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Fish Report: August 22, 2008

Christian Berg | Outdoors

August 21, 2008

The current weather pattern of comfortably warm days and chilly nights are just about perfect for a day on the water, and local anglers are certainly taking advantage of the conditions.

Freshwater highlights: Smallmouth bass fishing remains very good in the Delaware, Lehigh and Schuylkill rivers. Fish are running on the small side right now, but if you're satisfied catching numbers of nine-to-12-inch fish, you can't go wrong. Smallmouths also are quite active at Lake Wallenpaupack, where fishermen are using deep-diving crankbaits to catch smallies over 20 inches.

Trout anglers report good fly-fishing on the Monocacy and Little Lehigh creeks, while bait anglers continue to haul in some nice trout from Mahoning, Mauch Chunk and Pohopoco creeks.

Leaser Lake is yielding good numbers of bass, pickerel and panfish, while some good-sized bluegills and yellow perch are being caught at Lake Minsi. Pickerel remain extremely active at Peck's Pond, while Lake Nockamixon is yielding very good early morning action for striped bass and a good evening bite for largemouth bass.

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Saltwater highlights: Bluefishing is excellent along the New Jersey coast, with the best action found by boats around Shrewsbury Rocks and the Barnegat Ridge. Blues in the eight-to-12-pound range are plentiful and being caught on a variety of jigs, surface plugs and cut bait.

Saltwater anglers also are enjoying good fluke action in the surf, local channels and the inshore reef sites. Reef trips also are producing decent catches of sea bass.

Weakfish have finally shown up in North Jersey, and anglers are catching keepers up to six pounds using sandworms in Reach and Sandy Hook channels. Down in Rehoboth Beach, Del., surf anglers are catching a mix of kingfish, croakers and blues.

Want to be a Waterways Conservation Officer? If you've ever considered a career as a fish warden, now is the time to get serious. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission announced this week it will be accepting applications for its next WCO training class through Oct. 1.

In addition to enforcing fishing and boating laws, WCOs assist with fish stocking, respond to pollution incidents and conduct a variety of public education programs.

Successful applicants must completed a one-year training program at the commission's H. R. Stackhouse School of Fisheries Conservation and Watercraft Safety in Centre County. After graduating from the training school, new WCOs receive 12 weeks of supervised field experience before being assigned to their own district.

For more information about career opportunities as a WCO, visit the commission's Web site at http://www.fishandboat.com .

SHOP TALK

-- FRESHWATER

Wallenpaupack Sports Shop, Hawley (570-226-4797): Smallmouth action very good at Lake Wallenpaupack...one customer used deep-running crankbaits to catch two smallies over 21 inches this week...lots of catfish up to 25 pounds being caught at the lake...some big yellow perch are being caught at Wallenpaupack on mealworms...anglers at the Lackawaxen River report some nice striped bass and walleyes in the deeper pools...trout in the river are hitting spinners...largemouth bass active at Shohola Lake...Fairview Lake is hot for bass and trout...bluegills and bullheads being taken from smaller local ponds.

Four Seasons Sporting Goods, Jim Thorpe (570-325-4364): Brian says this is about the toughest week of fishing all summer...cool nights have made fish more sluggish in area lakes, but trout fishing has picked up on area streams...Mauch Chunk Creek and Pohopoco Creek both offering good action...Pohopoco recently stocked with thousands of rainbow fingerlings...Mahoning Creek is extremely low, but trout can be found in deeper holes...Beltzville Lake bass fishing getting slower and slow, but night bite for walleyes has been good...anglers using downriggers off their boats seem to be having best success...Mauch Chunk Lake bass bite is decent, but catfishing there is very good...panfishing at Mauch Chunk slow.

Willie's Bait & Tackle, Cementon (610-261-2767): Willie says Lehigh River smallmouth action good...live minnows working well...a few trout being caught in the river as well...trout also hitting flies on Monocacy and Little Lehigh creeks...plenty of bass, panfish and pickerel continue to be caught at Leaser Lake...pickerel action great at Peck's Pond...one customer caught and released more than 100 pickerel during a recent visit there, along with two largemouth bass over 19 inches...Seth Claussen, 7, of Northampton, caught and released a 30-inch, 71/2-pound muskie from the Delaware River on a chatterbait.

Backwoods Angler Guide Service, Bethlehem, (610-868-9349): Blaine Mengel says Delaware River is 3.6 feet at Belvidere gauge...water is clear, with temperatures in the 60s...lots of insects are hatching from the water, and smallmouth bass are sipping them off the surface...trips averaging 50-60 bass a day recently...most fish are being caught from deep, rocky pools on soft stickbaits...early and late in the day, larger fish are hitting topwater lures, rubber shad and tubes...Susquehanna River smallmouth bite remains a dawn and dusk affair, but Mengel expects action there to pick up as the weather cools...crayfish and crayfish imitations are good bets there...target bass around submerged ledges.

Little Lehigh Fly Shop, Allentown, (610-797-5599): Little Lehigh Creek is 2.23 feet at Allentown and flowing at 56 cubic feet per second, which is below normal flow of 70 cfs...water is 62 degrees and crystal clear...anglers must dress in earth tones and use stealth when approaching the stream to avoid spooking fish...trico hatch is still going strong...be on the water by 9 a.m. for spinner fall...midges and craneflies also hatching...recommended patterns include tricos, Al's rats, honeybugs, Griffith's gnats, bivisibles, San Juan worms, parachute Adams, pheasant tails, Henryville specials, honeybug inchworms, cressbugs and scuds.

Mike's Bait & Sports Shop, Nazareth, (610-759-2905): Mike says bass bite good at Mauch Chunk Lake...some big yellow perch are being taken on fathead minnows at the upper lake at Promised Land...good bluegill and perch action at Lake Minsi...smallmouth action has been good in the Delaware and Lehigh rivers.

Rick's Bait & Tackle, Maiden Creek (610-926-8888): Bass and catfish are being caught at Lake Ontelaunee...bass bite is good at Blue Marsh, where anglers also are landing some big striped bass at night...smallmouth action is excellent in the Schuylkill River...fish there are plentiful but on the small side, with most running 10-12 inches.