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New Jersey Freshwater Fishing Report 5-25-11


<b>North Jersey</b>

Montvale’s <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b>, with Capt. Dave Vollenweider, is about to begin annual trips for walleyes at night on the lakes, and muskie trips during the daytime on the impoundments, Dave said. In the meantime, a rough weather pattern settled on the area most of the past week. But he got out on Greenwood Lake on Saturday to continue experimenting with catching walleyes during the daytime, on a gray, cloudy day, sometimes with rains, the right conditions to fish for light-sensitive walleyes. He connected: catching a 6-pound 12-ounce walleye, a beauty, on a trolled Rapala Tail Dancer on a planer. He was happy with that, and that was his goal: to catch during daytime. The fish bit 30 feet down in 43 feet, and Dave saw an angler land a walleye from shore that day at the lake. Walleyes seemed to be finished spawning and active. The lake was 65 degrees, cool for the time of year. Dave’s trips at night usually serve up more walleyes, and are quite an experience. The trips fish the graveyard shift in the middle of the night, when walleyes, again, sensitive to light, move into the shallows to crash baitfish. Then the marble eyes smash top-water lures with abandon. The walleyes offer exciting action, and are big fish, and taste good, are a member of the perch family. Dave also specializes in muskie fishing, if anglers ever wanted a shot at the big, amazing fish. Muskies are called the fish of 1,000 casts, because catching one is no guarantee on a trip. But people fish for them because they can be the biggest catch someone ever landed. Live to Fish till now was trout fishing on the streams like every spring. Dave specializes in lure fishing for trout, because the angling is effective, interesting and also attracts the bigger trout that mostly forage on small fish. Most lure fishing ends when springtime becomes late, and water levels begin to drop on the trout streams, difficult for lure fishing. But a friend banked a 6-pound 25-inch rainbow trout and an 18-incher on the Paulinskill River on a Rapala Countdown lure size CD3, Dave’s favorite. The friend said the river ran high, and was probably coming down after last week’s rains, and some trees were toppled, apparently because of a higher flow previously. 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.
<b>***Update***</b>: Check out Dave featured in this week’s The Fisherman magazine in the article By the Dark of the Moon, about walleye fishing. Look for him to be in another article in the magazine later about musky fishing.

Lots of hybrid striped bass were socked on herring or top-water lures at night on the lake, said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong. Bomber swimming lures, Badonk-a-Donks, Yozuri Crystal Minnows, Zara Spooks and Creek Chub Knuckleheads were some of the lures. Mike Morgan whacked several hybrids to 9 pounds early one morning. Lori Mitchell came up with her first-ever hybrid, a 7-pound 15-ouncer, on herring. Jack Dziduch checked in his biggest-ever hybrid, a 9-pound 13-ouncer, and also hooked walleyes. Walleyes to 5 or 6 pounds were fought on top-waters at night. Robson Martins trolled a 5-pound 10-ounce walleye, and Joe Lawson slugged an 8-pound 4-ounce walleye. Chain pickerel were wrestled on Mepps spinners.

Some of the trout streams, including the Big Flatbrook and the Paulisnkill River, ran somewhat high, said Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. But they still put up catches. The Ramapo River and Barbour Pond served up good trouting. Largemouth bass, limited to catch and release through June 15, seemed mostly to finish spawning, and they bit. Nick competed in a largemouth tournament at Lake Waywayanda, and nearly all the anglers limited out. They fished with Keitechs and weightless Texas-rigged Senkos. Lots of other anglers at the lake talked about catching the bigmouths, often on fathead minnows or spinner baits. Some plucked male largemouths that lingered on the spawning beds. Was almost difficult to believe the lake’s largemouths spawned, because waters were chilly in the low 60s. But apparently time of year was the factor for spawning. Plenty of largemouths were axed at Lake Hopatcong, and so were tons of crappies in the shallows, good fishing, including from the bridges. Walleyes reportedly attacked at Greenwood Lake. Not a lot was heard about Greenwood this season, since the state no longer stocks the lake with trout. The Passaic River was raging because of last week’s rains, and Nick had thought northern pike probably only bit in the river farther downstream, because of the flow. But a customer reported punching the water wolves farther upstream on large shiners bought from the shop, the bait to swim.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Customers fished the South Branch of the Raritan River at Lamington, saying waters were high, but they landed a few trout, said Burt from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. When trout streams run high, many fish with bait, because the fish hone in on scent. Another customer saw the main Raritan, saying the flow wasn’t too bad. Smallmouth bass fishing will pick up at spots like the Raritan when waters warm. The weather now turned warm, but previously cool and rainy weather predominated, and that seemed to delay fishing, like prolonging trouting. When the streams become warm and low, trouters will begin to fish mostly with small flies, long leaders and such tactics.

A few anglers played and released small, 10- and 11-inch striped bass on the Toms River at Trilco, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Trilco is a stretch at the Parkway Bridge, named for a building supply that no longer exists. Nightcrawlers fished on the bottom drew the stripers to bite, and chain pickerel fishing was super at Trilco, and upstream from the Parkway was best. Spinners or shiners will connect, and lots of carp, anywhere from 1 to 30 pounds, sniffed around Trilco, willing to inhale lots of baits, including dough balls. The waters are shallow, 3 or 4 feet, so anglers will see the carp pushing waters. Some big monsters can be seen. Some fished the Toms farther upstream, reeling in a few brook trout on small Rapala lures. A couple of anglers talked about beating crappies at Lake Riviera, mostly on shiners. Others mentioned tugging in crappies and bluegills on Prospertown Lake. The shallow waters were warming there. Nothing was heard about largemouth bass fishing on Manasquan Reservoir, after Dennis last week reported the bucketmouths being claimed from around the trees in the impoundment. But that fishing will keep getting better, and the warm weather now should be good for the fishing.

The Delaware River ran high and dirty, and lots of debris floated, because of rains last week, said Frank from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. But schools of striped bass, and schools of herring, still showed up at times at Trenton and elsewhere, including surely upstream, though the season was becoming late. The fish likely spawned. Nothing was heard about shad, and shad probably swam farther upstream, like at Lambertville and Easton. Rains made fishing sporadic on the lakes, but chain pickerel and largemouth bass were grabbed on shiners at places like the lakes at the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area and Prospertown Lake. Largemouth fishing is restricted to catch and release through June 15. Nothing was heard about largemouths at Gropp’s Lake, but the waters are surprisingly productive for the fishing. Many largemouths 4 and 5 pounds get heard about from there.

Striped bass fishing was pretty much finished for the season on the local Delaware River, said Dom from <b>Barracuda’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Riverside. Herring seemed  to be dropping out from the river, and local shad fishing on the river peaked two or three weeks ago, but was good for a while. Catfish, always in the river, will become a target, since the migrating fish mostly departed. Channel cats, bullheads and flatheads get yanked in. But anglers now mostly looked for largemouth bass, catching and releasing them by law through June 15, and panfish like crappies and others, mainly on Lake Lonnie, Lake Sooy, Olympia Lakes and Rancocas Creek. For the largemouths, anglers were noticed favoring Senkos or other plastic worms on Carolina rigs, working them a little. Trout Magnets and fathead minnows were popular for the panfish. Trout Magnets were almost difficult to keep stocked, and worked terrific on panfish, though the name is Trout. Crappies, big ones, are particularly abundant locally.  Breeder trout that were stocked were mostly creeled by this time of year, but smaller trout will be able to be hooked until the weather reaches the 90s, or waters reach 70 degrees. Crystal and Sylvan lakes are the trout haunts locally. All the freshwater baits including minnows, nightcrawlers, wax worms and butterworms are stocked. Frozen baits are carried for saltwater.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Most of the Delaware River’s larger striped bass held farther upstream, but the bass to 35 inches were still angled up locally, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b> in Brooklawn. Lots of white perch schooled the river, nipping baits like bloodworms or nightcrawlers. Big catfish to 16 or 17 pounds, averaging 5 to 7 pounds, milled around the river, picking up mostly cut baits or cut eels. The Cooper River dished up crappies and largemouth bass. The crappies jumped on small jigs or small minnows, and the largemouths, limited to catch and release through June 15, swiped top-water lures, buzz baits or soft-plastic lures like Fin-S Fish.  Lots of small largemouth bass filled Stewart Lake, and invasive snakeheads were abundant in some parts of the lake. Blackwood Lake turned out a few largemouths, and Newton Lake served up some big ones. Big Timber carries bait and tackle for fishing on all waters from freshwater to bays to offshore.

Chain pickerel were rustled up from New Brooklyn Lake on minnows, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b>. in Blackwood. The lake is always a top pickerel producer. Customers during the weekend claimed largemouth bass, catch and release only fishing through June 15 in the state, at the pond at the Berlin Farmers Market on minnows. Some used minnows to score largemouths at Kresson Lake, in Kresson off Route 73, outside Berlin. Closer to the shop, Lake Renee produced chain pickerel and largemouths on minnows. The spillway at Blackwood Lake was a place to tangle with sunnies on meal worms. Any worms, like garden worms or nightcrawlers, will work, but meals seem best. Nothing was heard about trout anymore this season.

Lots of largemouth bass, fish that must be released through June 15, were angled from Iona Lake and Wilson Lake, said Jim from <b>Sportsman’s Outpost</b> in Williamstown. Some anglers worked top-water lures for them, and others simply dunked nightcrawlers on bobbers. Chain pickerel swam like wild at Wilson, whacking minnows or lures like spinners, but also worms, though that was surprising. Little was reported about trout any longer. Minnows, nightcrawlers and red worms are stocked.

Steady fishing for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass was plowed at Union Lake, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Both fish, regulated to catch and release through June 15, hit the same things: Senkos, tubes, and spinner baits. Lake Audrey, the only other lake harboring smallmouths in South Jersey, doled out the bronzebacks, often on drop shots, a few on Senkos. In general, largemouth bass fishing belted a steady pick at the local lakes, mostly on rubber worms, Senkos and rubber frogs. Few fished for trout anymore this season. In saltwater, striped bass could still be bunker chunked on Delaware Bay. Bunker became the bait to soak, after clams were popular earlier. Not a ton was heard about drum catches from the bay, and little was heard about summer flounder catches so far anywhere. Maybe anglers were yet to hone in on the flatties. Bluefish were light tackled at the inlets along the coast.

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