<b>North Jersey</b>

A friend socked lots of smallmouth bass at Greenwood Lake, said Kevin at <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Ledgewood. He fished with crank baits in bright colors – chartreuse-and-yellow and chartreuse-and-green – because the lake was murky. Good catches of smallmouths were dusted on the Delaware River at Dingman’s Bridge. Largemouth bass were top-water plugged on Lake Hopatcong in the early mornings and late in the day on black Jitterbugs. Some of the smaller lakes put up good largemouthing during the same hours.

 Lots of hybrid striped bass – the bigger ones up to 8 pounds – were livelined on herring off the points of the lake, said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopactong. Hunter Good, fishing with his dad, caught several hybrids to a 7-pound 2-ouncer during the weekend. His brother Logan copped a sizeable, 2-pound 6-ounce smallmouth. Lou Marcucci creamed a beautiful smallmouth: a 3-pound 8-ouncer. Several channel catfish about 3 pounds were being seen at the shop. Rob Pio clocked two white catfish 3 pounds 14 ounces and 2 pounds 8 ounces off Nolan’s Point.  Joe Lawson weighed in a white 2 pounds 2 ounces. The Knee Deep Club’s catfish tournament will take place on the lake this Saturday and Sunday.

One customers kept plowing catches of trout, lots, on the Wanaque and Pequannock rivers, showing photos of the fish, saying no other anglers were around the waters, said Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. Friends competed in a largemouth bass tournament on Lake Hopatcong, and the fish were caught, including limits, but the bass were small. The winning total was only 10 pounds. Drop-shotted Keitechs were the favorite bait. Because of road widening, the Passaic River near the shop, below the falls, was drained of waters. To fish the river, anglers had to head to places like Two Bridges. Anglers talked about fighting northern pike there on the usual shiners, but also on Zara Spooks and Buzz Baits, “believe it or not,” Nick said.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

At <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook customers mostly bought shiners and nightcrawlers to target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike at places like the South Branch of the Raritan River, Spruce Run Reservoir, Round Valley Reservoir and private ponds, Burt said. If anyone trout fished, they usually targeted the Pequest River, fishing the cool waters from the hatchery. Other trout waters ran warm and often low. Customers going on vacations were common, buying supplies like fly tackle to trout fish in the Catskills. Customers had been focusing on fluke in saltwater, and fluking seemed to begin tapering off in the heat of summer.

Anglers stopping in for nightcrawlers to fish for bluegills with the kids at ponds were common, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. That fishing holds up through the summer at places like the Ocean County College pond. Chain pickerel fishing is always happening – “a given,” Dennis said – at Trilco on the Toms River. Trilco is a building supply that closed down that’s located near the Parkway. Killies, spinners or crank baits like Rapalas could be fished for the picks. Some anglers played 12-inch striped bass near the Parkway on the river. Catfish milled around all the ponds, inhaling nightcrawlers dunked on the bottom. Fish including largemouth bass and pickerel could be managed at Lake Riviera, and fishing from the dirt road, where waters are shaded, was probably best. Killies will attract bites. Killies and nightcrawlers are stocked, and shiners will probably start to be carried in September, when demand picks up.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Practically nobody reported fishing or talked about going, until suddenly customers bought 12 dozen shiners Monday, said Frank from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. They were heading to local pounds for largemouth bass fishing. But anglers talked about scoring well with top-water lures on largemouths in the shallows. The lakes began to cool, improving conditions for largemouthing, at the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area. Smallmouth bass fishing was improving on the Delaware River upstream from Lambertville, and the fish were working small baitfish that began appearing.

The weather cooled a little, helping fishing, and good catches of panfish, like big sunnies and bluegills, were heard about from Olympia Lakes and some of the Burlington lakes like Sylvan, said Dom from <b>Barracuda’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Riverside. Most fished for them with earthworms or Powerbait 3-inch grubs. Not much was reported about largemouth bass fishing, but Power worms or Power 4- or 5-inch grubs were popular to use on the bucketmouths. Catfishing on the Delaware River was a big thing, not unusual in summer. When other fishing can turn slow in the heat, catfish keep nipping. Uncle Josh Mr. Catfish baits were hot, and Magic Baits in liver brown were popular, and so were usual “folk” baits like blueberry bagels. Uncle Josh’s Little Stinker catfish lures, tear-dropped shaped lures that hold catfish bait, letting the bait disperse through pores, with a treble hook on the end, were used. Many customers fished for summer flounder in saltwater at the shore through the summer, and the angling seemed to hold up. The keeper ratio was like 1 in 10. Crabbing was picking up at the shore, and crabs will even be caught in the Delaware River. The saltwater line creeps upstream on the river in summer, and crabbers there might bag a dozen of the blueclaws, not a lot, but a catch.

Haddon Lake shoveled up tons of largemouth bass on creature-type baits, top-waters like Zara Spooks, and  Spro frogs, said Rick at <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b> in Brooklawn. Crappies hovered on the Kings Highway side in the shallows, pouncing on small minnows or shiners. Stewart Lake produced largemouths, and larger bass, 4 or 5 pounds, were sometimes waxed from the feeder creeks at Grenloch Lake. In the Delaware River lots of catfish, white perch and undersized striped bass swam. Big Timber stocks bait and tackle for fishing on all waters from lakes to rivers, bays and offshore.

One of the crew from the shop, Mike, beat a 6-pound 3-ounce largemouth bass at Wilson Lake on a Senko in purple with silver flakes, said Jim from <b>Sportsman’s Outpost</b> in Williamstown. Mike fishes most mornings, and was also catching lots of chain pickerel at Wilson. A few small largemouths and lots of picks were claimed from Franklinville Lake. Most customers fished with minnows for both. Rubber frogs bounced along the lily pads kept working to grab largemouths at lakes like Franklinville. Light colors were used in the early mornings, and dark colors were tossed toward dusk and at night.

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