill Pond were especially popular for largemouth bass, crappies and perch that jumped on top-water poppers or drop-shotted Senkos. On the Delaware River large catfish to 10 pounds or larger could be creamed on stink baits.

Smallmouth bass kept anglers busy at Union Lake, said Jeff from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Senkos and tube baits hung the bronzebacks around the gate hole. The Salem Canal served up a slew of smallmouths, and bright-colored Flip-N-Jigs with blue trailers were the ticket. White perch and catfish gobbled up grass shrimp in the Maurice River.

A steady stream of white perch could be angled on the Maurice River, said Ki from <b>Huck’s Place</b> in Millville. Frozen grass shrimp fished under bobbers on the high tides will put a trip into a mess of the feisty scrappers. Catfish sucked in stink baits from the bottom of the river, mainly during night.

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