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New Jersey Freshwater Fishing Report 7-6-16


<b>North Jersey</b>

Two anglers aboard drilled 12 walleyes on one of the nighttime trips that plug for the fish on lakes with <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale, Capt. Dave Vollenweider wrote in an email Friday. The fish weighed 2 to 7 pounds, mostly 3 to 5. The anglers were repeat customers that have fished on a yearly trip aboard since Live to Fish was begun.

Weather was becoming warm for trout fishing, but trout were bailed on Big Flatbrook, said Kevin from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. Tricos, Griffiths gnats, other small flies and terrestrials hooked them in mornings. Rain that fell recently helped trout fishing, but warm weather forecast now might end trouting until fall and cool weather. Warm water is tough on trout, and even if trout bite in the warmth, many anglers avoid fishing for them, because the fight can kill the fish in high temperatures. Fishing for largemouth bass, many of them small, was good on lakes. Lake Hopatcong doled out largemouths. Jigs were fished for largemouths, and black-and-purple or black-and-blue were hot colors. Muskies were sometimes landed at Hopatcong. Some walleyes still bit at night at the lake on livelined herring. Nothing was heard about Delaware River, including about smallmouth bass fishing there. But Kevin might head to the river to fish soon.

Some hybrid striped bass were socked from the lake during the weekend on livelined herring, Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong wrote in an email. Two- to 7-pounders hit off the yacht club and off Byram. Hybrids weighed-in included Mike McErlean’s 8-pound 3-ouncer and Dana Gesregan’s 6-pound 4-ouncer. The Knee Deep Club will hold a hybrid tournament Saturday and Sunday, July 16 and 17, on the lake. Catches from the lake also included largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and lots of yellow perch.

Passaic River rose a little from rain, and lowered afterward, but was still higher than previously, said Cheryl from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. No northern pike catches were heard about that the river’s known for, but the store was closed on Fourth of July, so business was busy the next day, yesterday. The shop’s crew couldn’t really ask customers about fishing during the business. Previously, the store reported that the river was low, so pike held in deep holes, didn’t move around the river, but were caught. Being mobile, like in a kayak, helped anglers move from hole to hole. Senko rubber worms were top-sellers for largemouth bass fishing at lakes, like usual this time of year. In saltwater, fluke fishing was hit and miss. Trips seemed either to catch a 9-pounder or only throwbacks. But trips usually grabbed a couple of keepers

<b>Central Jersey</b>

From <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook, Bert sailed Round Valley Reservoir on Fourth of July, just to test the boat, he said. He caught nothing, and arrived at 10 or 11 a.m. The sun was bright, and weather was kind of warm. But he talked with an angler whose trip with the angler’s granddaughter trolled a good-sized rainbow trout on the impoundment on a size-7 Rapala Jointed Minnow. Bert practiced casting with a switch rod on Raritan River in South Bound Brook yesterday, but popper-flied a sizable smallmouth bass during the practicing and had other bites that missed. Bill from the shop played lots of small stripers on the river the other day. Bill saw a photo of a chain pickerel landed from Delaware and Raritan Canal that looked larger than 30 inches. One kid showed photos of lots of hybrid striped bass angled at Spruce Run Reservoir on small rubber shads. The kid said he hooked the fish “near the rocks,” so Bert assumed that was at the dam rip-rap. Fishing at Spruce was good for hybrids and some largemouth bass. Customers bought medium and large shiners to fish for largemouths at usual lakes.

Customers still bought worms and killies to fish lakes, said Virginia from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. At Manasquan Reservoir, nightcrawlers beat largemouths and also catfish well. A10-pound cat was reported released there. Anglers tried for hybrid striped bass at the reservoir but seemed not to catch them. Trout fishing mostly shut down in the heat. Virginia hooked none in two trips. Someone hooked but lost a huge rainbow trout at Spring Lake. Some of those stocked trout seemed to remain there. The fish might be more likely to bite bait, like a dough ball, than lures in the heat. Panfishing picked up a lot at Winding River this past week, including for small crappies and large sunfish. Ocean County College Pond was a great place to angle sunnies. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Largemouth bass were definitely in post-spawn at lakes, said James from <b>Harry’s Army Navy</b> in Robbinsville. Lots of catches on top-waters like Jitterbugs were heard about. But black Senko rubber worms and jigs also beaned the fish. Night is the time for largmouthing in the summer heat, if anglers want substantial catches. Anglers are fortunate that lakes are cooler than usual this year. The water’s in the high 70 degrees to low 80s, and usually is in the high 80s currently. Delaware River ran low at 3,000 cubic feet per second, compared with 10,000 that’s normal. Boating isn’t recommended in the low water, except for boats with jet engines that won’t ruin a prop that would hit bottom. Anglers with jet boats could fish for smallmouth bass that swam the river from Lambertville to farther upstream. The smallmouths will smack artificials including 5-inch Senkos in green pumpkin or black, small popper lures, small Rapala plugs, inline spinners and Wooly Bugger flies. Tons of small striped bass swam the river that could be nabbed on chicken liver or small pieces of shrimp. Catfish can always be reeled from the river, if anglers put in time. Chicken liver or chunks of frozen shad will hook them.

Grenloch Lake served up great catches, actually, for some reason, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. An 8-pound largemouth bass was smashed there on a minnow. So was a 2-1/2-foot chain pickerel on a shiner. A few good-sized crappies were hung from the lake on small minnows. Ed’s been fishing Glen Lake in Woodbury Heights with his family. They cracked sizable crappies and largemouth bass on minnows and nightcrawlers. From saltwater, a couple of good-sized flounder were reported taken from Townsend’s Inlet. Good kingfishing was mugged from Sea Isle City’s surf.

Weeds grew thick in many lakes, but largemouth bass fishing was good in the waters, <b>Sportsman’s Outpost</b> from Williamstown’s Facebook page said. Weedless lures or weedless rubber baits were the way to go, and look for the fish in shade or deep water in the warmth. One angler talked about good fishing at Oak Pond for largemouths to 3 pounds on Yamamoto green-pumpkin worms. A kayaker hauled a 7-pound 7-ounce largemouth from Daretown Lake on a ¼-ounce buzz bait. The DOD ponds and Greenwich Lake also put up largemouths 3 to 4 pounds.

Fishing was okay, and lots of largemouth bass were landed, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Fishing for them remained good at Rainbow Lake. “That’s been the hot bite,” he said. Union Lake’s fishing was hit or miss for a mix of largemouths and smallmouth bass. But the fish were cranked in. Anglers often fished for largemouths with Senko worms and finesse worms. Top-water fishing for largemouths was a little spotty, but connected a bit. Rubber frogs were popular for that. Catfishing was “pretty fair” at waters that held them. Not much was reported about crappies. In saltwater, many anglers fished for summer flounder. The fishing was decent on back bays that shoveled up a bunch but smaller. Better-sized came from the ocean and Delaware Bay. Lots of weakfish schooled Delaware Bay.    

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