Dow's Boat Rentals

The word from Laurie Murphy over at Dow’s Boat Rentals on the state’s largest lake was decent conditions and good fishing. She told us it was a good week for walleyes with some nice hybrids also taken after dark, this past week. Most of the fish were on jig-combinations and live shiners. She also mentioned some good perch and crappie fishing around the bridges, docks and off the drop offs in 20 feet of water on small jig tipped with Gulp, minnows or plasticbaits, mainly in the evening before dark. Largemouth and smallmouth fishing has slowed up in the lake and what bass are being caught are mainly being taken on jigged or live-lined shiners. Laurie said water temps in the lake are in the low to mid 50s and water levels continue to be good for this time of the year.

Over at Dow’s Boat Rentals on Lake Hopatcong fall conditions are excellent with water temps in the upper 50s. Laurie Murphy told us even with the good conditions and fishing angler participation remains low. She said this past week saw some good walleye fishing in the evenings on the deeper portions of points of Land and drop-offs on shiners, jig combinations and deep diving plugs. The crappie fishing was also good around the bridges, docks and bulkheads on small jigs tipped with Gulp, Plastics and live minnows fished under floats. Some crappies are also starting hold on ten and 12-foot drop-offs with anglers dead sticking them on small jigs dressed with live bait or minnows. Lastly bass and pickerel are still being caught on live lined shiners fished around what vegetation is left in the lake.