New Jersey Fishing Reports

Plenty of striped bass were pulled from the local Delaware River last week, but this week might be the last of the best striper fishing there, said Bill from Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle in Philadelphia. “Smallmouth (bass) better get ready!” he said. More on the smallmouths in a moment. First, stripers: One angler who fished downstream from the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge last week caught a Pennsylvania limit of four stripers 20 to 25 inches, released six more that were keeper-sized and landed a few big catfish to 10 pounds. That angler said others banked more than 10 stripers at the Palmyra Cove Nature Park while he fished. Another customer last week off the Frankford Arsenal reeled in five stripers under 20 inches apiece. At the Linden Avenue dock last week anglers piled up lots of stripers, catfish and white perch. Bloodworms, clams and herring worked best for the stripers. Around the Commodore Barry Bridge a bunch of 12- to 22-inch stripers and monster catfish to 20 pounds were angled up on bloodworms and herring that week. At the Salem River Cove last week, 14- to 28-inch stripers were plucked. Anglers there also scored great on white perch, catfish and carp, and bloodworms were a must for the perch. Mostly small stripers, but good numbers, were played farther up the river at Trenton last week, and the herring migration there was day by day: good on one day and tough on another. On the smallmouth bass front, fishing for them – catch and release in New Jersey until June 16 – was hit or miss on the upper river, like at Point Pleasant. One angler there in four trips totaled 19 smallies, nine stripers, four catfish and three walleyes, fishing in the evenings with minnows, chicken livers, rubber grubs, tubes and crank baits. Several who fished the river at the New Hope wing dam couldn’t buy a smallmouth but totaled 20 walleyes on worms and minnows. Smallmouth fishing was improving on the river at the Delaware Water Gap, though shad fishing was on the decline there. Farther up the river at Hankins, New York, one angler saw shad swimming all around him in the morning but couldn’t catch any. But Bill in that stretch usually does best on the fish in the afternoons or after 4 p.m., and that was the angler’s mistake. One angler who fished at nearby Long Eddie on the river kept fly-rodding several good-sized trout to 20 inches, mostly rainbows, on dries, but keeping shad off the fly was the problem. He could’ve fought five to ten shad per evening. Largemouth bass fishing – also limited to catch and release in New Jersey until June 16 – was great on the river back down toward Philly. One angler banged out 20 of the bigmouths to 3 pounds on a trip while fishing along the rocks from Linden Avenue to Pennypack Street, with Yozuri crank baits and drop-shotted Senko worms. Several anglers talked about terrific fishing for small largemouths at Dredge Harbor on rubber worms and lizards, crank baits and jigs. For trout anglers, Pennypack Creek began to run extremely low, but trips picked up a few of the fish, mostly in the upper creek. One angler banked one to five per trip at the pools downstream from Pine Road on flies and spinners. Bigger trout were sometimes clocked upstream at Lorimer Park, and smallmouth bass, bluegills and rock bass were mixed in. At Union Lake in South Jersey, several customers crushed excellent fishing. They began to troll bigger crappies on twister tails, and working rubber worms along the islands to drill both largemouth bass and smallmouth bass.

NEW JERSEY

North Jersey

Capt. Dave Vollenweider from Live to Fish Guide Service from Montvale kicked off his season’s nighttime walleye fishing on a trip to Greenwood Lake during the weekend, he said. Four sizeable walleyes to 5 pounds were axed and released on a LiveTarget Smelt Lure, a realistic plug. Dave runs the trips at night, when walleyes move into the shallows, blasting baitfish they corral against the shoreline. He even got off the waters at 8 a.m., and didn’t want to see the madhouse of crowds that would converge on the lake during the daytime on the holiday weekend. Lakes like Greenwood with crowds during the warm months become good fisheries at night, when the crowds disappear. The walleye trips are really something, are completely different. Dave wears a headlamp in the pitch dark, and the fishing kicks in later in the night, after the waters settle a while. He noticed that when the moon was low in the sky on this trip, the fish bit. But when the moon rose and skies lightened, the bite turned off. Either the fish moved deeper or they stopped feeding. Dave heard tremendous splashing in one of the coves, and went to investigate. A big Torpedo lure was worked, and all of the sudden a big whoosh was heard, and a muskellunge was hooked! The fish was reeled toward the boat, but when the musky saw Dave, it shook its head, throwing the hook. Walleye fishing is one of Dave’s focuses in summer, but so is musky angling. His musky trips are an opportunity for anglers to experience hunting the huge, incredible predators. He took a trip last week at night with a friend and the friend’s son to search for muskies on Echo Lake. One musky followed a Top Cat lure with a prop, a plug that can be fished like walking the dog but with the prop on the back to make noise. Muskies are known as the fish of 10,000 casts, but anglers fish for them, because a catch can be the biggest fish someone ever landed. When a musky follows a lure, and they do often, that’s even a thrill. Though Dave focuses a lot on walleyes and muskies through summer, he runs trips for other species, including trout, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and panfish. His main trout season just ended when the streams became low during the warm months. He loves to fish with lures for trout, and that becomes less practical in the low waters. But trout could currently still be caught, and Dave also fishes for them with flies, practical in warm weather, and, if anglers prefer, bait. But usually when he shows someone how to fish with lures, they’re hooked. 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.

Nobody checked in striped bass from the Delaware River since last week, but everyone waits for rough weather for that angling, said Bill from Bill’s Bait & Tackle in Phillipsburg. Previously, for the last report, he said the local striper run had begun, mentioning evidence: A father and son stopped by with a 27-pound striper and a 20-pounder they eeled from the river at 3 a.m. in a downpour. Conditions like a storm at dusk or at night are a time to hook them. Eels are the baits to swim for the stripers, in the dark or low light, and anglers bought loads of the shop’s eels. The shad migration dwindled on the local river, but a few were fought. John Viscomi, Phillipsburg, hoisted a 19-pound carp from the river. Catch-and-release largemouth bass fishing was on a roll at Merrill Creek Reservoir, mostly on minnows. Suckers, favorite bait for muskies, were stocked last week, and the warm weather that makes muskies most active began to be ripe for the catches at places like Silver Lake and Mountain Lake. Hybrid striped bass fishing was on and off at Spruce Run Reservoir, good on one day, slow on another. John Grilly, Glen Gardner, won a New Jersey Skillful Angler Award for a 10-pound 27-inch brown trout at Spruce. Justin Dornlbaser, 9, won a Catch and Release New Jersey Angler Skillful Angler Award for a 5-pound 4-ounce largemouth bass he tossed back at Little Swartswood Lake.

Largemouth bass began to bite big-time, seemed to stop spawning, seemed hungry, said Don from Ramsey Outdoor in Ledgewood. Customers caught and released the fish mostly at all the different ponds and lakes in their communities. Fishing for them with rubber worms like Senkos or Power Bait worms was most popular. Waters became low but remained cool on the trout streams that customers typically fish, including the Rockaway and Pequest rivers and the Flatbrook. Many reports heard said the trout often rose or hit the surface, but anglers had difficulty coaxing them to smack a hook. One customers bought up March Browns, so that seemed a potential dry fly to use.

Livelined herring tied into hybrid striped bass in 15-foot depths at Lee’s Cove, Davis Cove, off Bed Bug Island and near the ferry, said Laurie from Dows Boat Rentals in Lake Hopatcong. Bait also spawned in such areas, so try throwing top-water lures there for walleyes and hybrids at night. Jack Dziduch and friend Krzysztoff Belzek tried out the angling, weighing in an 8-pound 4-ounce walleye and a 7-pound 13-ounce hybrid, respectively. They caught other ‘eyes and ‘brids that weighed 3 to 5 pounds. Lots of chain pickerel gathered around Halsey and Raccoon islands, whacking Mepp’s spinners. Crappies schooled toward Brady Bridge, swiping small jigs or small baits. Channel catfish lurked in the shallows toward the state park.

Waters like Lake Hopatcong seemed to be a blow out for fishing during the holiday weekend, because of crowds, said Mark from Meltzer’s Sporting Goods in Garfield. One of the staff from the shop had been waxing walleyes at Hopatcong on every trip, but only landed two and some panfish in the crowds during the weekend. That angler usually fishes with Husky Jerks for the walleyes. Nick from the shop in last week’s report said catch-and-release largemouth bass fishing gained steam at Hopatcong, as the fish came off the spawn. He likes to fish for them along the docks when that happens, because some of the post-spawners move there. Others, the females, move to the weeds, but fishing along the docks is easier. He recommended fishing slowly along the docks with Keitech Swing Impact rubber baits or Senko worms. Mark had been down the shore during the weekend, and knew more about saltwater catches than freshwater ones in the past days. Meltzer’s, by the way, carries a huge selection of saltwater tackle. But one thing Mark heard was that a mayfly hatch at the Ramapo River set off wild brown trout fishing, the fish swirling all around. Customers who traveled to Lake George, New York, found red-hot fishing despite holiday traffic. Mark wasn’t asked for what species.

Spruce Run Reservoir anglers creamed hybrid striped bass, tons of the fish, probably mostly from an hour before dark until an hour after, and many trolled stick baits for the fish, said Steve from Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop. Fishing’s generally been good at all waters this spring. Crappies were claimed from Spruce toward the power lines, and not much was doing with northern pike there, since the weather warmed. Either the northern fishing slowed or anglers turned attention to other fish. Round Valley Reservoir shot out good angling for brown and rainbow trout, sometimes for shore anglers, other times for boaters, and that seemed to depend on weather. When a cold front chilled waters, shoreline anglers connected. Meal-worm-and-marshmallow combos worked best from shore. But other usual bait like Power Bait, meal worms by themselves and nightcrawlers attracted gobbles there. Steve plugged the trout from shore on a gold and black Rapala after a cold front last week. Whenever the weather warmed, boaters mopped up the trout in 50 to 60 feet. Shiners or herring dropped to the depths could hook them. Those were also baits sent down for lake trout that hung in 70 to 80 feet at the Valley. Live herring had become difficult to obtain, but the shop re-stocked the bait earlier this week. Merrill Creek Reservoir teemed with big trout like a 6-pound brown and a 5-pound rainbow that were weighed in. Merrill held beautiful smallmouth bass that anglers could catch and release. The trout streams including the Musconetcong fished well, and Steve’s dad hung a 6-pound rainbow from the Musky. All the usual baits like Power Bait, meal worms, nightcrawlers and butter worms tabbed the fish in the streams. Butters especially cracked the brown trout in the streams. One customer cleaned up in the streams on Joe’s Flies, the combo spinner and fly.

Central Jersey

Dry flies including caddis, blue winged olives, sulfurs and Light Cahills were often bought for trout fishing on the streams, said Nick from Efinger Sporting Goods in Bound Brook. Stream levels were about normal, because of rains, as far as he knew, and the waters were probably 60 degrees, still a good temp for trouting. Trout or browns and rainbows chomped at Round Valley Reservoir, more often for boaters than for shore anglers. Depths 60 to 65 feet were a place to look, and plenty of lake trout also swam the reservoir, probably a bit deeper. Hybrid striped bass fishing went off at Spruce Run Reservoir on top-water lures like Zara Spooks, crank baits with rattles to make noise or live herring, if anglers could find herring. Smallmouth bass fishing should start to amp up at places like the upper Delaware River.

Catch-and-release largemouth bass fishing began to improve, and many of the fish were probably finished spawning, said Dennis from Murphy’s Hook House in Toms River. Lots of crappies and chain pickerel put up fights all around. Lake Riviera was a place to knock out crappies on killies and shiners. The Toms River at Trilco, as locals call the stretch, is always a place to tangle with the picks. That area of the river is located behind the post office, and is named for a lumber yard that used to be there, but no sign says Trilco anymore. Sunnies and bluegills also tore up waters everywhere, apparently finished spawning. The Ocean County College pond offered good fishing for them on worms under a bobber. At Manasquan Reservoir a mess of crappies pounced around the trees on Mister Twisters or marabou jigs under a bobber. The impoundment’s largemouth bass started to become more cooperative, but many still spawned, because waters were cooler there. Anglers had to get them to eat on the beds by teasing the heck out of them with lures like rubber lizards or even shiners, if the baitfish were persistently tossed to the beds until the annoyed fish tried to scoot them out. News about trout fishing was mostly quiet. But a neighbor limited out on trout and lost more on the Toms River off Route 70 on spinners. Previously trouting sounded slow on the Toms, but that showed the fish could be located. Forge Pond’s white perch fishing slowed down for the season, but yellow perch could be nabbed there, and pickerel could be grabbed in the back at the reeds.

Largemouth bass began to strike hooks again, coming off the spawn, said Sean from Harry’s Army and Navy in Robbinsville. Anglers caught and released them at lakes like the ones at the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area, Gropp’s Lake and Carnegie Lake. Soft baits like rubber worms, crawfish and creatures were the common lures. Catfish became the main fare on the Delaware River, and migrating striped bass departed the river some time ago. No migrating herring were really left in the river. Catfish Power Baits, chicken livers and nightcrawlers were some of the baits the whiskerfaces sniffed out.

South Jersey

Though trout stocking ended weeks ago and warm weather settled in, a few of the fish, none big, were cranked in, especially at Grenloch Lake, said Ed from Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle in Blackwood. Power Baits and meal worms were the usual offerings. Word about largemouth bass fishing was scarce since the season became limited to catch and release for spawning. New Brooklyn Lake was ever a top destination to pound pickerel, and minnows work best. For panfish like sunnies, Ed sends anglers, especially kids, to the spillway at Blackwood Lake. Largemouth bass are also caught at Blackwood, though largemouth reports were scarce, and occasional pickerel, not many, prowl the lake. Large and small shiners, minnows, nightcrawlers, Nitro Worms died green and meal worms are stocked.

Lou from Sportsman’s Outpost in Williamstown traveled last week, couldn’t be up on the latest fishing, he said. But he hopped aboard a Delaware Bay drum trip on the Heavy Hitter from Cape May that clobbered 13 of the boomers on Sunday. In the previous week’s report Lou said Iona Lake’s trout fishing had seemed to dry up, after stocking ended weeks before and the weather warmed. But trout were sometimes taken from Oak Pond then. He also said during that week that a father and son at Wilson Lake kept doing a job on chain pickerel, catch-and-release largemouth bass, crappies and yellow perch. One group of customers at the time piled up white perch from the Maurice River a couple of times a week. Lou heard nothing about summer flounder fishing since the flattie season opened Saturday. But the shop stocks frozen saltwater baits including squid and mackerel for flounder, in addition to freshwater baits, including minnows, nightcrawlers and meal worms.

Union Lake put up a mixed bag, a good one, of largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and chain pickerel, according to a couple of reports, said Steve from Blackwater Sports Center in Vineland. That was despite pickerel fishing being on the downturn at most lakes, compared with earlier in the year, in the cooler waters the water wolves prefer. Fishing for both largemouths and smallmouths is catch and release for spawning, but many of the fish probably spawned already. Cedarville Lake shoveled out busy action on largemouths, and the Salem Canal’s fishing for them began to get active again. The new Power Team rubber lures were hot producers on largemouths everywhere. Senko worms were also choice, and rubber frogs frequently began to draw attacks. Few crappies were beaten, a fishery slowing down, and trout fishing practically ended. Resident striped bass could be found in the Maurice River all summer long. Working a Rat-L-Trap could bump into some. Summer flounder season opened Saturday in saltwater, and the ratio of keepers sounded poor everywhere from Delaware Bay to the back bays along the coast. That could change, and flounder baits including minnows, mackerel, Pro Cut squid and Gulps are stocked. But drum fishing busted loose in Delaware Bay, and the fish moved to the New Jersey side, after most were caught on the Delaware side previously. Awesome catches were boated.