<b>North Jersey</b>

Fishing was tough on a vacation this past week to the Ottawa River, a trophy muskie fishery, because of dirty waters from five days or rains, said Capt. Dave Vollenweider from <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale. He hooked one small northern pike in four days. The river looked like creamed coffee, but he had a relaxing, restful time, and will try to return toward the end of summer. Lots of places that looked great for musky fishing were seen on the river. The river is truly trophy musky waters, and the fish must be at least 54 inches to keep. Back in Jersey, Dave plans to try for muskies at Echo Lake this week, and the season should still be prime for the state’s musky fishing. He guides trips for them, and will also keep guiding for walleyes on the lakes. The walleye trips fish in the middle of the night, when the big fish swim to the shallows to forage on herring, slamming top-water lures. The time of year is still good for walleyes, and take advantage before the angling slows down. Dave this summer will also take a trip to Sweden, and will try to fish for northern pike and zanders, the Swedish version of walleyes. 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.

Nothing was heard about smallmouth bass fishing on the Delaware River, apparently because high waters made the river a wash, said Kevin from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Ledgewood. Trout were still banked, despite the summer season, like on the South Branch of the Raritan River, mostly in the evenings. Sulfur hatches sometimes came off in the evenings. Smallmouth bass and largemouth bass were drop-shotted on Lake Hopatcong in the shallows on crawfish or Keitechs. Or the bass were sometimes spinner-baited early in the day. Hybrid striped bass were honked on the lake at night on livelined herring.

Good-sized smallmouth bass and largemouth bass were socked on Greenwood Lake, mostly on Senkos fished along the docks or the larger weed beds, said Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. He landed 45 largemouths on a private lake, all on Wacky Jacks, rubber worms that are fished wacky style, from Case Plastics. The store now carries the worms, and Nick discovered them then, and the Wacky Jacks have wild action, because both ends are tapered, instead of being a single diameter like other wacky worms. Wacky Jacks are also stronger than usual, and he caught 10 or 12 bass per worm. Nick looked twice for a big, 12-pound largemouth that anglers were reporting they spotted at Barbour Pond, and never saw the bass, but lighting conditions were poor to see through the waters. He’ll keep looking. Nothing was heard about Lake Hopatcong. Lots of chain pickerel were fought on the different lakes, often on Rapala lures or jerk baits. Northern pike fishing somewhat slowed on the Passaic River, but still produced. The Wanaque River was loaded with trout that hit small trout worms, Mark from the shop told Nick. Trout fishing was even good on the Ramapo River, Mark told him. A handful of diehards kept trouting, though many anglers mistakenly think trout fishing is finished soon after spring stocking ends.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Burt from the shop fished the Raritan River at Duke Island Park, reeling in one smallmouth bass and a bunch of sunnies on a trip, said Amy from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Nothing else was heard about the Raritan’s smallie fishing, but this was the time of year when anglers start honing in on the bass. Some anglers might’ve tried for trout, and if they did, they likely searched for cooler waters, like deep areas, or Ken Lockwood Gorge. Some anglers are cautious about trouting when waters are warm in summer, because any stress on the fish can kill them in high temperatures. Those anglers prefer to leave the fish alone, so the trout survive until waters cool.

Boaters fished for largemouth bass on Manasquan Reservoir, working spinner baits along the edges of the trees, or big rubber worms, like 7- or 8-inch Zooms,  along the bottom around the trees, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. A couple of customers freelined shiners off the dock at the rez, landing one hybrid striped bass. Fishing was slow on the impoundment for the most part. Chain pickerel in the Toms River at Trilco swiped spinners like Blue Foxes or Roostertails, and the river upstream from the Parkway Bridge was best, because the waters were clearer from weeds. Locals call the stretch of river Trilco that runs near the Parkway, because of a building supply called Trilco that closed. Lots of carp milled around Trilco, inhaling dough baits. A mix of a few crappies, pickerel and largemouths bit at Lake Riviera on killies and shiners off the dirt road on the upper lake for a couple of customers. The angling was nothing fantastic, but gave up a few catches. An occasional largemouth bass was popper-plugged at the Ocean County College pond. Kids angled plenty of bluegills at the pond on nightcrawlers under bobbers.

The flow fluctuated wildly up and down on the Delaware River, making smallmouth bass fishing difficult, said Frank from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. High, dirty waters were nasty Tuesday, but the flow changed maybe every 24 hours sometimes. If anglers could hit the river when the flow was average, smallies could be socked. Anglers waited for waters to come down to fish for them at Bull’s Island and a few places in Trenton. Frank didn’t know if the high waters were from rains upstream, or the dam upstream, or both. Local pounds were a little swollen, but not badly, and largemouth bass fishing was reasonably good on them on shiners. No big largemouths were heard about that were caught anywhere, but maybe that was only because nobody reported the catches. The summer doldrums were certainly starting, so anglers should fish in the dark, in early mornings or at dusk if possible. Panfishing was going well at Gropps Lake and Mercer Lake.

At least half of customers geared up for summer flounder fishing in saltwater at places like the bay at Long Beach Island or the Tire Reef on the ocean off Barnegat Inlet, said Dom from <b>Barracuda’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Riverside. That was most of the attention, and anglers seemed to pick away at the fluke, but only 10 percent, if that, were keepers. Green and pink seemed the major colors to fish for them with. But when customers freshwater fished, they mostly went for largemouth bass. Lake Lonnie was good for largemouths in the past week, and a couple big ones are always wrestled from there. Anglers just need to get the right day and use the right bait or lures. Shiners were most popular to fish for the largemouths, but hard lures and spinners were used for them. The lures and spinners were fished more toward sunset, and shiners were the choice in the middle of the day. Largemouth fishing was reportedly good at Olympia Lakes. Little was heard about catfishing on the Delaware River. Catfish are usually targeted between other fishing, like when largemouth catches slow from heat at the height of summer. Catfish will keep active no matter the heat

<b>South Jersey</b>

Freshwater fishing locally was phenomenal, really, especially considering tougher saltwater angling in South Jersey, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b> in Brooklawn. Saltwater fishing close to shore could be tough, like the low keeper ratio of summer flounder on Delaware Bay and the back bays. About the only saltwater fishing that impressed was offshore for yellowfin tuna and other big game at the canyons along 100 fathoms. But lots of freshwater fish were active. Five largemouth bass totaling 15 pounds won a tournament at Newton Lake, so fairly sizeable bass apparently swam there. Big crappies were on a fair tear at the Cooper River. Haddon Lake put up largemouths and crappies, and Stewart Lake doled out largemouths. A report rolled in during the weekend about striped bass to 35 inches able to be popper-plugged on the Delaware River, at the rotting docks and pilings, in the early mornings or late in the day. Both sides of the river, including at Philadelphia, turned out the catches. Big catfish to 10 and 12 pounds roamed basically all around the Delaware. Big Timber carries bait and tackle for fishing on all waters from freshwater to bays to offshore. 

Largemouth bass catches were heard about from Grenloch Lake and Blackwood Lake, said Tim from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. Largemouths were rustled from Collins Lakes, and many anglers on all the different lakes swam shiners or minnows for the bass. Chain pickerel punched minnows at New Brooklyn Lake. Bluegills and panfish were plucked from all the different lakes on meal worms or nightcrawlers on bobbers.

Anglers knocked the pants off largemouth bass at the lake at South Vineland Park, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Sunset Lake shoveled up good largemouth fishing, and largemouthing was decent at Parvin Lake. Fishing for the bucketmouths was a bit tough on Rainbow Lake, and fishing for all the different species was sort of spotty at Union Lake, probably because of warmth. Much of the largemouth fishing was done with creature baits or other soft-plastics. But top-water-popper-lure fishing was surprisingly good for largemouths. Nighttime fishing for largemouths was picking up in the warmth, whether on big worms or top-waters. A few kids were doing a job on catfish on the Maurice and Delaware Rivers. Info to know, if anglers wanted cats. In saltwater, all the summer flounder bit that anyone could want on Delaware Bay and the back bays. But not many were keepers.

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