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Fish Report: August 15, 2008

Christian Berg | Outdoors

August 14, 2008

Summer may be winding down, but there is still plenty of time to take advantage of the many excellent angling options on the freshwater and saltwater scene.

Freshwater highlights: Fishing seems to be really good in the Poconos right now. Anglers at Lake Wallenpaupack are enjoying good action for smallmouth bass around the docks and weed beds, with watermelon tubes, crayfish-pattern crankbaits and live shiners all working. Anglers are Wallenpaupack also are catching lots of channel catfish up to 15 pounds on nightcrawlers and chicken livers.

Over at Shohola Lake, largemouth bass up to four pounds are hitting Yamamoto worms, while trout fishermen are taking brown and rainbow trout up to 17 inches from deeper holes in the Lackawaxen River.

Closer to home, night fishermen report good walleye action at Beltzville Lake, where schools of striped bass also are active and can often be seen pushing large pods of baitfish up against the shorelines. Meat fishermen continue to haul plenty of bass, pickerel and panfish from Leaser Lake, where size and creel limits have been removed.

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Those seeking smallmouth bass are enjoying good action in the Lehigh and Delaware rivers, while largemouths are quite active at Lake Nockamixon, Mauch Chunk and the Lehigh Canal.

It's also worth noting that despite the summer heat, local trout fishing remains surprisingly good in the Little Bushkill, Bushkill, Monocacy, Little Lehigh, Pohopoco, Mahoning and Lizard creeks. Both fly anglers and bait fishermen report success, with many people still getting limit catches of leftover stockies.

Saltwater highlights: Fluke action is really heating up along the New Jersey shore, where the ratio of keepers to short has finally narrowed enough for anglers to fill a cooler for dinner. Many of the bigger fluke have moved away from the beach to inshore reef sites, where anglers are catching them on squid, spearing, bloodworms and Berkley Gulp.

Other saltwater highlights include great offshore action for bluefin tuna, plenty of slammer bluefish and bonito at the Barnegat Ridge and a big school of huge porgies that showed up this week at the Little Egg Reef.

New state record for white perch: A white perch caught from the Delaware River back in April has been certified as a new state record by the Fish and Boat Commission.

The record fish, which weighed 1 pound, 12 ounces and measured 12.5 inches, was caught April 13 by James Clark of Philadelphia. Clark caught the fish under the Commodore Barry Bridge in Chester.

The old state record for white perch was a 1 pound, 7 ounce fish caught from Lake Minsi in 1991 by Kevin Nelson Strunk of Bangor.

SHOP TALK

-- FRESHWATER

Wallenpaupack Sports Shop, Hawley (570-226-4797): Anglers are Lake Wallenpaupack are getting lots of channel catfish in the 10-15-pound range on chicken livers and nightcrawlers...smallmouth bass are hitting watermelon tubes and crayfish-pattern crankbaits around docks and weed beds...live shiners also working for smallies...other good action at Wallenpaupack includes pickerel in the 4-5-pound range and big northern pike...one customer used a big Mepps spinner this week to catch a 13-pound northern that weighed more than 13 pounds...some nice brown and rainbow trout up to 17 inches are being caught from deeper pools in the Lackawaxen River...at the confluence of the Lackawaxen and Delaware, some walleyes and striped bass are hitting large shiners...smallmouth bass and trout are hammering live shiners at Fairview Lake...Shohola Lake largemouths in the 2-4-pound range have been hitting Yamamoto worms around stumps and weeds.

Four Seasons Sporting Goods, Jim Thorpe (570-325-4364): Brian says lots of nice trout continue to be caught from area streams...Pohopoco Creek and Lehigh River continue to produce some of the area's largest trout, with fish up to 20 inches taken in recent days...Mahoning, Lizard and Aquashicola creeks also producing trout...daytime fishing is tough at Beltzville Lake, but night fishing is good...some customers are doing well for walleyes at night, with fish up to 22 inches caught in recent days...anglers continue to encounter schools of striped bass pushing bait up against the shorelines at Beltzville...things are quieter than normal at Mauch Chunk...bass action is still decent there, but anglers are having a harder time than usual getting bites.

Willie's Bait & Tackle, Cementon (610-261-2767): Willie says smallmouth bass continue to be caught from the Lehigh River...others report good largemouth action in Lehigh Canal, but you have to fight through the surface algae to get them...trout anglers continue to do well on the Monocacy and Little Lehigh creeks...best action right now is on the fly...other local streams are low...anglers still catching plenty of bass, pickerel and panfish at Leaser Lake...customers say anglers are doing a good job of cleaning out the lake for the Fish and Boat Commission.

Backwoods Angler Guide Service, Bethlehem, (610-868-9349): Blaine Mengel says Delaware River is around 4 feet at the Belvidere gauge...water is clear, with temperatures in the low-to-mid-70s...smallmouth fishing has been streaky, with the best action coming early in the morning...at other times, focus efforts in fast runs and tail ends of pools...soft stickbaits, tubes, rubber shads and topwater lures working best...Susquehanna River smallmouth bite is decent at dawn and dusk on topwater lures and rubber shads...during mid-day, fish deeper with grubs, tubes and crankbaits.

Mike's Bait & Sports Shop, Nazareth, (610-759-2905): Mike says lots of nice channel catfish and smallmouth bass are being caught in the Delaware River...bass bite consistent at Mauch Chunk Lake, although catching a 15-inch keeper is a challenge...trout fishing has been good in Little Bushkill Creek...one customer got his limit this there week using fathead minnows...panfish active at Lake Minsi.

Klotz's Bait Shop, Hellertown (610-838-7970): Fly fishermen report good morning success on Saucon Creek, where trico hatch remains strong...Gage Stelzer of Hellertown caught an 18-inch catfish last Saturday from the Delaware River near New Hope on a nightcrawler...catfish action good at Lake Nockamixon...chicken livers working best.

Nockamixon Sports Shop, Quakertown (215-538-9553): Josh says smallmouth fishing in Delaware River is good right now...target them with lipless crankbaits, Mepps spinners and poppers...Lake Nockamixon is producing good numbers of 3-5-pound bass from 4 p.m. to dark...soft plastic lures fished slowly in dense cover is a successful tactic right now...smallmouth bass in the lake are hitting spider jigs, jig and pigs, crankbaits and live shiners early in the mornings...Steve Phillips of Quakertown caught a 7-pound, 1-ounce, 221/4-inch largemouth bass from the lake on Sunday...Kurt Mackelburg and Dan Myers of Allentown caught three nice striped bass, 10, 12 and 21 pounds, Monday from the lake...swim baits, crankbaits and chicken livers all working for stripers.

SALTWATER

North Jersey: The Tackle Box in Hazlet (732-264-7711) Lots of fluke being taken right off Sandy Hook and in Sandy Hook Channel by the ''17'' buoy...Ambrose Channel also yielding good numbers of keepers...bluefish action is good in Sandy Hook Bay...oceanfront off Monmouth Beach producing big blues in the 10-12-pound range...porgie fishing also good...weakfishing is slow...plenty of snapper blues being caught around marinas...crabbing is excellent.

Leonardo: Capt. Michael Yuro of the Freddy C (908-601-9790) says fluke fishing has been quite good, with plenty of keepers in the 7-11-pound range being taken...lots of sea bass are mixed in with the fluke...action on nighttime striped bass trips is also good...stripes up to 35 pounds are being caught.

Little Egg Inlet: Scott's Bait & Tackle (609-296-1300) Scottie says big porgies have shown up on the Little Egg Reef site...porgies over 2 pounds are being caught, and the fish are bigger than many anglers have ever seen...clams, squid strips and bloodworms are working...offshore tuna action is very good...bluefin bite has been excellent around the ''Lobster Claw''...fluke action fair at best...small bluefish still hanging around the bay, but bite is inconsistent.

Seaside Park: Betty & Nicks Bait & Tackle (732-793-2708) Things are pretty slow, but shark fishing has been good at night...weakfish are being caught in the bay on grass shrimp, but almost all fish are shorts...crabbing is still excellent...shop is waiting for bluefish and striped bass action to pick up.

Ship Bottom: Fishermen's Headquarters (609-494-5739) says a few fluke and kingfish are being caught in the surf...fluke action also has been good this week on inshore reef sites...more keeper fluke are being taken lately...offshore anglers are catching a mix of big bluefish, mackerel and bonito at the Barnegat Ridge.

Beach Haven: Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association (www.fishbeachhaven.com) says fluke, sea bass and bonito action is good...Capt. Adam Nowalsky of the ''Karen Ann II'' reports good catches of fluke up to 22 inches, along with some 5-pound bonito and jumbo bluefish out on the Barnegat Ridge...Capt. George Finck of the ''Sparetime'' reports good fluke, sea bass and ling action at the Garden State South Reef...Capt. Dave Wittenborn of the ''Compass Rose'' said fluke action has been steadily improving...the best action of the year came last Saturday, when his clients boated 10 keepers up to 22 inches, along with 30 shorts.

Rehoboth Beach, Del.: Old Inlet Bait & Tackle (302-227-7974) says surf anglers are reeling in plenty of kingfish on bloodworms...bluefish are being caught in the Indian River Inlet on incoming tides...bucktails are the ticket for blues...there are plenty of flounder in the inlet, though most fish are shorts...best baits are Berkley Gulp and live spot...there are still some striped bass being caught in the inlet at night, but anglers really have to work for them...live eels have been most productive bait.

cberg@mcall.com

610-778-2252