<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

Though big striped bass had already departed the Delaware River for the season, many anglers fished the river for small, resident stripers, and catfish, said Bill from <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Philadelphia. Still, lots of the river’s anglers turned attention to smallmouth bass after the migration of stripers. Smallmouths could now be kept from New Jersey and Pennsylvania, because the catch-and-release seasons ended. On the striper front, Bill and wife Helen fished a favorite haunt on the local river, totaling 11 stripers to 21 inches, mostly 12- to 18-inchers, and 11 cats to 2 pounds, no bigger than the stripers. They fished with clams, herring and bloodworms, and the clams and herring worked best. A nearby boater fared about the same but fished the spot the previous day, not doing nearly as well. Anglers fishing the river at Linden Avenue cleaned up on stripers to 18 inches and cats to 8 pounds, a total of three to ten fish per trip. Nobody seemed to fish the river much at Station Avenue, but Bill knew stripers also hung there. A customer who fished the Delaware at the Betsy Ross Bridge said he waxed 10 to 30 stripers per trip that were 12 to 15 inches. Bloodworms and chicken livers worked best. On the river farther downstream off the Philly airport, plenty of stripers under 20 inches were around, but white perch grabbed most of the bloodworm and chicken liver baits. Farther upstream on the river around Route 202, an angler who had previously knocked out lots of stripers, 10 per trip, said the action dried up, only picking up two stripers under 24 inches in a week on eels, saying the fishing was no longer worthwhile. However, stripers to 20 pounds were sometimes hit farther up the Big D at the Delaware Water Gap. On the smallmouth front, anglers looked for the bronzebacks on the upper river, but much of the fishing was slow. A few were angled from between the islands on the river at Yardley. A customer who fished for the smallies at Lambertville only landed 11 in two days, mostly on minnows, but a few on rubber grubs and tubes. One who fished the river around Tohickon Creek scored lots better on smallmouths up the creek, reeling in 27 on the Tohickon in two trips, but only seven in two evenings on the Delaware. Neshaminy Creek, farther down the Delaware toward Bristol, tossed up a bunch of smallies, small ones, for another angler. Algae was sometimes a problem in low waters there, and then anglers should work weedless top-water lures and frogs. But good catches of smallmouths were made on the Delaware at the Water Gap. A few big trout could also be hooked at the Gap in front of the creek mouths at night on meal worms, earthworms, spinners or flies. Shad fishing came to an end at the Gap, said one anglers who saw the fish doing the “death swim” on the surface. Shad will refuse to bite then, Bill said. He heard no news about farther up the river. In other waters, good catches of trout, mostly 12- to 15-inch rainbows held over from stockings, were mugged on Pennypack Creek at certain areas. Many anglers released the fish. Smallmouths, rock bass, bluegills and carp were in the mix. Carp to 25 pounds were muscled up from the lower Pennypack on corn, corn-meal, bagels and bread. Small catfish and small stripers could be played in that area on bloodworms, chicken livers and herring. Large flathead catfish, sometimes 7 pounds but sometimes a few that were really big to 40 pounds, milled along the Schuylkill River. Smallmouth bass were reported caught on the Schuylkill at Norristown and Flat Rock Dam. Bigger largemouth bass were sometimes angled from Lake Luxembourg in Core Creek Park, and largemouths could also now be kept from Pennsylvania and New Jersey, because the catch-and-release seasons ended. A kayaker rounded up five of the bucketmouths to 5 pounds on plastic worms and crank baits in a trip. Another kayaker at Luxembourg pankcaked 25 panfish per trip on most outings, on small jigs, minnows and meal worms. In South Jersey, anglers fishing at Millville’s Union Lake said the heat affected largemouth bass fishing, but they fought all the 14- to 20-inch chain pickerel they could want from the shoreline on any lures. Some tangled with crappies, yellow perch and bluegills, all small fish, at Union. A group who fished at South Jersey’s Parvin Lake nipped a few largemouths and some pickerel, sunnies and catfish from shore.

<b>NORTH JERSEY</b>

A trip fished Lake Hopatcong at night from Friday to Saturday with <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale, Capt. Dave Vollenweider said. The angling began slowly, but bait started to pop around the boat at a weed bed around 1:30 or 2 a.m., as fish began to attack the forage, and a 3-1/2-pound walleye smacked a Rapala Skitter Walk and was released. Another walleye about the same size soon jumped on the same lure and was let go. Bait ran thick, and herring were even hooked on the lure. Afterward a Rapala F11 lure was tied on, tossed out and left to sit still. A 3- or 3-1/2-pound swiper or sunshine bass, a cross between a female white bass and a male striped bass, slammed the lure and was released. Was unusual to see the fish, a hard fighter, close to shore, instead of in the deep in the main lake, where swipers usually live. The trip worked its way home, fishing along the way, and several largemouth bass, none big, were fought and let go, mostly on a Heddon Torpedo, but one on a Rapala Skitter Pop. Live to Fish at this time of year does lots of walleye fishing, often angling for them in the middle of the night. Walleyes, a big fish that can average 5 pounds, and a tasty one, a member of the perch family, can become most active at night, when they move into the shallows, feeding on baitfish they corral against the shore. The trips are exciting, like when baitfish begin to be heard getting nervous in the dark, or popping because the predator walleyes begin to lurk. Many lakes like Hopatcong and Greenwood Lake also fish better in the middle of the night during the warm months, because boat traffic is too heavy during daytime. Even on this trip, a surprising number of boats were on the lake in the dark with people either out to relax or making at least half an effort to fish with tackle like lighted bobbers. Live to Fish during these warm months also focuses on musky fishing, because the bruisers are most active in the warmth. Dave has been fishing for muskies 8 or 9 years, landing about 130 of the fish, mostly while casting lures, only a couple on the troll. Some anglers say trolling for muskies is more affective, covering more ground. But Dave loves casting lures to the fish, getting them to follow the plug, then coaxing them actually to whack it. Muskies, the fish of 10,000 casts, will often follow a lure, and that’s a thrill itself. But getting them to attack is another challenge. Though muskies are never a guaranteed catch on a trip at all, anglers like to fish for them, because when one is landed, the fish is often the biggest of a lifetime. Dave’s trips fish for muskies during the day but also fish for them at night. Fishing for them with top-water lures is great, but the window of opportunity, when muskies will swipe a top-water, can be short lived.  When fishing for muskies with other lures like a rubber worm, Dave keeps ready a rod rigged with a top-water. When waters appear nervous, and bait starts to leap around, a top-water can be quickly thrown out to attract the musky that has showed up. Though walleyes and muskies are focuses for Live to Fish during the warm weather, Dave will also guide for other fish like largemouth bass and panfish when anglers prefer. Earlier this spring he mostly fished for trout on the streams, when waters were higher, and the fishing was most active. He prefers to fish for them with lures, because lures are so effective and can also attract bigger trout that begin to feed only on baitfish or juvenile fish. When he shows anglers how to fish with lures, they’re usually hooked on the angling. Live to Fish Guide Service guides trips for trout, muskies, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleyes, crappies, chain pickerel, panfish, yellow perch, white perch, carp and more. Lakes fished include Greenwood Lake, Lake Hopatcong, Monksville Reservoir, Echo Lake, Mountain Lake and Furnace Lake. Rivers fished include the Flatbrook, Pequest, Paulinskill and Ramapo.

Big striped bass, larger than 26 inches, roamed the Delaware River, said Bill from <b>Bill’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Phillipsburg. Livelining eels at night in rough weather usually serves up the best catches. Gary Wolfinger, Phillipsburg, nailed a 26-pound 9-ouncer, and Jerry Reimer, Phillipsburg, beat a 19-pound 9-ouncer. Smaller stripers always swim the river until Labor Day, nibbling baits like chicken livers, chunks of bunker or chopped up eels. The smaller fish will bite during the day but usually during low-light hours like dusk. Channel catfish started getting into a feed in the river. Tyrone Smull, Phillipsburg, wrenched in a 9-pounder from the waters, and Karla Cortezzo, Alpha, hung a 7-pound 5-ouncer. Good catches of smallmouth bass were dusted from the river, and shad fishing was probably finished on the Delaware for the season. Fishing at Merrill Creek Reservoir was less productive than it should be, for unknown reasons. The angling wasn’t like last year’s above average catches, for everything from chain pickerel to largemouth and smallmouth bass to trout, including lakers. But the fish were picked from Merrill. Lots of talk was heard about Swartswood Lake, mostly about pickerel, mostly small ones, but a ton pelted. In other catches, Chris Bogoly, Easton, won a Catch and Release New Jersey Skillful Angler Award for a 19-pound 40-inch tiger musky released at Lake Hopatcong. Bill Powell, Stewartsville, won a Skillful Angler Award for a 23-pound 5-ounce 44-inch tiger musky hauled from Mountain Lake. Brian Russo, Wilson, burned a 6-pound 9-ounce hybrid striped bass from Spruce Run Reservoir. Joe Talbot, Bethlehem, whaled a whopper, 32-pound carp from the Lehigh River.

A buddy during the weekend fished Greenwood Lake, releasing a bunch of smallmouth bass hooked on blue and black jig-and-pigs, said Kevin from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Ledgewood. He also let go a small muskie. Hybrid striped bass and walleyes pounced in Lake Hopatcong on livelined herring fished at night off the points like Chestnut Point. Trout streams ran low, but when rains sometimes fell, raising the waters, fly anglers there fished with terrestrials such as beetles that the fish key-in on, because higher waters wash the bugs into the streams.

Muskies were trolled on the lake, said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> at Lake Hopatcong. Fred Snedden, North Carolina, walloped a 48-incher, estimated to weigh 25 ½ pounds, and Nick Colicchio, Lake Hopatcong, creamed a 46-incher, estimated to be 20 pounds, and both were released. Spawning herring offered prime opportunity to fish for walleyes and hybrid striped bass at night. Fish with top-water lures, and the best were: Bomber Long A’s and Badonk-a-Donks; Storm Chug Bugs; Zara Spooks; and Rapala Skitter Pops and Skitter Walks. Or liveline herring for the catches. Jack Dziduch, New York, plundered two hybrids 8 pounds 2 ounces and 7 pounds 10 ounces, an 8-pound 3-ounce walleye and smaller fish. Roman Pera, Wallington, plowed a 7-pound 9-ounce walleye. Crappies swiped small jigs, and chain pickerel punched Mepp’s spinners. The Knee Deep Club’s Stew Lant Lake Hopatcong Challenge will take place Saturday and Sunday, June 26 and 27. A rod and reel combo and cash prizes are up for grabs, and anglers can call the shop for info about the tournament: 973-663-3826.

Largemouth bass were on a tear, put out lots of catches, at Lake Hopatcong and Greenwood Lake, said Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. He and friends fished Hopatcong for a largemouth tournament, angling up a mess to 3 pounds, none big, releasing the fish. He landed more than his limit of five, probably seven or eight of the fish, and one of the friends released a limit, and couple of others drilled three apiece. But one of the friends whacked 15 of the fish, and Nick wasn’t sure where he fished or why he pounded so many. Nick fished mostly along the docks, mainly with Senko worms. The males gather along the docks after the spawn. The fish were off the spawn, though the females that usually gather along the weeds after spawning still seemed somewhat affected by the breeding, weren’t gathered up at the weeds as much as they should be, or at least weren’t biting there like they should. Rough weather last week, storms and cold fronts probably didn’t help. Water temps actually dropped at Hopatcong to 71 degrees when Nick fished there. Sixty-degree days with 40-degree nights last week had an affect. The bigmouth fishing was the main news, and little was heard from trout anglers by this point in the warm season. Diehards probably snatched trout on the streams, though.

Round Valley Reservoir’s angling entered kind of a slow period, but lake trout were pumped in from 65- to 85-foot depths on live bait or herring or shiners, said Steve from <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop</b>. Both baits are stocked. Fishing from shore at the Valley slowed down for brown trout and rainbow trout some time ago, because of warm waters. But boaters could find them a bit better. Spruce Run Reservoir’s hybrid striped bass fishing picked up more and more each day, especially in the evenings, and live herring was the preferred bait. Bill heard nothing really about other fish from Spruce. Trout fishing on the streams was healthy, and water levels were fine. When rains raised the levels, the streams dropped back down quickly. Bead-headed nymphs coaxed strikes a bit more than anything else did. Smallmouth bass kept anglers catching on the South Branch of the Raritan River.

<b>CENTRAL JERSEY</b>

Spruce Run Reservoir slugged out good action with hybrid striped bass at night on live herring, said Nick from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Catfish and yellow perch gobbled nightcrawlers there. At Round Valley Reservoir lake trout moved deeper to 75 or 80 feet because of warmer waters. Mornings and evenings were better times to fish. Rainbow and brown trout at the Valley could be boated in 40 feet. Smallmouth bass fishing at Round Valley began to improve, and Senko worms or crank baits yanked them in. Trout fishing became somewhat slow on the South Branch of the Raritan River. But the fish were netted in the mornings and evenings on Light Cahills, Dark Hendricksons and pale evening duns.

Fishing for largemouth bass was definitely improving at Lake Riviera after the spawn, and the fish became more active, though the females were thin, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. Anglers caught the bass on shiners at the upper lake while fishing from the dirt road between the lakes. A few limits of largemouths were landed and released during a tournament at Manasquan River during the weekend. Husky jerks socked the fish, and a few smallmouth bass, also released, were jigged at the rez. Chain pickerel fishing was on a roll at the Presidential Lakes on killies and spinners, though the waters were becoming weedy for spinners. One customer was tying into lots of 8- to 14-inch catfish at Lacey Lakes, at the lake closest to Route 9, among the three lakes there. Nightcrawlers and dough balls that he made caught them. Few anglers fished for trout, but the fish were sometimes picked on the Manasquan River and at the South Branch of the Metedeconk River on spinners.

Catfish could be clocked from the Delaware River, said Sean Loy from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. The fish, usually 4-pounders or so, will sniff out baits like chicken livers, worms or hot dogs on a hook like a 2/0 on a three-way rig or any rig that sinks the bait to the bottom. Largemouth bass fishing was going strong at the lakes including those at the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area and Carnegie Lake and Gropp’s Lake on soft plastics like worms. Sean and crew competed in the weekend’s South Jersey Shark Tournament from South Jersey Marina in Cape May, scoring the most points for mako sharks landed, releasing something like six, keeping a 177-pounder they entered but won no prize for, he said. Sean is a captain who runs saltwater charters from Tuckerton with On a Mission Fishing Adventures.

<b>SOUTH JERSEY</b>

Newton Lake’s anglers racked up largemouth bass, good catches, mostly on plastic worms, occasionally on poppers, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b> in Brooklawn. The Delaware River offered up largemouths, and Rick is holding a Buddy Bass Tournament on the river this weekend from Gloucester City Marina. He hosts a number of such tournaments through the year, and anglers can call the shop about this competition and future ones: 856-456-6622. Catfish, none big, and carp were dragged from the river. Crappies were smoked on the Cooper River and Wilson and Stewart lakes on small Mister Twisters or small minnows. In saltwater, summer flounder fishing seemed better in the back bays along the coast than in Delaware Bay. More keepers came from the back bays. A few drum remained in Delaware Bay off Slaughter Beach, but the fishing was about done for the year. Kingfish started to be beached from the surf at Atlantic City, Brigantine and Sea Isle City. Bluefin tuna began to show up at areas including 28-Mile Wreck and the Cigar and from the Misty Blue Wreck to the Elephant Trunk. Mako sharks, not many threshers, ranged from 20 to 30 fathoms. Big Timber carries tackle and bait for fishing everywhere from freshwater to bays to offshore.

With the catch-and-release largemouth season coming to an end, Blackwood Lake was a spot to tangle with small ones on shiners, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. The fish can be kept starting today. Ed in a past report had mentioned that Nitro Worms, worms died green, that the shop stocks have done a job on largemouths at Hammonton Lake in the past. His employees who worked at the nearby hospital used to take the worms to the lake and wipe up on the fish. Now that the fish are finished spawning, this could be a time to pick up the worms and go. Pickerel also live in Hammonton Lake, and trout are stocked in the waters, during the stocking seasons. Wilson Lake was a notable impoundment for chain pickerel and largemouth fishing. So was New Brooklyn Lake, and on both lakes, and on any local waters that hold these species, fish with minnows for the picks and shiners for the bass. When anglers with kids are looking for action with sunnies, Ed sends them to the spillway across from Blackwood Lake or to Puppyland Lake to fish with meal worms under a bobber. The last trout seen at the store was Willard Hitchner’s 5-pound brown from Grenloch Lake on June 3, a previously reported catch. Trouting seemed finished for the season, after stocking ended weeks ago, and waters warmed.

One customer said largemouth bass turned on at most lakes, and the fish moved deeper in the middle of the day, pushing shallower in the mornings and evenings, said Lou from <b>Sportsman’s Outpost</b> in Williamstown. Another customer kept tugging in largemouths from the Cooper River on spinner baits. A couple of anglers piled up white perch at Menantico Creek, running from the Menantico Ponds to the Maurice River, on worms and grass shrimp. In the salt, summer flounder fishing seemed difficult on Delaware Bay, because keepers were few and far between all the shorts. Drum might’ve been boated here and there on the bay, but the run appeared mostly finished for the season. Some said small bluefin tuna moved into waters from the Elephant Trunk to the Cigar in 20 fathoms. Sharks were battled toward 30 fathoms. The shop carries freshwater tackle and bait but also some saltwater tackle and bait like frozen squid and mackerel for flounder.

Good reports flew in about largemouth bass fishing at Union Lake, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Fishing there somewhat changed gears, turning better for largemouths, but smallmouths were sometimes plucked. Parvin Lake and Rainbow Lake were a couple of places that produced the better largemouth reports, too. Rubber frogs, worms including Senkos and creature baits were some top choices to fish for largemouths. But anglers also began to work top-water lures in the evenings for the fish. Lots of customers continued angling for smallmouth bass at Lake Audrey. They somewhat changed tactics, because the fish moved deeper in the heat. They drop-shotted rubber worms or fished them on shaky-head jigs. In Delaware Bay, tons of summer flounder filled the waters, but the throwback ratio was “a little out of whack,” Steve said. Drum fishing on the bay seemed to slow down, though some anglers fished for them still.

Back to Top