With all the rain we’ve been getting it makes for some tough angling as streams normally take two rain-free days to subside and clear. When they do, there are still some leftover trout in local waters like the Little Lehigh, Lehigh River and Leaser Lake. But if it’s big fish you’re looking for, take note of these fishing reports.

Bill Brinkman of Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle in Philly reports lots of 24-34-inch stripers hitting crankbaits, poppers and shad bodies from Trenton up to Yardley in the Delaware River. Up at Lambertville, anglers fishing eels in the rocks above the Route 202 bridges have been catching stripers 24-31 inches. Kevin, a regular customer, said the striper fishing at the Water Gap has picked up with fish 20-38 inches hitting live eels, live trout and crankbaits.

Bluefishing along the coast has been on fire. Anglers fishing Long Beach Island (LBI) have been catching fish 6-15 pounds with crankbaits, poppers, metal jigs, metal spoons and shad bodies. Out of Atlantic City, blues 5-8 pounds have been hitting bucktails, crankbaits and shad bodies. Smaller fish are being caught in Cape May with metal, spoons and bait. At other shore points, chunked bunker, mackerel and mullet have been working on top and bottom or single rigs for blues. Mixed in have been some 24-36-inch stripers.

The Raritan Bay has been very good for bigger stripers that fell for bunker spoons, umbrella rigs with shad bodies and Mojo rigs. Also snag and dropping live bunker have brought stripers up to 48 inches and mid 40-pounds. The same water is producing plenty of 8-15-pound bluefish.

LBI has been, by far, the best for bluefish. Blues there are hitting metal, poppers, bucktails, shad bodies and crankbaits the best. Most of these fish have been 6-15 pounds. Lew had a couple fish 10-15 pounds with chunked bunker. Frank picked up over 30 bluefish on Tuesday with four keeper stripers mixed in. Bunker heads, 3-ounce Gator spoons and 2- ounce white bucktails with 6-inch grubs were working best. Fred at Sea Isle last week caught 17 bluefish and six small stripers all with bucktails and 2-ounce metal spoons and jigs. Russ at Brick had a couple bluefish with Deadly Dick lures last weekend. Frank fishing bait at Atlantic City had a few bluefish and a 26-pound striper last Saturday morning. A few other guys in the back bay of Atlantic City who threw small metal jigs have been catching 10-20 bluefish a day. Most of these fish have been 3-8 pounds. If you’re fishing strictly for stripers says Brinkman, the hot spot has been in Raritan Bay. These fish have been hitting a little bit of everything. The bait guys have been snagging and dropping bunker either to catch a bluefish or stripers 20-40 pounds. The trollers have been using Mojo rigs, umbrella rigs and bunker spoons. These anglers have been catching a mix of chunky bluefish and 15-30 pound stripers.

From the In Fisherman magazine comes word of a heavy influx of heavy striped bass.

They also point out that summer flounder season kicked in May 25 with boat anglers trolling Majas, plugs and mojos for them. Same anglers also scored on big stripers from Long Beach north to Long Branch. Livelining bunker is also taking a fair share of monster stripers. For surf-casters, plugs have taken a few good linesiders in recent days. But bunker chunks lead the way with the largest surf-caught striper of the 2017 season thus far being a 57.4-pounder on LBI earlier this week. Another near 50 pounder came by way of Brigantine Jetty.