New Jersey Fishing Reports

Rains created a slick cover on the ice on the lake, said Bruce from FISH307.com at Lake George. But 12 to 15 inches covered most areas. Lake trout were lifted from the 60- to 100-foot depths off Dome Island and Crown Island, and white bass tubes got hit hard. Yellow perch and 5- to 12-pound northern pike, quality fish, hung in 30-foot depths at Basin Bay, Huddle Bay and Saw Mill Bay. The perch nibbled Hali Jigs in green and yellow, and the pike ate up suckers and large shiners. Salmon fishing slowed a bit, but anglers fishing with emerald shiners a foot under the ice could find the landlockeds chewing in waters off the Paulist Fathers Seminary.

Salmon River

Shelf ice along the river finally broke up and drifted off, making for easier bank access, said Jim at All Seasons Sports in Pulaski. The lower river including at Douglaston began to produce well, and the river started running at 750 CFS and clean. Steelheads averaged 6 to 12 pounds, inhaling egg sacks, trout beads, stoneflies, bead-headed nymphs and olive wooly buggers.

Fishing and the weather were tough over the weekend, but six brown trout were beaten on a trip Saturday, saving the day, said Paul Auguscinski from SAS Guide Service from Pulaski. Two steelheads were hooked but lost. Sunday was one of the toughest days of the season, and only one steelhead was taken. Lots of the river, every spot from Pineville to the Route 2A Bridge, were covered on the trip. Egg sacks and trout beads got the bites both days. Warmer weather was coming, and Paul hoped that would trigger better angling. Steelhead fishing should only improve as spring approaches. SAS Guide Service spin fishes for salmon, steelheads and trophy trout on wade and drift-boat trips, and enjoys teaching anglers the techniques that will help them learn how to hook up themselves, so they can even return to catch on their own. Time is running out: A special rate of two anglers for the price of one is available until March 15.

Bill Ferman from High Hook Guide Service from Pulaski got slammed with the flu and had to steer clear of the river, but he was bouncing this week, he said. The river certainly held steelheads, and more and more will be angled in as winter ends and the spring run kicks off. The storm that ravaged Jersey failed to reach the Pulaski area, and the weather was clear Monday, when the blizzard came through in the Garden State. High Hook both wades and drift-boats for salmon, steelheads and trophy brown and rainbow trout with both spinning gear and fly rods. Ask about winter steelhead rates!

PENNSYLVANIA

More walleyes started being caught each day on the Delaware River, said Bill from Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle in Philadelphia. The wing dam area at Lambertville offered 4- to 6-pounders on the take around the islands, and both shiners and jigheads worked them up. Yellow perch anglers should head to Dredge Harbor on the river to toss out minnows on jigs. Both Lake Luxemborg and Levittown Lake put out plenty of trout on Power Bait, nightcrawlers and wax worms. Crappies and bluegills also fed at both lakes on small grubs and garden worms. If anglers have an itch for ice fishing, head up to the Pocono lakes, such as Peck’s Pond, where fishable hard water remained.

NEW JERSEY

North Jersey

The ice became mostly unfishable around Warren County, said Bill from Bill’s Bait & Tackle in Phillipsburg. But fair fishing went down in the open waters on the Delaware River and lakes that were free of ice. Minsi Lake gave up a 4.6-pound chain pickerel and a 4-pound 12-ounce largemouth bass for Ron Worman and a 2-pound crappie for Phil Pokozoni. Swartswood Lake doled out a 4.8-pound pickerel for Robin Amey, and Oxford Furnace Lake turned up a 3-pound 9-ounce rainbow trout for George Holcomb. Bob Santo hit the Musconetcong River to tackle a 3.6-pound brown trout.

The ice at Budd Lake and Lake Hopatcong will probably be totally unsafe the rest of this week, said Kevin from Ramsey Outdoor in Paramus. But anglers could start to concentrate on walleyes on the Delaware River, where a few were reportedly hooked at Worthington State Park. Trout anglers could fight rainbows on the feed on the Pequest River. Small, bead-headed nymphs attracted sizeable ones, 2- to 4-pounders, below the hatchery.

Looked like the fat lady sang for the ice-fishing season on the lake, said Laurie from Dow’s Boat Rentals in Lake Hopatcong. The shoreline was almost totally inaccessible, except for a small area around Woodport. Ice fishers did get out at Woodport at Mason Street over the weekend, wrestling with yellow perch and pickerel. Call the shop for the latest on the ice conditions.

Upper Greenwood Lake still held fishable ice, said Mark from Meltzer’s Sporting Goods in Garfield. He and Al from the shop bailed 60 yellow perch and four pickerel on tip-ups and jigs at the lake during the weekend. Waters off the corner of Storm Island were best. Trout anglers now focused on the Paulinskill River to pull out rainbows that sucked up garden worms.

Budd Lake was an unbelievable hot spot through the ice, said Chris from Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop. He and Dan Kryzkowski jigged 102 crappies around the floating dock, steady flags all day, and also caught three largemouth bass to 17 inches, three northern pike to 26 inches, a 4-pound pickerel and a few yellow perch. There was a small area where anglers could get on the ice, but a lot of open waters too. Trouters devoted their time to the South Branch of the Raritan River, floating out bead-headed nymphs for a tug.

Bill Hoffman from Skylands Angler from Clinton fished at the Florida Keys through the beginning of the week, he said. Good timing, with the snowstorm that pelted Jersey. The snow cover won’t affect trout fishing until it melts. Then high, dirty waters will surely begin. But the conditions should pass, and nymphs will continue to be the best bet for a while. A slow presentation, with mending and high-sticking, was in order lately, because the fish seemed somewhat sluggish from the cold. The effort to slow the drift also helps keep the faster waters on top from moving the fly too quickly, unnaturally along slower waters on bottom. Hares ears nymphs always work at all times of year, and lately small, black stoneflies gained attention, and Bill saw the stoneflies in the waters. If water levels get back to normal, look for tiny caddis flies to hatch to get into the year’s first dry-fly fishing. Bill already landed his season’s first trout on a dry fly, a micro caddis that a rainbow bit on the Musconetcong a couple of weeks ago. Fishing with nymphs at this time of year is never really about matching the hatch. The dry-fly season in the warmer months is when specific patterns that imitate naturals can make more of a difference. The clock is ticking down to the closing of trout season a moment starting March 23 for stocking. Trouting can be some of the best of the year until then, with cold waters and less crowds. In Florida Bill fly-rodded a 10-pound bonefish and got several shots at permit on trips he took with a guide. He scored four shots at permit, putting the fly right on the button three times, but never connecting with the most difficult of fish to land on a fly. He was still on the trip when he gave this report, and hoped to get more chances at permit, but the weather was also rough in the Sunshine State. A cold front and strong winds arrived. Skylands Angler guides fly-fishing trips for trout on the Musconetcong and Pequest rivers and Ken Lockwood Gorge. Bill aims to teach anglers, whether beginners or advanced, how to fish the rivers, even so they can come back and catch on their own. That includes fly selection, how to fish the flies, casting lessons and all aspects. He’s also available for trips for other fish like largemouth bass, if anglers want to fly rod for them. Skylands Angler fishes all year long, including for trout in winter. Winter can be a prime time for the cold-water fish, and the streams can be less pressured by anglers, making the trout less wary.

The Pequest River began to give up fat rainbows, said Mark from Efinger Sporting Goods in Bound Brook. Dave Barrett banked a 5-1/2-pound ‘bow on a Rapala crank bait just below the hatchery. Word came in that walleyes fed on shiners around the Lambertville section of the Delaware River. Mark your calendars for Efinger’s 100-year anniversary celebration March 12 to the 22, with a big, store-wide sale. Wow, 100 years!

South Jersey

Largemouth bass and crappie fishing really started to gel, now that ice was out, said Eric from Harry’s Army and Navy in Robbinsville. Lake Assunpink and the dam section at Gropp’s Lake were solid bets, and gold Roostertails and pink Trout Magnets hung both species. Catfish could be cornered along the bottom at Gropp’s. Rising Sun Lake was a yellow perch haven, and try tossing small, Gulp grubs on shiny jigs to tease them up.

Lake fishing was heating up, said Carl at the Sportsmen’s Center in Bordentown. Stone Tavern Lake, Lake Assunpink, Prospertown Lake and Carnegie Lake all banged out fantastic largemouth bass and crappie fishing on shiners. Walleyes and even smallmouth bass began to open mouths near the wing dam on the Delaware River. Bounce nightcrawlers on light jigheads along the bottom in the current to get a strike. The power plant section of the Big D was also a top producer for the marble eyes.

Ice once again threw a wrench in the plans of lake anglers, said Steve from Blackwater Sports Center in Vineland. But the good news was that the ice shouldn’t be a problem late in the week, with warmer weather expected. The spillway areas at Mary Elmer Lake and Union Lake were home to crappies and chain pickerel. A shiner floated out on a bobber was the best. The non-tidal stretch of the Maurice River churned out a steady pickerel and yellow perch bite. The season’s first largemouth bass tournament is scheduled at Parvin’s Lake this week.

White perch anglers looked for the slabs to move into the Maurice River any day, said Ki from Huck’s Place in Millville. The whiteys were already taken from the Tuckahoe River with some consistency, and frozen grass shrimp worked best to creel a few. Catfish scavaged the bottom of the Maurice, and Mr. Catfish stink baits got gobbled up.