<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

The Delaware River ran high and muddy, and many of the islands were completely under water, said Bill from <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Philadelphia. A few days of no rains would have to pass before the river was fishable again. So fishing at local farm ponds picked up the slack. Bill and a friend hit up Duck Harbor Pond, clobbering 68 chain pickerel, six largemouth bass, four bluegills and 10 crappies on grubs, trout magnets and fathead minnows. They also fished Miller Pond, clocking 64 pickerel, one largemouth, 15 bluegills, 17 crappies and four yellow perch. Zoom watermelon grubs and trout magnets tipped with fatheads were the hot lures.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Thunderstorms failed to keep some anglers from fishing, and they scored, said Bill from <b>Bill’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Phillipsburg. Pohatcong Creek churned out a bunch of fish, like Ted Graner’s 4.6-pound brown trout, Mack Sullivan’s 2.8-pound brown, Jerry Ritter’s 6-pound 12-ounce rainbow trout and Lou Nemeth’s 1.8-pound rainbow. Before the rains made the Delaware River unfishable, the river’s catches included Ron Hoffman’s 6.9-pound walleye that he jigged, Rich Herbert’s 9-pound channel cat and Ralph West’s 22-pound striped bass. The hope was that the waters would subside this week. Merrill Creek Reservoir also served up fish, including Rob Woodruff’s 6-pound brownie, 8-year-old Justin Dornblaser’s 4-pound smallmouth bass and Angee Ramos’s 4-pound smallie and 4-pound pickerel.

Dynamite trout fishing went down on the Big Flatbrook, said Kevin from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Paramus. Not a lot of runoff hampered the stream, and the relative cleanness enabled trout to see sulfur flies that hatched in the mornings and blue-winged olives that came off in the evenings. Terrestrial flies can also work well during high waters, when the bugs get washed into the river. Steady largemouth bass fishing was available at Lake Hopatcong, and Senkos drop-shotted over weed beds got drilled.

The lake reached “full pool,” said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong. Rains filled the lake, and hybrid striped bass and walleyes to 8 pounds were hung at Elba and Chestnut points, Byram and Henderson coves and around the yacht club, both on livelined herring. Smallmouth and largemouth bass also pounced on the herring. Muskellunge, including quality fish to 45 inches, slammed big buzz baits and large, trolled plugs.

Rains almost entirely filled Lake Hopatcong, said Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield, and largemouth bass could readily be found in the coves. The Vernon lakes held impressive bigmouth fishing and also crappies, and Nick fished there, pummeling 60 largemouths and a handful of crappies on Senkos and Keitech Swing Impacts. The Passaic River occasionally gave up striped bass with the high waters.

Round Valley Reservoir anglers found luck with lake trout and brown trout, said Jody from <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop</b>. Seventy feet seemed the magic depth for livelined herring and shiners to claim the lakers to 6 pounds and the browns to 5 pounds. Spruce Run Reservoir started to turn out more hybrid striped bass that fed between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Fish live herring, either trolling it or casting the baitfish under float rigs.

The rivers were way too high and were dirty from rains, making fly-rodding for trout tough, to say the least, said Bill Hoffman from <b>Skylands Angler</b> from Clinton. But when the waters were fishable, sulfurs and caddis remained flies to imitate, and the hatches might taper off soon. Tricos usually start to come off in July, though fishing with the tiny patterns is normally best in low, clear waters. Bill fly rodded the surf around Sandy Hook on Friday and Sunday, but not a lot was doing at the time. Others beached fluke at Sandy Hook Point on conventional tackle, and Bill found bunker swimming, but no striped bass or bluefish chasing them. Surf fishing will probably be hit or miss now, and Bill expects the migration of stripers and blues to last another week or so. Afterward he’ll turn most attention to trout. 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.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

High waters made stream fishing difficult, said Mike from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook, but rocky-bottomed streams such as the Pequest or Ken Lockwood Gorge should be clear enough to fish effectively with sulfur flies and Roostertails. Round Valley Reservoir anglers stood on the shoreline, casting silver spoons, to bang out brown trout.

Lake Riviera was a hot hand, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. He fished there with Rocky Jr. Rapalas, landing seven pickerel and a few largemouth bass, and heard about other anglers having similar luck. Quality bucketmouth fishing was going on at the Winding River. On the Trilco stretch of the Toms River, plenty of chain pickerel were on the chew, and big carp milled about the mud flats.

Catfish prowled the bottom of the Delaware River, even in the dirty waters, said Frank from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. The river from Delran to Trenton put up channel cats to 12 pounds.  The Assunpink Wildlife Management Area lakes were a fair bet for largemouth bass that punched shiners and drop-shotted Senkos. At most lakes, lots of high waters were around, and anglers had to work a bit to find where bass held. Leftover, big trout were plucked from local streams, and some anglers angled in 4- to 5-pounders. Doll-head jigs and trout magnets with 2-inch Gulp swimming minnows did the job.

Largemouth bass fishing moved into a summertime pattern, said Carl from the <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. The Assunpink Wildlife Management lakes all gave up the bigmouths, and the 10- to 15-foot depths off the drop-offs and ledges held them. Dark-colored plastics in black, blue and red worked best. The deep waters near the middle of Manasquan Reservoir were a magnet to bucketmouths that inhaled 10-inch jelly worms rigged Carolina-style, dragged along the bottom.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Big carp and channel catfish bit through the rains in the Delaware River, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b> in Brooklawn. Largemouth bass and crappie anglers could find both honing in on medium-sized shiners in the Cooper River, Blackwood Lake and Grenwich Lake. Three largemouth tournaments will be held at the Gloucester City Marina later in the week, and some good bassing should be had, as the sun was expected to show for a change.

Yellow perch ate up fathead minnows and small shiners fished under floats at Blackwood Lake and Wilson Lake, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers</b> in Blackwood. Pickerel were on the hunt at Grenloch Lake and New Brooklyn Lake, despite the rains, and shiners worked best for them.

Dirty waters kept many anglers at bay, said Lou from the <b>Sportsman’s Outpost</b> in Williamstown. But three anglers from a family fished Menantico Pond, tying into a mess of chain pickerel. Ron Raube fished Union Lake with Zoom lizards, coming up with a respectable catch of largemouth and smallmouth bass.

Catfish and white perch fed in the Delaware River in the high waters, said Wade from <b>Shag’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Pennsville. Try fishing the Salem River area and the mouth of Mad Horse Creek. Largemouth bass anglers found quarry in the ponds, such as Davis Mill Pond and Maskell’s Mill Pond, working Senkos for the best chance to connect.

Whenever rains cleared for a moment, anglers tossed top-water plugs and buzz baits to dial in on largemouth bass, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Any shallower ponds or lakes with lily pad growth could be attractive to the bucketmouths, and Zoom Horny Toads and Spro Frogs could be hopped over the pads to get a pop. To catch smallmouth bass, look to Union Lake for a torrid fishery from the bronzebacks that swam high in the water column, yet to move deep for the summer. Twitch Senkos through the waters.

Striped bass were willing to strike on the Maurice River, said Ki from <b>Huck’s Place</b> in Millville. Shorts sucked down bloodworms and bunker chunks on the high tides. Catfishing was solid in the river, despite muddy waters, and the bottom dwellers easily sniffed out stink baits and cut baits.

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