<b>North Jersey</b>

Capt. Dave Vollenweider from <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale recently returned from a vacation to Seattle and Vancouver where he released two 4- or 5-foot sturgeon, 50 or 60 pounds, on British Columbia’s Fraser River on a trip, he said. Those were babies compared with how large the fish could be. Another angler released an 11-1/2-foot 750-pounder the day before. Some of the region’s rivers, like the Columbia, are full of sturgeons. Back in New Jersey, Dave guided a trip Sunday on Greenwood Lake that cast chatter baits near shore and drop-shotted deep water, but fishing was slow in hot weather that felt like 105 degrees. The water surface was 81 or 82 degrees. But fishing for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass has been good, despite the heat, in tournaments that Dave’s friend Paul Schmidt’s club, the Northeast Bassmasters, has held on Greenwood and Lake Hopatcong. Bass catches Dave heard about were mostly on drop-shots along weeds but also in the deep. Anglers in the know scored big bags of smallmouths in the deep like that. Dave is supposed to guide a trip for muskies today.  

Wasn’t a lot of fishing in the heat, but some good largemouth bassing was tackled at most local ponds, said Kevin from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. This was top-water time, fishing lures like rubber frogs and buzz baits during times like early mornings. But lots of Keitechs were sold for largemouth fishing, too. Hybrid striped bass were top-water plugged at Lake Hopatcong, mostly in early mornings, on lures including Zara Spooks. Livelined herring also whacked the hybrids. No customers fished for trout on streams in the heat. Nothing was heard about fishing Delaware River, including for smallmouth bass, in the heat. Weather’s supposed to be cooler next week, and more news will probably roll in then.

An 8-pound 8-ounce channel catfish and a 5-pounder won first and second places in the weekend’s Knee Deep Club’s catfish tournament on the lake, Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong wrote in an email. Hunter Good and his dad entered those catches, and Rob Piotrowski won third with a 2-pound 7-ounce cat. Bullhead cats just heavier than a pound won fourth through sixth prizes, gift certificates to Dow’s. Some of the contest’s 46 entrants might not have fished because of thunderstorms the evening of the event, held overnight Saturday to Sunday. Lots of hybrid striped bass and white perch were hooked from the lake lately. Dan McErlean weighed-in a 3-pound 7-ounce smallmouth bass, and Max H. checked-in a 3-pound largemouth bass. Knee Deep Club’s next contest will be the King of the Lake Tournament, a multi-species competition, on Saturday and Sunday, September 17 and 18, on the lake. Autumn’s coming and is a fine time to fish the lake. Weather’s cooler, and boat traffic is less. Dow’s remains open daily until November sometime. Then the shop is closed a moment and reopened when ice-fishing becomes possible.

Some anglers eased carp and catfish, big, from Passaic River, said Larry from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. The river ran low, and rain sometimes helped, but the water dropped back down soon afterward. Customers hooked largemouth bass from Lake Hopatcong along docks a week ago. Little else was reported about anybody fishing since, because of the heat.

Heat was brutal, and customers hardly bought bait, even, said Scott from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. But next week is supposed to cool. Bill from the shop nailed largemouth bass, mostly on top-waters including rubber frogs and Live Target mice, but also on Senko rubber worms, Bill said. That was all 1 ½ hours before sunset, avoiding the heat of mid-day. Scott landed smallmouth bass from the North Branch of the Raritan River two weeks ago, before the warmth, and didn’t fish since, avoiding the heat. But the river currently flowed at a decent level, because of rains. To fish for the bass, he’d cast small Senkos or Z-Man TRD rubber worms. Or top-waters like puppy Zara Spooks or buzz baits. Anglers fished the river at night for catfish and walleyes. When anglers fished during the heat wave, they often fished at night.

<b>South Jersey</b>

No matter the heat, good largemouth bass fishing was tied into at Manasquan Reservoir, Assunpink Lake and Lake Shenandoah, said Virginia from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. The angling actually picked up, and nightcrawlers caught, because the fish were reluctant to chase anything like a lure in the warmth. Yellow perch gave up good fishing in the Toms River at Trilco. Throwback stripers bit in that freshwater stretch of the river on 1/8-ounce jigheads with paddletails. 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. Ocean County College Pond, Lake Riviera and Winding River turned out plenty of sunnies and some chain pickerel and occasional largemouth bass, a variety.  Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

From <b>Harry’s Army Navy</b> in Robbinsville, James fished Stone Tavern Lake on Sunday night, boating eight largemouth bass to 3 ½ pounds on Rapala Skitter Pops and Cavitron Buzz Baits, he said. He fished 9 p.m. until 2:30 a.m., and pretty much found the fish at drop-offs from 4 to 5 feet of water to flats marked on the depth finder. He attempted to fish Delaware River on a friend’s jet boat the other morning. But weeds choked the water, and they decided not to continue the angling. Warmth and lack of rain made the river weedy this season. Anglers could fish for the smallmouths, but only weedless, like with 5-inch Senkos, preferably black, tubes or weedless top-waters. The river was loaded again with small striped bass in the Morrisville and Yardley area. They schooled previously then disappeared a moment. James doesn’t fish for the stripers, because they’re young and he prefers not to bother them, letting them grow. But anglers can play the bass on 1/16-ounce jigs with small rubber grubs or swim baits. Popper plugs will work, and the stripers swill also swipe flies. They definitely bite.

Chain pickerel might be a catch to target in the warmth, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. They’re aggressive and usually bite in any weather, and minnows or shiners should hook them. Little fishing was reported the past two weeks in the heat. A customer picked up repaired rods saying he boated summer flounder on the back bay near Brigantine in saltwater. Kingfish bit in the ocean surf at Sea Isle City on bloodworms. Crabbing was good, a good year for that. Customers bought frozen bunker for the blueclaws.

Deeper lakes like Union, Parvin and Oswego fished best in the heat, <b>Sportsman’s Outpost</b> from Williamstown’s Facebook page said. One angler totaled five largemouth bass to 5 pounds at Union on a trip on Strike King’s Kevin VanDam Sexy Shad Lures. Another customer slammed an 8-pound largemouth at Parvin on a Jitter Bug, saying early mornings fished best. An angler and her young son lit into sunfish and crappies at Oswego on Berkley grubs. A report also came from Rainbow Lake: a customer angled largemouths to 3 ½ pounds there on a Rapala.

Fishing was tough in high temperatures, but largemouth bass were still pulled from Lake Audrey, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. He heard a couple of reports about that, and some were angled at Union Lake during the weekend, nothing outstanding. Anglers fished for largemouths with shaky heads and drop shots. Catfish were clutched from Maurice River. “They’re doing okay with that,” he said. In saltwater, summer flounder served up steady catches from Delaware Bay. Good reports about flounder began to come from ocean reefs. 

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