<b>North Jersey</b>

After 2 inches of rain fell Tuesday night, and more fell Wednesday, Delaware River ran high for fishing, said Joe from <b>Stokes Forest Sport Shop</b> in Sandyston. Previously, the river’s smallmouth bass fishing started to slow somewhat. A few striped bass, mostly small or schoolies, were tugged from the river. Catfish tackled from the river were 5 pounds. So fishing wasn’t tremendous, but was decent, on the river. Few trout fished on streams by this time in summer. Rains kept pushing trout farther and farther downstream, and though streams would often run low, warm and clear in the heat of summer, difficult for fishing, the water table was fairly saturated this year, because of rains. When customers trout fish, they mostly work Big Flatbrook but sometimes hit Paulinskill River. Lake fishing was good. Largemouth bass were tackled from the waters, mostly on small, dark Senko worms. Lots of tubes were also fished for the bucketmouths. A few walleyes, not a lot, were lifted from Swartswood Lake, mostly on ball jigs with worms bounced along bottom. A few fished for the walleyes with soft-plastics.

Dave Sherman and son from Staten Island tried for walleyes on a lake last Wednesday night with <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale, Capt. Dave Vollenweider said. But the fishing was terrible, and no walleyes bit. Baitfish popped along the water surface a moment, and fish splashed on them, but none of those fish was hooked. A smallmouth bass, a white perch and a rock bass were caught on cast lures on the trip. Trolling deep was tried, but still no walleyes were hooked.  Waters were 85 degrees, and a trip around the same date last year aboard plugged 10 walleyes, and waters were 81 degrees then. Last week’s trip was during the heat wave, with humidity that could be cut with a knife, Dave said. He did no fishing while the heat wave continued during the next days, but planned to get back out on Tuesday this week, after he gave this report in a phone call. A trip the day before this walleye trip, last week on Tuesday with Ron Delucia, scored two musky follows on cast lures on a lake, covered in the last report. A follow is half the success in fishing for muskies, the fish of 10,000 casts. Musky fishing was incredible this time last year aboard, on trolled spoons. Dave’s log book showed that muskies continued to give up good catches in August last year for him. He fished for them a few times this year, and follows were the only success. But last year, a few trips might catch, then the next few might not, and that’s musky fishing. Maybe this year’s trips were during the down period, and up periods will start to be found. Dave’s friend, Paul Schmidt, a tournament largemouth bass angler, from Northeast Bass Masters, told Dave the club’s tournament on Saturday turned up good largemouthing at Lake Hopatcong. About 18 pounds came in first place, and second and third places were both about 16 pounds. The club is looking for competitors for the next tournament, on Saturday, August 3, at Greenwood Lake. Catch Dave’s presentation on structure fishing at 8:30 p.m. Friday, August 9, for the Knee Deep Club at Hopatcong Civic Center. 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.

Hybrid striped bass, lots, were whacked at Lake Hopatcong in evenings and mornings on livelined herring or, if anglers wanted to fish with lures, plugs like Chug Bugs, said Brian from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. The fish were socked off points, and a friend pulled in a few largemouths from Hopatcong on a 3/8-ounce jig with a blue crawl in the weeds. Another buddy fished Delaware River the other day, plugging striped bass on No. 9 Rapalas and smallmouth bass on Keitech swim baits and Senko rubber worms. Yellow and white perch and crappies probably swam deeper than before in lakes. But they could probably be nabbed on small jigs with Mister Twisters. Trout fishing slowed, and trout streams ran relatively high, but waters were warm.

The heat slowed fishing, including for largemouth bass at Swartswood Lake, said Mark from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. But a small tournament caught them okay there. Whatever largemouths were landed recently were usually taken on Keitechs or Senkos. But largemouths and chain pickerel were trolled at Canistear Reservoir, and Mark was surprised about that. He fished there previously with another angler, and they totaled eight largemouths on Senkos, not many, but not bad. Panfishing, like for perch, could be good, no matter the heat.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

On Pequest River, colder than other streams, trout were still angled, and the fishing seemed up and down, said Darrel from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. One angler talked about banking 10 or 12 trout there on Sunday but not catching much on Monday. Darrel fly-rodded six or eight trout on the river on midges on a trip. Walleyes were reportedly yanked from Raritan River, and not many details were heard. Boaters toggled in trout from Round Valley Reservoir at night while fishing deep with worms and chumming with corn, heavily.

At Manasquan Reservoir, hybrid striped bass were slid-in on chicken livers or shiners, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> from Toms River. He’ll try to stock shiners starting Friday, after none was carried in the heat. Killies and nightcrawlers are in supply. Anglers picked away at bluegills at Ocean County College pond, but waters were warm, in the mid 80s. Carp swarmed all over Toms River at Trilco, but the area was weed-choked. So the carp were difficult to land, and if anglers did catch them, that was on heavy line with a light leader. Trilco is a closed building supply. No sign identifies the building, but locals know the stretch by the name, located near Garden State Parkway. Chain pickerel and small striped bass swam the river there.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Customers mainly bought lots of shiners to fish with them under bobbers for crappies, largemouth bass and chain pickerel at Gropp’s Lake, Carnegie Lake and Delaware and Raritan Canal, said Tom P. from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b>. The canal was fished from Wilburtha Road to Titusville. Some headed to Rosedale Lake for largemouths with the shiners. But that was about all anglers did in the heat, except fishing in saltwater for fluke, angling that picked up in the warmth. Still, in freshwater, many customers fished private ponds for largemouths, and kept showing photos of 4-, 5- and 6-pounders. One customer bought a handful of Senkos to fish a private pond, after Tom showed him previously how to fish them wacky-rigged. Delaware River’s flow was smoking and discolored, after 45 minutes of rain Tuesday.

The heat wave last week hampered largemouth bass fishing, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. But Union Lake “regulars” caught them, and lots of smallmouth bass snapped there. For the largemouths, rubber worms or creature baits were popular. Top-water lures smacked them in evenings and mornings. Buzz baits worked really well then. In saltwater, Delaware Bay’s fishing picked up for summer flounder the past two weeks. It wasn’t lights out, but was good. Many customers fished the ocean surf for kingfish and croakers.

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