<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

Smallmouth bass fishing was explosive on the Delaware River, said Bill from <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Philadelphia. He fished upriver of Trenton in the 1- to 5-foot shallows, reeling in 31 smallmouths, four stripers and one walleye. The 14- to 17-inch smallies hit Zoom grubs in watermelon, pumpkinseed and cotton candy. A customer fished the Bull's Island section, nabbing 15 smallmouths 12 to 17 inches on grubs. Frenchtown and Byram were other great locales, and a customer who fished Byram nailed 35 smallmouths and nine catfish on minnows and leeches. The Dredge Harbor area dished out 10- to 14-inch largemouth bass for anglers casting black poppers, 4-inch, purple, firetailed slider worms and shiners. One angler lit up 20 bass 10 to 15 inches along the back barge and pipe section of Dredge.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

</b>North Jersey</b>

The week was a wild one, said Bill from <b>Bill’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Phillipsburg, and hot weather and low, warm waters failed to affect fishing. The sizes and numbers of walleyes caught on the local Delaware River were impressive, and the fish keyed in on small, live eels, leeches and crawfish. Smallmouth bass and channel catfish were also taken, mainly on leeches and crawfish. Bertha Masterson creeled an 8-pound 6-ounce walleye, and Ralph Montaque banged out two walleyes 4 pounds 10 ounces and 5 pounds 4 ounces. Pat Storm tackled a 4-pound walleye. Also on the Big D, Anthony Gregory bagged a 12-pound 4-ounce channel catfish, and Matt Karcher clubbed a 10-pound 6-ouncer. Striped bass were all over the river, and Herb Roberts beat a 23-pound 12-ouncer. Randy Childress netted a 22.9-pound striper, and John Massey hung a 19-pounder. Catches also rolled in from Merrill Creek Reservoir, like Jim Stout’s 8-pound 8-ounce lake trout, and Robert Monroe’s 4-pound 12-ounce largemouth bass. Alijuah Draton, 5, hit Merrill and hooked a 3-pound largemouth. At Minski Lake Albert Conrad drilled a 4-pound 9-ounce pickerel, and on the Lehigh River Harold Caccese landed a 23-pound 3-ounce carp, a monster.

The Passaic River divvied up catches of largemouth bass and northern pike for anglers, said Adrian from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Montville, but they had to put in the time to find a hook-up. Best spots included along the I-80 Bridge and Elmwood Park, and large shiners worked for both species. Trout fishers headed to Stokes State Forest with mealworms and salmon eggs to find a few bites.

Customers targeted Lake Hopatcong to pull on a variety of fish, said Dom from <b>Ramsey Outdoors</b> in Paramus. Largemouth bass and walleyes were played in the coves on shiners and leeches. Talk floated around about muskies caught on large spinner baits and humongous Jitterbugs, with the top-water commotion igniting strikes in the evening hours.

Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong also said a wide variety of fish were active on the lake. Smallmouth bass to 2 ½  pounds could be stuck at Chestnut Point and Nolan’s Point in 17 to 20 feet of water, and fathead minnows attracted them. Ed Mackin weighed in a 3.15-pound smallie. Crappies to 1 ½ pounds stayed just outside the weed lines, and so did largemouth bass, and Senkos and small yellow grubs were best for both. Adam Kasica claimed a 3-pound 10-ounce largemouth, and Jim Welsh checked in an 8.4-pound hybrid striped bass. Lou Marcucci from the Knee Deep Club said 25,000 4-inch hybrids and 10,000 4-inch walleyes were stocked, so the future looked bright at Hopatcong!

Most anglers made the trip to Lake Hopatcong to chase largemouth bass, said Tom from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. Others boated Spruce Run Reservoir and Merrill Creek Reservoir for both largemouth and smallmouth bass. The Passaic River served up a 7-pound carp that inhaled a dough ball for Tom.

Round Valley Reservoir was electric with activity, said Chris from <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop</b>. Night trips put out a mix of trout, largemouth bass and big bluegills. Light sticks that boaters dropped into the waters attracted schools of herring in the dark, and bass and trout followed the bait to the surface. Live herring hooked rainbows to 4 pounds and largemouths to 3 pounds. Cooked shrimp from the supermarket got eaten up, if anglers couldn’t fish live herring.

Fly casters assaulted the local farm ponds and lambasted nuclear-sized bluegills to 11 inches, said Ron from <b>Ray’s Sport Shop</b> in North Plainfield. Chartreuse poppers tricked up the beasty bluegills, and Farrington Lake also offered them up. Spruce Run Reservoir was hot to trot with largemouths, bluegills and crappies, with silver and black Rapalas or orange poppers taking all species, especially in the sunup hours. 

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Decent catches of trout were made on the Pequest River, even through the heat and low waters, said Ron from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Dave Barrett tossed out a Rapala and banked a 5.3-pound rainbow trout. Cal Richards plied the Raritan River near Duke’s Park and wrestled in a whopper, 6.8-pound smallmouth bass. Be sure to stop at the shop to see the new line of Z-Bas reels.

Manasquan Reservoir’s fishing finally opened up, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. Anglers dunked killies fished about 3 feet under bobbers to bang up bass and crappies. The crappies hung around trees along the bank sides, and the bass sat in the deeper waters near Tree Island and along the rough bottom in the middle of the reservoir. The bass could be taken with drop-shotted Senkos on the bottom. The Winding River held a flurry of pickerel activity, if anglers could fight off the snapping turtles. Trout anglers had luck in the Riverwood section of the Toms River while casting spinners underneath undercut banks. The Trilco section of the river, especially at the Parkway Bridge, offered up small striped bass 6 to 10 inches that hit Rapalas.

Smallmouth bass held thick in the Lambertville stretch of the Delaware River, said Ryan from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. Grub tails and slider rigs smacked the bronzebacks to 3 pounds. Rising Sun Lake was smoking for 4- to 5-pound bucketmouth bass that attacked 3-inch, black Spook lures in the mornings. Lake Mercer was home to largemouths eager to feed, and trollers who dragged 7-1/2- to 10-inch ribbontail worms hooked up with dozens from 1 to 4 pounds. Trouters worked the Musconetcong River with size-1, silver Panther Martin spinners for some keepable fish.

Buckets of rain that dumped all over the area this past week at first made local lakes and ponds pretty muddy, said Tony from the <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. But by early this week, fishing rebounded, especially at Lake Assunpink. Largemouth bass were caught on Senkos and small crank baits in the deeper sections, and evenings were best. Rising Sun Lake sent out a good pull of bass along with larger crappies on fathead minnows.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Customers were buying up nightcrawlers and live shiners to fish from the bridge at Tuckerton Lake, said Scott from <b> Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Mystic Island. A mix of sunfish, largemouth bass and pickerel pulled on lines.

Spots such as Newton Lake, Wilson Lake and the Cooper River all held aggressive bass that went after Senkos and top-water poppers, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b> in Brooklawn. Dawn and dusk seemed to be when most of the fish got active Crappies could also be found at Wilson Lake, and toss small grub tails or fathead minnows when the slabs were located. Pickerel chasers could get into a good selection at Victory Lake. On the Delaware River catfish pulled on lines, especially near the creek mouths and along National Park.

Largemouth bass fishing was consistent at local lakes, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers</b> in Blackwood. Lake Rene, Blackwood Lake and Lake Worth were top producers, but Penn Bryn Lake was numero uno for both quality and quantity of the fish. Senkos and small crank baits worked best on all the impoundments.

Malaga Lake held bucketmouth bass opportunity, said Lou from the <b>Sportsman’s Outpost</b> in Williamstown. One couple there caught four 1- to 3-pound largemouths and two large pickerel on fathead minnows during the late afternoon and evening. The Department of Defense Ponds Wildlife Management Area on Route 130 was an under-the-radar spot for a mixed bag of bass and crappies that grabbed free-lined fathead minnows.

Rains refilled most local ponds and put bass back on the chew, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Sunset Lake and the Salem Canal were places to find plenty, and flip-n-jigs were most productive. Malaga Lake was decent for bigmouths, and black buzz baits got more attention there. Don’t overlook the local sand washes, such as the South Vineland Park and Clemente sand washes, for unpressured largemouth bass fishing. Catfish kept anglers busy in the dark hours on the Maurice River.

Catfishing was top priority for anglers on the Maurice River, said Ki from <b>Huck’s Place</b> in Millville. The cats were formidable 5- to 8-pounders that ate up chicken livers through the nighttime. Mr. Catfish dough baits were also gobbled up. White perch schooled the river and pounced on grass shrimp and bloodworms.

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