Using a minnow-plug and teaser combination, an anger took this hefty smallmouth bass on the Delaware River. Photo by J.B. Kasper.

For Garden State bass fishermen, the 2007 season was one of the best in the last 10 years. Not only were good numbers of bass caught throughout the state, but also some hefty fish were making digital scales light up at tackle shops. To understand what made the 2007 season so productive, you need to look back at the last several years -- especially at the weather patterns that were prevalent throughout the state.

After all, for more than two years, our region was plagued by some of the wettest weather in the last century. In that brief time period, we suffered three major floods and numerous smaller ones. The accompanying unstable weather patterns wreaked havoc and created some very spotty fishing conditions.

Finally, in the summer of 2006, the weather began to settle down, and last year saw some of the first stable weather patterns in a long while, from May through the fall. Those weather patterns in turn produced stable water conditions in most places, which resulted in above-average bass fishing throughout the state.

Not only was some excellent bass fishing in the state’s lakes and reservoirs. The Delaware and Raritan rivers and other large streams experienced record-setting smallmouth fishing. Electro-shocking studies of those streams showed that their smallmouth populations are in excellent shape. Two good spawns in a row have been providing well-stocked year-classes for the future.

Here’s a look at some of the best bass-producing waters in the Garden State, ones that should really produce for you during the 2008 season.

LAKE HOPATCONG
Without a doubt, the state’s largest lake wears the crown for being 2007’s top bass producer. Hopatcong’s 2,658 surface acres of water offer bass fishermen the biggest variety of structure of any water in the state, with excellent populations of largemouth and smallmouth bass.

Biological studies show the lake’s bass population to be in excellent shape, and for good reason. The lake’s waters are in the best shape they have been in for over 20 years.

This, in large part, is thanks to the efforts of communities around the lake, along with the Knee Deep Fishing Club (the state’s largest freshwater fishing club) and state efforts to clean up the lake’s waters. Restrictions on sewage, fertilizer for lawns and runoff have helped clean up the lake’s water problems.

Hopatcong has a maximum depth of 50 feet, with numerous coves that give bass anglers plenty of places to get away from boating traffic in this unlimited horsepower water.

Early-season fishing finds good action on live bait, spinnerbaits and swimming plugs in many of the lake’s smaller coves, which warm up earlier than the main lake.

You will find excellent summer fishing around the lake’s numerous docks. In addition, the backwaters of coves offer some excellent topwater action, with some of the best fishing occurring after dark when boat traffic is at its lightest.

SPLIT ROCK RESERVOIR
“Less known, but some of the best bass fishing in the state” is the way to describe our next pick in the northern part of the state. Split Rock Reservoir is part of the Jersey City water-supply system and is part of the Rockaway River Watershed.

The reservoir’s 551 acres of water were trap-netted from the shoreline this past year. The average catch was 108 bass per hour, a mix of largemouths and smallmouths. This result shows a very high number of fish, especially for shoreline nettings.