Delaware Bay Fishing Reports

Smallmouth bass and catfish were the mainstays on the Delaware River, said Bill from Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle in Philadelphia. He and wife Helen fished the Trenton area, picking up 28 smallies from 12 to 14 inches and 10 catfish, including a 12-pounder. Customers belted 10 to 15 bass most days, and Zoom grubs, Sassy Shads and small tube lures worked best. The area near the prison was a solid smallie hangout, and one customer fished there with leeches on jigheads with a single split shot, banging out 20-plus fish per trip. Another fished from Route 73 to Skippack, landing more than 50 smallies. Neshaminy Creek was an all-around producer of catfish, sunnies and carp, and one of the carp was a 25-pound monster that inhaled a mix of corn and carp bait. The creek’s catfish sucked down chicken livers.

NEW JERSEY

North Jersey

The local stretch of the Delaware River was so full of small stripers that anglers almost considered them a nuisance! said Bill from Bill’s Bait & Tackle in Phillipsburg. The shorts ate up all sorts of plastics, poppers and crank baits. But keepers were also a possibility. Troy Skillman hauled in an 18-pound 9-ouncer, and Carl Martin drilled a 20-pounder. The Big D also held plenty of other species, like Chris Farley Jr.’s 6-pound channel cat and Jeff Amey’s 4-pound 8-ounce walleye. Oxford Furnace Lake dished out a 5-pound 6-ounce largemouth bass for Jerry Jeffreys, and Merrill Creek Reservoir gave up a 4-pound smallmouth for Penny Nace. Bobbi Bennet, 9, also hit Merrill Creek and hooked a 3-pound 12-ounce brown trout.

The Passaic River doled out a red-hot explosion of fishing fun under the Route 80 Bridge, said Adrian from Fairfield Fishing Tackle in Montville. The deep and structure-laden area put out largemouth bass, northern pike, smallmouth bass, catfish and carp, and most anglers tied into each of the species on a day out! Spinner baits were most productive, but crank baits and Senkos worked.

Lake Hopatcong heated up with hybrid striper action when night fell, said Dom from Ramsey Outdoor in Paramus. A midnight to daybreak bite went down on almost a daily basis, as the ‘brids blitzed herring schools on the surface. Customers who cast live herring or worked poppers extremely slowly got the hook ups. The fly-fishing section of the Big Flatbrook earned best local trout-fishing honors, and pale-blue duns got hit hard. Horseshoe Lake and the local town ponds were spots to reel in smaller largemouth bass that grabbed nightcrawlers.

A smorgasbord of summertime species were on the prowl at the lake, said Laurie from Dow’s Boat Rentals in Lake Hopatcong. Lou Marcucci scored a mixed bag of smallmouths to 2 1/2 pounds, largemouths in the 3-pound range, hybrid stripers 2 to 5 pounds, crappies to 1 1/2 pounds and pickerel in the 4-pound class. Most fish keyed in on live herring, small jigs, Mepps spinners and Rapala-like crank baits. The lake was alive with activity. Don’t forget: The Knee Deep Club’s Striper Tournament is this weekend. Call the shop for info: 973-663-3826.

Largemouth and smallmouth bass got frisky in the Highlands Lakes, said Al from Meltzer’s Sporting Goods in Garfield. One angler bailed a mix of 38 bass of both species from 1 to 3 pounds on Senkos rigged wacky-style. Clinton Reservoir and Oak Ridge Reservoir should also put up good numbers.

The South Branch of the Raritan River simmered with piscatorial possibilities, said Chris from Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop. White perch, smallmouth and largemouth bass to 4 pounds and the usual run of sunfish and bluegills kept both bank and canoe anglers busy. Senkos and live shiners took top billing. After the heavy herring stocking at Round Valley Reservoir, most anglers found loads of smaller-sized trout on the ends of lines, either fished from the banks or by boat.

Everybody was waiting for a good rain to replenish low-running streams, said Ron from Ray’s Sport Shop in North Plainfield. Trouters were out and about at Ken Lockwood Gorge from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m., tossing ant, beetle and caddis flies in size 16. Spruce Run Reservoir offered largemouth bass in the coves, and fly casters there launched out size-8, white Wooly Buggers or bright-orange poppers for a strike.

Central Jersey

Most trout anglers headed to the South Branch for their fare, because the waters were higher than surrounding streams, said Ron from Efinger Sporting Goods in Bound Brook. Fly fishers hit with size-14 pale-blue-dun flies. The Delaware and Raritan Canal was full of bass, carp, catfish and still leftover trout, and nightcrawlers and shiners attracted the fish to the hook.

Summertime fishing was in high gear, said Jeff from Murphy’s Hook House in Toms River. In the Winding River largemouth bass and sunfish chased down live shiners and Senko worms, while pickerel hounded any metallic spinner. Lake Riviera was the spot for a selection of crappie, catfish and largemouth bass, and so were the Ocean County College ponds. At Manasquan Reservoir largemouth bass hung tight to the logs and stumps, and shore casters worked purple rubber worms around the fallen structure, pulling out bass to 2 pounds and larger. Be sure to rig worms weedless style to prevent a snag in the branchy undergrowth.

Largemouth bass were moving into the deeper channels and pockets, said Eric from Harry’s Army and Navy in Robbinsville. Use rubber worms or drop-shotted Senkos for the best chance at a hook-up. Lake Assunpink was a solid bet for bigmouths as well as crappies for anglers drop-shotting Trout Magnets along the bottom in the 10- to 15-foot depths. Stone Tavern Lake gave up a bevy of yellow perch and bucketmouth bass in the mornings and evenings, and swim live shiners or herring along the bottom.

Lake Assunpink was the most productive largemouth bass fishery, said Tony from the Sportsmen’s Center in Bordentown. Baby nightcrawlers and whole nighties fished a few feet under a float were the key to success, and pickerel, crappies and perch were interspersed between the bass catches. Lake Mercer and Carnegie Lake were also decent spots to try. Bass were quiet over the weekend, but began to hit in earnest again on Tuesday morning, maybe a good harbinger for the week to come.

South Jersey

Live minnows fished under bobbers took just about any fish under the sun at the Stafford Forge ponds and Tuckerton Lake, said Scott from Scott’s Bait & Tackle in Mystic Island. If you want to try a different approach, cast small metal spinners to hang larger pickerel and even some crappies.

A whopper, 8-pound-class largemouth bass was checked in, said Rick from Big Timber Bait & Tackle. The lunker was hauled out of Newton’s Creek, where surely there are more. The Cooper River off Route 130 was a solid bigmouth hangout, and so was Malaga Lake. Chartreuse shads, Senkos and Yum Money Minnows all got eagerly gobbled up by bass. The tributaries of the Delaware River, including Big Timber Creek, were catfish clubhouses, and channels to 8 pounds scarfed down dead herring baits.

Largemouth bass pleased lake anglers, said Ed from Creek Keepers in Blackwood. Lake Worth produced bass to 3 pounds on large, live shiners fished under bobbers. At Clementon Lake bass bit large shiners, and yellow perch were in the fray. If anyone wants to search out larger bass, try Blackwood Lake, where some bass to 6 pounds chased Senkos and live shiners.

Bigmouth bass were the popular quarry at Grenloch Lake and surrounding ponds, said Lou from Sportsman’s Outpost in Williamstown. Rick Muller fished plastic lizards at Mary Elmer Lake to pull on seven pickerel to 3 pounds, along with two largemouth bass from 2 to 3 pounds. Fish early mornings before the heat sets in and shuts off the feed.

Anglers basically could pick anywhere and catch a bass now, said Steve from Blackwater Sports Center in Vineland. Zoom frogs, Horny Toads and Senkos were best lures, and the trick seemed to be to work the lures slowly to let the sluggish bass hone in on them. The Salem Canal, Malaga Lake, and Union Lake produced. So did the tidal waters of the Maurice River, but toss out crank baits or spinner baits in the moving waters of the river.

Decent largemouth bass fishing took place at the upper stretches of the Maurice River, said Ki from Huck’s Place in Millville, and crank baits got whacked. White perch swam all throughout the river system, and grass shrimp were on the menu for them. Union Lake gave anglers a good show of largemouth bass and sunfish during the daytime hours.