New Jersey Fishing Reports

The water flow remained low at 100 CFS, but the salmon run really started to solidify on the river, said Suzanne at All Seasons Sports in Pulaski. The Douglaston section was super hot, and kings from 20 to 24 pounds moved in during the mornings, and cohos from 15 to 20 pounds followed in the afternoons. What’s more, steelheads from 6 to 12 pounds moved through the river, and the fishing was an all-out affair, as anglers caught a mix of the species, averaging five to 10 fish a day. Pink and orange egg patterns and Glo-bugs were good offerings.

PENNSYLVANIA

Smallmouth bass were the main attraction in the Delaware River, said Bill at Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle in Philadelphia. One customer was up fishing at Washington's Crossing to pick up more than 40 bass from 8 to 16 inches on live minnows and top-water lures. Another was wading the Treasure Island area with friends and reeled in 50 bass and 11 catfish. They went back two days later and had 24 smallies, five catfish and two stripers, all on live minnows. The lower river was a place for excellent catfishing. The 15- to 25-foot depths gave up 8-pounders on chicken livers, and 4- to 8-pound stripers were also picking up the livers. Largemouth bass were on the feed at Dredge Harbor and Tullytown Cove, and Rat-L-Traps and Zara Spooks were the top choices for lures.

NEW JERSEY

North Jersey

Replenishing rains brought stream levels back up for good trouting, said Bill from Bill’s Bait & Tackle in Phillipsburg, and quite a few breeder-sized trout were biting. Ronald Sampson tried the Musconetcong River and scored a 4-pound 9-ounce rainbow, and John Johnson headed to Phatcong Creek and nailed a 3-pound 4-ounce brookie. Bill Miller hit the Delaware River and landed a 5-pound 9-ounce tiger trout, and Albert Sherman kept the Pequest honest and drilled a 4-pound 12-ounce rainbow. Other catches included Mike Zima’s 4-pound 12-ounce smallmouth bass from the Big D and Paul Roncoroni’s 7-pound 6-ounce channel cat from Oxford Furnace Lake.

Local trout action picked up, said Greg at Ramsey Outdoor in Paramus. The Musconetcong River, Pequest River and Big Flatbrook all received filling rains and were soon cleaned up for trouters to pull on nice, breeder-caliber fish in the 5- to 6-pound class. The big stockers were inhaling nightcrawlers and salmon eggs for conventional rodders and small midges for fly rodders. The Rockaway River was set to be stocked, and anglers were about to turn their attention there.

Walleye fishing really took off at the lake, said Laurie of Dow’s Boat Rentals in Lake Hopatcong, and most of the action came from 20-foot depths on live herring. Weigh-ins included ‘eyes from 5 to 7 pounds and also a 4-pound 14-ounce largemouth, a 3-pound 2-ounce smallmouth and a 3-pound 14-ounce chain pickerel. Lots of stripers to 6 pounds were taken as well on live herring, and yellow perch and crappie were hitting smaller jigs in the coves. Anglers with the weigh-ins were: Ralph Yannarelli, 5-pound 4-ounce walleye; Marion Glowala, 6-pound 13-ounce walleye; Bill Rathgeb, 7-pound 10-ounce walleye; Lou Marcucci, 7-pound 14-ounce walleye; Pete Rathjens, 4-pound 14-ounce largemouth; and Bo Kowal, 3-pound 2-ounce smallmouth and 3-pound 14-ounce pickerel.

Big, breeder trout were all the rage, said Al at Meltzer’s Sporting Goods in Garfield. The Ramapo River put out two nice ones going 18 and 20 inches and up to 3 pounds for Anthony Capelli, who used nightcrawlers for the task. Trout were in thick on the Paulinskill River, but none seemed to be quality sized. Both Ron Jones and Marty Sharkey worked the Paulinskill, and each pulled up scores of smaller trout on garden worms.

Spruce Run Reservoir was running very low, aid Chris at Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop, and waters at the boat launch were down past the concrete landing. Despite the water levels, the shorelines could be easily fished, because the weeds were all dried up and gone. Try tossing out top-water poppers in the evenings or slow retrieving Rapalas in the mornings for largemouth bass. Round Valley Reservoir produced an upsurge in trout action, and rainbows were caught from the shoreline on M&M combos or marshmallow and meal worms. The South Branch of the Raritan was up to almost normal level, and trout action improved on the Clinton stretch.

Trout fishers were finally in their glory, as rains filled up the streams almost to normal levels, said Ron of Ray’s Sport Shop in North Plainfield. Small midge patterns in size 16 were working well to hang trout in the Pequest and Musconetcong rivers. Most of the fish were 8 to 10 inches, but some 3- to 4-pounders were found in the deeper pools for those patient enough to work hard and get their attention.

Central Jersey

Both the north and south branches of the Raritan River were home to a number of nice, 4- to 5-pound rainbow trout, said Jim at Efinger Sporting Goods in Bound Brook. The ‘bows took nightcrawlers fished after the rainstorms. Big brook trout could be found in the Lamington River, and small Roostertails were working to get a hook-up. Round Valley Reservoir was starting to shine with trout activity, and bank anglers around the boat launch were scoring the fish, and so were trollers dragging spoons down deep in the 60- to 80-foot depths.

The Manasquan River began to produce trout that were stacked up near the Squankum Falls section, and Bryce Park was also a hot spot, said Eric from L&H Woods & Water in Wall. Spring Lake was holding steady action on bass, and small shiners cast out under bobbers were doing the trick. The silo pond in Wall Township was the place for a mixed bag of crappie, sunfish, largemouth bass and pickerel, and live shiners were catching just about all of them on any given day.

A pick of trout was to be had at the Riverwood Park conservation section of the Toms River, said Dennis at Murphy’s Hook House in Toms River. There were also reports about trout taken in the Manasquan River, up near the Route 195 Bridge. Lake Riviera doled out a host of crappie and yellow perch for anglers fishing with live killies underneath bobbers. Largemouth bass were found for one angler at Manasquan Reservoir who cast a weighted rubber worm, dragging it in from shore. The Route 528 Bridge at Lake Carasaljo was a good spot to angle for crappie, and small grub jigs found their mark. The Trilco section of the Toms River continued to offer quality pickerel on live shiners.

The biggest talk of the shop was about continuing smallmouth bass fishing on the Delaware River, and anglers were still finding dozens of the fish above Trenton, said Frank at Harry’s Army and Navy of Robbinsville. Gropp’s Lake and Carnegie Lake sent up a surge of crappie activity since nights became cool, and the slabs were actively taking small grubs and hair jigs around the stumps and stick piles.

Largemouth bass anglers were finding plenty of action at the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area lakes, said Tony at the Sportsmen’s Center in Bordentown. Lake Mercer and Prospertown Lake were also holding bucketmouths, and cooler nighttime temps sparked somewhat of a chew. Live shiners were the No. 1 baits, and chain pickerel were also eating up the shiners in the lakes.

South Jersey

Lake Worth was putting up good numbers of largemouth bass, said Ed from Creek Keepers in Blackwood, and medium-sized shiners were attracting the bites. Grenloch Lake gave up a sweet, 3.5-pound bucketmouth for Dave Bryant, who also had some big pickerel as he fished with crank baits. Blackwood Lake anglers were finding steady action on chain pickerel, and live shiners were the best baits.

Now that water temps were finally beginning to drop, look for crappie to really turn on, said Lou of the Sportsman’s Outpost in Williamstown. Small marabou jigs or curly tailed grub jigs will work at spots such as Malaga Lake to find the calicoes. Largemouths bass started to get hungry in Malaga Lake as well, and live shiners fished under bobbers will do the damage.

Rains last week definitely helped fill up the ponds and local lakes, said Steve of Blackwater Sports Center in Vineland. That had a direct effect on bass fishing, as numbers of the largemouths were to be found at Malaga Lake and Daretown Lake, where the fish attacked top-waters and crank baits. It was now a pre-turnover period on the lakes, and bassing should only get better by the day. Parvin Lake and Sunset Lake also began a fall pattern, as bass were chasing down Rat-L-Traps and crank baits there. Good-sized white perch were running through the Maurice River, and both bloodworms and grass shrimp were taking their fair share.

The white perch fishery in the Maurice River really exploded, said Ki of Huck’s Place in Millville. Anglers could fill buckets of the fish, and bloodworm bits were hanging the whiteys by the dozens while anglers fished off the banks. Customers were waiting for the first rush of striped bass to push up the Maurice, and that should be right around the corner, as water temps drop into the mid-60-degree range.