<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

High waters from rains made the Delaware River unfishable, said Bill from <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Philadelphia. Lots of anglers instead made the trip to the Susquehanna River to battle smallmouth bass, fishing with minnows, grubs, tube lures, Rat-L-Traps and Rapala Fire Tiger crank baits. Some headed to Lake Nockamixon, renting boats to fish for crappies, yellow perch, largemouth bass and pickerel 200 feet from shore on shiners. One customer fished Roosevelt Lake, rustling up largemouth bass and a 24-inch, invasive snakehead on weedless lures. Mickey Melchiondo hit Neshaminy Creek, plucking out smallmouth bass to 2 pounds while working green-pumpkin Senkos.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

The Delaware River ran high and murky but fishable in the local area, said Bill from <b>Bill’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Phillipsburg. Merrill Creek Reservoir produced quality catches like Bob Carlisle’s 4.6-pound smallmouth bass, Jamie Carlisle’s 4-pound pickerel and Justin Dornblaser’s 4-pound largemouth bass. Trout crammed the Musconetcong River, and meal worms fished near the surface got the most strikes.

The shop’s new location is open at the Roxbury Mall, said Greg from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b>. Customers fished at Lake Hopatcong to tangle with largemouth bass by casting Senkos in the deeper waters. Hybrid striped bass could be caught in the early mornings at the lake on poppers and livelined herring, and walleyes in the lake swiped jigs bounced along the ridges. Trout anglers steadily pulled on catches at the Pequest River on small midges.

Hybrid striped bass fishing picked up with the cooler weather, said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong. Most weighed 7 to 8 pounds and were taken on live herring, but jigging action with Rapala ice-fishing lures and Gotchas will start as soon as the air cools more. Nicholas Lehr showed off a 7-pound 13-ounce hybrid. Wayne Bryant hauled in a 17-pound 2-ounce channel catfish, a whopper that inhaled chicken liver. Largemouth bass and crappies rounded out the mix on the lake.

A largemouth bass tournament at Lake Hopatcong last week showed that a good sum of healthy-sized bigmouths swam around, said Al from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. Five fish at 14 pounds was the winning total, and Keitech swim baits caught the majority. Greenwood Lake was a place to look for lunker largemouths and smallmouths like an 8-pound  bigmouth and a 4-pound smallie that two different anglers beat.

Rainbow trout kept anglers busy at Round Valley Reservoir, said Steve from <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop</b>. The fish gobbled up shrimp or herring throughout the water column down to 35 feet, and the schools appeared to move closer toward the shorelines, now that a little fall-like weather settled in. Respectable largemouth bass to 5 pounds hung along the Valley’s north shore, and rubber worms and crank baits got hit hard. At the South Branch of the Raritan River, look for smallmouth bass to chase down crank baits in the rockier sections.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

The rivers held plenty of trout, said Mark at <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Ken Lockwood Gorge offered the fish to 3 pounds that grabbed sizes 22 and 24, blue-winged olives, Robo Pheasant Tails and Czech nymphs. Largemouth bass action happened at Lake Hopatcong on top-waters such as Jitterbugs and buzz baits cranked across the surface.

Largemouth bass swam active at the Manasquan Reservoir, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. The west side in the sunken structure was the best area, and ½-ounce jig-and-pig combos were the lures to toss. Chain pickerel mouthed up killies in the deeper waters of the Trilco stretch of the Toms River. Forge Pond held a steady yellow perch chew, and grass shrimp worked best. Fish the dirt road area at Lake Riviera for a respectable selection of largemouths and crappies willing to attack medium shiners.

Lake Assunpink was the center of largemouth attention, said Frank from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. The bigmouths honed in on drop-shotted Senkos and ½-ounce jigs in the deeper sections. But the bass also crashed baitfish schools on the surface, so top-water lures should work well in the early mornings and evenings.

With the Delaware River high and muddy, anglers turned attention to the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area lakes to catch largemouth bass and crappies, said Carl from the <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Yellow Mister Twister jigs and fathead minnows clocked both. Lake Mercer served up a sizeable muskie for one angler who cast out a 1-ounce, white spinner bait. Anglers beware: An alligator was living at Stacy Pond, and Fish and Game was trying to remove the beast.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Look to Grenloch Lake for largemouth bass fishing, because anglers seemed to angle out the most there, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers</b> in Blackwood. They talked about fishing shiners to clobber up to 10 fish to 4 pounds per outing. Big Timber Creek was a decent largemouth locale, too. Rowan Pond was a surprise secret, with trout anglers landing up to a half-dozen of the fish per trip on fathead minnows.

Chain pickerel headlined the fishing, said Lou from the <b>Sportsman’s Outpost</b> in Williamstown, and Malaga Lake, Iona Lake and Franklinville were all favorite holes to get on the water wolves on shiners. But anglers in the past few days talked about an impressive show of yellow perch they pummeled at Franklinville Lake on fathead minnows.

Elkington Pond was the spot to get after largemouth bass, said Dave from <b>Shag’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Salem. Boo Yah Boogey Baits and pumpkinseed Senkos got pounded during the daytime hours there. Catfishing was solid at Alloway Creek and on the Delaware River at Pennsville Park and the Fort Mott pier.

Lakes were filled to capacity because of the rains, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. But the Salem Canal seemed the best largemouth bass fishery, and Flip’n Jigs and crank baits were top choices. Catfishing was gangbusters at the Maurice River and Raccoon Creek on cut baits and stink baits. Striped bass began to wax active on the Maurice, smacking Rat-L-Traps.

The big news was that striped bass began to get aggressive in the Maurice River, said Ki from <b>Huck’s Place</b> in Millville. Small plugs and Rat-L-Traps hung stripers to 26 inches. But catfishing was a prime-time opportunity on the river, with evening and night tides giving up the whiskerfaces to 6 pounds.

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