<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Weather was tough for fishing during the weekend, said Capt. Dave Vollenweider from <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale in an email. Wind blew strongly, including on a trip aboard Round Valley Reservoir on Sunday. One fish was hooked, reeled halfway in and got off. The water was 65 degrees, and wind also blew strongly on a trip aboard Lake Hopatcong on Sunday for muskies. Weather kept changing that day, and included the strong wind, calm wind, heat and coolness. The trip fished 10 hours, and Dave saw a small tiger musky that an acquaintance landed from Hopatcong that day. The angler, who’s caught some real beauties, Dave said, told Dave that the musky fishing’s been off this spring. Lots of weeds had to be dealt with during Dave’s trolling for muskies on the trip. “They are catching bass on Hopatcong,” he said. His friend and bass tournament angler Paul Schmidt’s club, Northeast Bassmasters, will resume tournaments every Thursday and Saturday, now that largemouth bass and smallmouth bass will no longer be limited to catch-and-release. Fishing for them was limited to that from April 15 through today, because of spawning. Dave’s been avoiding fishing Greenwood Lake, because a tremendous amount of weeds were killed there several weeks ago for boat races. Huge mats and expanses of dead weeds floated, and the decay plummeted the water’s oxygen level, killing fish. “… alewives, white perch, walleyes and muskies were affected … what a shame,” he said.  Trolling the lake was impossible, because of the weeds, and he hopes the water will clear, and that he’ll be able to fish there.

Trout anglers caught okay on streams, said Brian from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. Multiple hatches came off: sulfurs, caddis  and tiny blue-winged olives. Isonychias might’ve also hatched. The trout sipped the small blue-wingeds, and sometimes determining the bugs that trout fed on was difficult, because of the different hatches. The streams flowed at below average levels, but not super-low. Enough rain fell to prevent that. Largemouth bass fishing improved a lot on lakes. Spinner baits clocked them, and rubber frogs were yet to gain much interest, but other top-water lures connected, like along docks. Nothing was really heard about hybrid striped bass and walleyes recently.

Boaters still hooked catches at Round Valley Reservoir, said James from <b>Behre Bait & Tackle</b> in Lebanon. They trolled rainbow trout 15 to 25 feet down on Warrior spoons, jointed Rapala lures and Challenger lures. They lit into lake trout along bottom in 80- to 100-foot depths. They anchored the boat and dropped Carolina-rigged, live herring or shiners to bottom on a 2-foot leader with an egg sinker above the swivel. Spruce Run Reservoir began to produce hybrid striped bass at night on live herring. Like 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. fished best. Merrill Creek Reservoir put up large smallmouth bass. Some smaller rainbow trout and a few lake trout also bit there. Boaters trolled for trout there, and tied into these different catches.

Passaic River’s northern pike bit, finally, said Cheryl from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. So that was great, and the fish could be found pretty much behind Home Depot in Pine Brook, near the store. One angler kayaked the fish on spinner baits, and most anglers fished single-hooked lures like that for the pike. The river is known for pike fishing, and the state stocks the northerns in the Passaic. The river’s flow seemed okay, up from a couple of weeks ago, but not racing, she said. A photo of a smallmouth bass caught was seen. That was from Echo Lake, she thought, and customers often headed to Lake Hopatcong and Lake Musconetcong for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. In saltwater, fluke fishing seemed hit and miss.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Some good catches of northern pike were swiped from Passaic River, said Braden from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. That was mostly on buzz baits and spinner baits, or anglers preferred fishing the single-hooked lures. Trout fishing went well at Ken Lockwood Gorge for both stocked rainbows and wild browns on small, sizes 16 or 18 hares ear nymphs and size-14, olive scuds. Trout streams ran low, especially South Branch of the Raritan River, but were fishable. Lake Hopatcong’s nighttime fishing for hybrid striped bass was a little hit or miss. But the stripers foraged on spawning herring in the shallows in the dark. The later at night anglers fished for the stripers, the better, and some trips axed 10 to 15 of the fish that were known about. Anglers walked Delaware and Raritan Canal, fighting small largemouth bass and some chain pickerel. Carp fishing should be picking up, because carp finished spawning. Fishing for them was good two or three weeks ago and then slowed during the spawn.

Anglers picked away at largemouth bass at lakes pretty well, said Virginia from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. Late afternoons and nights began to produce best, because of warming weather. Lake Riviera was difficult to access, because of construction. But if anglers could park south of Riviera somewhere and fish the lake there, some largemouths and chain pickerel could be found. Killies attracted pickerel and crappies at different lakes. Crappies chewed at Ocean County College Pond. Good catfishing could be claimed at the pond at night on nightcrawlers or bait like shedder crabs or bunker. Virginia even hooked catfish on clams. Crappies chomped in the Toms River at Trilco. Trilco is a closed building supply, and no sign identifies the building, but locals know the stretch by the name, located near Garden State Parkway. Sunfish bit abundantly at lakes, fun for kids. Trout fishing slowed, and trout anglers really needed to fish in evenings and in deep pools for cool water. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Bowfin fishing was in “full effect,” said Brian from <b>STC Sports</b> in Gibbstown. Customers bought wire leaders and cut bait like bunker to jump on bowfins at any of the tidal creeks. Snakeheads, the invasive species, bit in many of the same waters. Livelined sunfish or bluegills drew them to strike, but so did cut bait. Snakeheads also attacked top-water lures like buzz baits and rubber frogs, and the bigger, the better. The more disturbance the lures made in the water, the more the snakeheads were interested. Largemouth bass fed heavily in lakes, biting almost anything usual that’s fished for them. Delaware River’s fishing for migrating striped bass fizzled for the season. But now was becoming the time when smaller, schoolie stripers get active under bridge lights at night, when water reaches the 70 degrees. Sassy shads and Rat-L-Traps will wing the stripers, and Commodore Barry Bridge and the Raccoon Creek Train Bride are hot spots. Few anglers were targeting them, but this was time for the fishing. Some anglers land 60 in a night. Though Delaware’s striper migration wrapped up, catfishing on the Delaware is some of the best angling, if people just want to catch. Anglers can always head to the Delaware for cats. Tidal creeks and other holes can also give them up. Bloodworms that were popular for fishing for the migrating stripers are still stocked and can hook cats.

Excellent fishing for largemouth bass, chain pickerel and crappies was pounded this past week, <b>Sportsman’s Outpost</b> in Williamstown’s Facebook page said. One angler Yamamoto-wormed largemouths to 4 pounds at New Brooklyn Lake. Another nightcrawlered largemouths to 3 pounds at Wilson Lake. Spinner baits also worked well on largemouths, and buzz baits and other top-water lures began to connect. A kayaker drilled good largemouthing at Blue Hole in Winslow on pumpkinseed Culprits. Pickerel bit great at Grenloch Lake on minnows. Lots of crappies were on the feed at Glen Lake. A few largemouths and yellow perch were also picked up there. Catfishing was on at lakes that held them.

Largemouth bass fished alright at lakes, and Senko worms drew them to bite well, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Pretty good top-water fishing got underway for largemouths on rubber frogs, buzz baits and popper lures. Those three lures kept selling super. A bunch of crappies nipped in lakes on minnows. A little catfishing was talked about from Maurice and Cohansey rivers. In saltwater, trips that scored well on summer flounder were reported from back bays. Not many flounder were reported yet from Delaware Bay. Delaware Bay’s drum fishing seemed to begin petering out. A couple of reports about weakfish came from Delaware Bay. But kingfish were one catch from Delaware Bay that kept being heard about. Weakfish began to be mentioned from back bays and along jetties in the surf.

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