<b>North Jersey</b>

Capt. Dave Vollenweider from <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale was trolling on a trip on the Ottawa River in Canada on Tuesday when he gave this report in a phone call from the boat. But the river, a world-class musky fishery, looked like Frappucino, he said. Five days of rain. But he was trying to make the best of the angling! He was on vacation to the river, and had visited previously. Big muskies, wild fish, unlike muskies in New Jersey that rarely reproduce, swim the river. Muskies are required to be 56 inches to keep them on the Ottawa. On a trip on the river the previous day, one fish did blow up on a lure, but wasn’t a musky, was probably a small pike or a bass or something. When Dave, a diehard musky angler, returns to New Jersey, he’ll continue guiding trips for muskies and walleyes on waters like Greenwood Lake. Fishing for both was prime time. The trips for walleyes fish at night, when the marble eyes swim to the shallows chasing herring, blowing up on top-water lures. 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.

The Delaware River looked like chocolate milk, running high, when Don from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Ledgewood saw the waters from the Milford Bridge Sunday, he said. So nothing was heard about the river’s smallmouth bass fishing. Largemouth bass seemed active at the lakes. One customer talked about a good catch of the bass he grabbed from Split Rock Reservoir, a lake with high fishing pressure and lots of recreational boat traffic. One of the crew from the store landed largemouths on Oakridge Reservoir on Keitechs. Nobody mentioned fishing for trout on the streams, but lots of nymphs, including bead heads, and wooly buggers were sold. Nightcrawlers, garden worms and meal worms were popular sellers, probably for fishing with kids for sunnies and panfish.

Hybrid striped bass smacked herring off the points of the lake, said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong. Andy Majcher weighed in a 9-pound 6-ounce hybrid, and Lou Marcucci checked in a 7-pound 9-ounce hybrid. Other notable catches brought to the shop included Ed Bielawski’s 5-pound 11-ounce walleye, Robert Smith’s 5-pound 5-ounce walleye, Hunter Good’s 3-pound 4-ounce smallmouth bass, and Joe Lawson’s 3-pound largemouth bass. Winners of the Knee Deep Club’s Stew Lant Contest this weekend were: 1st place, Ed Mackin, 15 points, winning $310; 2nd place, Hunter Good, 12 points, $186; and 3rd place, Lou Marcucci, 8 points, $124. Also, rod-and-reel combos went to Marcucci for his 7-pound 9-ounce hybrid, Robert Smith for his 5-pound 5-ounce walleye, Eddie Mackin for his 3-pound 13-ounce largemouth, and Hunter Good for his 3-pound 4-ounce smallmouth.

Warm weather might’ve begun affecting largemouth bass in the small, local lakes, but fishing for them was okay, said Chris from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. Trying for them along the weeds was popular. Chris pulled in lots of largemouths at Harriman State Park on rubber frogs and Senkos worked along the weeds. His friends on the trip fished with shiners, and mostly chain pickerel and yellow perch pounced on the baitfish. Keitechs were generally popular for largemouthing, and many customers bought Cabin Creek spider jigs for the angling. On the Passaic River, northern pike were still wrestled here and there, and many anglers hooked largemouths on the river. Shiners were fished for both. Many customers bought trout bait, so trout seemed to be caught. The Saddle River was alright for trouting, Chris thought he heard anglers mention particularly.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Smallmouth bass fishing was picking up on the north and south branches of the Raritan River, said Chris from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. He likes the south branch better, and fishes as far north as Califon to as far south as Duke Island on the south branch. The river at Califon holds better waters for the angling: more current and more spots for the fish to hold. But Duke Island is also a good place. Not a lot was heard about largemouth bass. But Chris saw anglers fishing for largemouths on the Raritan Canal with a bucket for bait that probably held shiners or crawfish. Trout fishing was probably a little slow on the streams. Now was the time when anglers can become concerned about bothering the trout in the heat. The fish can die easily in high temps, and many anglers stop fishing for them during the warm months for that reason. But Chris during the current time of year likes to fish for trout with streamers or wooly buggers that just seem effective. Anglers also fish for trout now with nymphs including bead heads. Sometimes sulfur dry flies will hatch.

A few customers fished for largemouth bass and crappies on Manasquan Reservoir, catching the fish on shiners along the edges of the trees, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. He saw catfish reeled in from the dock at the reservoir on baits like chicken livers, and saw hybrid striped bass jumping. A fair number of chain pickerel were picked from the Trilco stretch of the Toms River, the area around the Parkway Bridge. Locals call the stretch by the name because of the Trilco building supply there that is now closed. Fishing with spinners for the picks was tough because of weeds, so shiners worked better. The river was clearest from weeds upstream from the bridge. A few small, 10- or 11-inch striped bass were played at Trilco on small lures like Rapalas chucked to the channel from shore. Shiners ran out at the shop but will be re-stocked Thursday. Killies and all the worms are on hand.

The Delaware River was flooded, said Eric from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. Smallmouth bass fishing had been awesome on the river before the high waters. Catfishing had also been good, and should still be. The cats don’t mind the mud. The lakes at the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area produced pretty good fishing for largemouth bass, chain pickerel and crappies. Picks and bass were fought at Prospertown Lake and the waters at the Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area. Trouting was decent on the trout streams in the northern state, though not many fished for them.

Largemouth bass were mainly targeted, said Dom from <b>Barracuda’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Riverside. Anglers took advantage of the milder weather to fish for them, and Olympia Lakes seemed to turn out good catches. A good-sized bucketmouth was heard about that was heaved from the pond at Amoco Island Park along the Delaware River. The river’s waters reach the pond from underground, creating a rich fishery. Largemouth bassing seemed still to go well there, seemed not to drop off because of summer or anything, and shiners were usually fished for the bass everywhere. No so many anglers fished for catfish on the Delaware River, because they chased largemouths. Catfish remained active, but, again, anglers turned attention to largemouths in the milder weather. Once the days become hot again, largemouths can get lazy, and catfish can become the most active fish around, so anglers begin fishing for the cats. Baits like dough balls, clams, hot dogs and bagels will draw bites from the whiskerfaces. Dom has heard more than one angler say raisin bagels seem best. The sweeter taste or better smell seemed the reason, he guessed.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Anglers nabbed sunnies and panfish on meal worms at the spillway at Blackwood Lake and at Puppyland Pond near the Gloucester Township Police Station, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. Largemouth bass and chain pickerel were reported caught at Lake Rene and Penbryn Pond on shiners. Trout were still angled from the stream across the road from Grenloch Lake on nearly anything. One customer plucked them on nightcrawlers. Nothing was heard about Oak Pond and New Brooklyn Lake.

Wilson Lake churned out chain pickerel and, actually, sizeable catfish, said Mike from <b>Sportsman’s Outpost</b> in Williamstown. The pickerel swiped Roostertails and 1/8-ounce Red Devils. The cats, up to 4 pounds that Mike saw, sniffed out Power catfish bait in liver and Berkley blood bait. Largemouth bass were clocked at Franklinville Lake at night on top-water buzz baits and rubber frogs.

Good reports were heard about largemouth bass catches at Rainbow Lake, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Fishing for largemouths was productive at the creeks behind some of the lakes like Rainbow and Parvin. Largemouths everywhere were fished for with top-waters early and late in the day and with Senkos, jigs or rubber frogs at mid day. Union Lake’s fishing was tapering off because of warmth. Fishing for smallmouth bass, the cold-water fish, seemed finished for the moment at Union and Lake Audrey, the two lakes that harbor them in South Jersey. Crappies were on the bite at the Salem Canal. In saltwater, tons of summer flounder carpeted waters, and the fishing was fun, but not many of the flatfish were keepers. 

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