<b>North Jersey</b>

Capt. Dave Vollenweider from <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale had just returned from hiring a guide to fish Canada’s Ottawa River, he said. That’s a trophy musky fishery, and he landed a 31-inch musky on a Widowmaker Glide Bait, lost a 40-incher at the boat, had a couple of musky follows, and reeled in a couple of northern pike. He fished the stretch of river named Lake of Two Mountains, 35 miles long. The river is known for big muskies to 50 and 60 pounds. Dave will now resume fishing in New Jersey, including for muskies and any fish available. He’s had great success on muskies this season on Jersey’s lakes, covered in past reports. His trips also did a number on walleyes on cast lures at night, when the fish moved to shallows at lakes. The walleye fishing in shallows might be finished for the season. But then trips aboard troll them down deeper during daytime at lakes. In other news, Dave’s friend Paul Schmidt, a tournament largemouth bass angler, e-mailed Dave the results of the Northeast Bass Masters tournament on Lake Hopatcong on Saturday. The two-angler team in first place checked in a five-bass total weight of 12 pounds 8.8 ounces. Paul and teammate came in second with 12 pounds 0.6 ounces. The day began mostly overcast with some sprinkles. By 10:30 a.m. skies cleared, and heat kicked in. 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.

From <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna, Ben banked a good catch of smallmouth bass on Delaware River on Keitechs and Senkos, he said. Waters were somewhat low but probably average for summer. Crappies and perch could be ultra-light-tackled on Lake Hopatcong at the bridges on Trout Magnets. Ben caught them and a few largemouth bass mixed in. Nothing was heard about hybrid striped bass and walleyes from the lakes. Bullhead and channel catfish were heaved from ponds and lakes on baits like hot dogs, chicken livers and bunker.

Lots of hybrid striped bass to 8 pounds swiped herring livelined off the points and Bertrand Island toward the yacht club, said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong in an e-mail. The fishing seemed best in mornings and evenings. Smallmouth bass gave up lots of catches. Off Nolan’s Point was a good place to fight them and crappies. Lou Marcucci weighed in a 3-pound 10-ounce smallmouth. Chain pickerel jumped on spinners and livelined bait, and Joe McCarthy checked in a 3-pound 14-ounce pick. The Knee Deep Club held a catfish tournament this weekend, and winners, with channel catfish, were: Jeremy Bryant, 20-pound 1-ouncer, $528; Jim Archambault, 15-pound 11-ouncer, $317; and Freddie Nitek, 13-pound 14-ouncer, $211. Catfish that earned anglers a $20gfift certificate each to Windlass Restaurant were Mike Bentley’s 13-pound 1-ounce channel, Charlie McBride’s 7-pound 4-ounce cat, and Pat Robinson’s 1-pound 9-ounce bullhead. Justin Holly won a rod and reel combo for a 1-pound 9-ounce bullhead. The Knee Deep Club will next hold a walleye tournament on September 15 to 16.

The Passaic River rose somewhat, and tiny striped bass bit downstream on small Fin-S Fish types of lures, said Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. Higher waters seemed to make the bass return upstream, after they had disappeared from the stretch previously. A few largemouth bass were top-water plugged in the same area in evenings. Nick fished the river farther upstream, banking a couple of smallmouth bass on a Senko and a Keitech Easy Shiner. Swartswood Lake turned out good fishing for smallmouths and walleyes. A friend’s son was catching walleyes on Lake Hopatcong. A buddy won a largemouth bass tournament on Greenwood Lake during the weekend, catching at docks along the west shoreline on Senkos. Fishing in general was slowly picking up, and lower water temps would help.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

A couple of anglers scored well on trout on Pequest River, in cooler, spring-fed waters in Warren County, west of Route 78, on small, size-24 nymphs, said Darrel from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Darrel fished for smallmouth bass on Raritan River 3:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday with a hopper fly, landing none, but breaking off a fish that pulled the 6X leader under a bridge. He heard nothing about the river’s smallmouth fishing. Tiny striped bass were popper-plugged once again on the Raritan at Route 287 Bridge after they had disappeared a moment. Anglers caught them Sunday.

A few customers fished Manasquan Reservoir from the dock, reeling in an oddball hybrid striped bass, crappie or largemouth bass, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. They livelined shiners, and that seemed the way to catch best at the rez.  A couple of kids were seen catching chain pickerel at Lake Horicon on killies during the weekend. One customer tried for trout on Toms River, and actually caught a couple at Riverwood Park, on a Rapala lure. Water levels were good, and the river was cool. Killies and nightcrawlers are stocked, and shiners will probably begin to be stocked toward the end of the month.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Smallmouth bass were socked on Delaware River from Trenton to upstream, said Eric from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. Yozuri Pins Minnows and River2Sea poppers nabbed them. Largemouth bass were top-water plugged at dusk at lakes, including the lakes at Assunpink and Colliers Mills wildlife management areas, Mercer County Lake and Gropp’s Lake.

Pemberton Lake shoveled out hot fishing for largemouth bass on spinner baits, rubber frogs and Jitterbugs, said Tom P. from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Sylvan Lake put up good largemouthing, and Carnegie Lake served up pretty good fishing for them. One angler pasted an 8-pound northern pike at Farrington Lake. Catfishing amped up a lot on Delaware River, like at Washington Crossing, and all reports talked about chicken livers being the only bait to soak. One angler showed photos of cats 13 and 16 pounds. Nothing was heard about smallmouth bass and striped bass. Crappies swarmed Delaware and Raritan Canal from Washington Crossing to Griggstown, pouncing on 2-inch Skippy Fish, probably imitating fathead minnows.

Newton Lake, Haddon Lake and some of the lakes farther south like the DOD ponds and Maskell’s Mill Pond doled out largemouth bass, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b> in Brooklawn. Mostly plastics were fished for the bass, and Cooper River reportedly started fishing well for largemouths. Good angling was crunched at Wilson Lake for largemouths and crappies. Big Timber stocks bait and tackle for fishing on all waters from fresh to offshore.

Early and late in the day were times to fish, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. If anglers tried for largemouth bass, Senkos and other rubber worms were favored, and rubber frogs produced. Largemouthing was good at Salem Canal. Union Lake’s fishing was hit or miss for largemouths and smallmouth bass. In saltwater, weakfish schooled Delaware Bay, good to see, after the fish were scarce in recent years. Other fish like small croakers swam the bay. Summer flounder fishing was good at the ocean reefs.

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