New Jersey Fishing Reports

Ice fishing turned up good catches now, said Hank from Fuel-n-Food in Mayfield. Great Sacandaga Lake was frozen all the away across, and anglers fished the whole thing, including the main lake or the center. They began setting out permanent ice shelters, not just temporary ones, this weekend. Ten inches probably covered the coves. Walleyes in the lake bit well, and medium shiners were a great bait. A buddy drilled an 8-pound 28-1/2-inch walleye during the weekend. Fifteen inches probably covered the smaller lakes, including Mayfield Lake. Anglers on Mayfield reeled up piles of yellow perch and sometimes northern pike, and medium shiners were also a top choice there. One kid walloped a 12-pound 36-inch pike on Mayfield. Other options included searching out splake, a few that could be caught, at Caroga Lake. Anglers on those waters jigged up smelts for bait for the brook trout/lake trout hybrids. A little snow covered the lakes, but not much snow fell. Baits including shiners, suckers, chubs and icicles are stocked, and Fuel-n-Food carries a full supply of ice-fishing tackle and gear, probably the largest selection in stock in the area. Plus the shop is a convenience store, serves breakfast and lunch and sells all types of fuel, and is located near plenty of accommodations, not to mention fishing.

Salmon River

Steelhead fishing held steady in the Salmon River, said Eric from All Seasons Sports in Pulaski, but heavy snow dumped on the area, making shoreline fishing a bit more of a challenge. The upriver areas at the Schoolhouse and Wire Hole pools both fished well, and if anglers didn’t get a hit within 25 minutes of casting a certain type of lure or bait, they should switch up to the next thing, because the steelies became a little more wary from all the fishing pressure in the last weeks. Pink worms, egg sacks and stoneflies should get a strike. Ice fishing was hot at Sandy Pond, where buckeyes and fathead minnows claimed plenty of northern pike and yellow perch.

The days were cold, and snow blanketed the ground, but there were steelheads! said Victor from Altmar’s Fish and Ride NY, a rental rancher for anglers. The river ran low and cold, and the fish were lethargic, but they became more responsive as the day warmed up. The best reports about catches rolled in from the lower river, probably because access there was easier in the snow. Trout beads, eggs, pink worms and nymphs hooked up best. Fish and Ride NY offers a rental rancher with all the amenities for anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts. Stay the weekend or a week, and the staff can recommend fishing guides and other services.

PENNSYLVANIA

Any fishing done on the Delaware River was happening at Dredge Harbor, said Helen at Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle in Philadelphia. Largemouth bass attacked slow-drawn crank baits in the late afternoons. Catfish could be caught on stink baits dropped to the bottom. Many anglers headed up to the Poconos ponds to fish from the ice for perch and pike, and Levittown Lake was expected to be ice-fishable by the weekend.

NEW JERSEY

North Jersey

Many customers stayed inside because of the frigid blast of cold weather, said Jason from Ramsey Outdoor in Succasunna. But ice fishing should be an option at Swartswood Lake and at the coves at Lake Hopatcong. Use shiners at both spots for pickerel, perch and largemouth bass. Trout angling somewhat slowed down in the local streams, but the fish should still gobble up a drifted nightcrawler.

Ice fishing season officially began! said Lou from Dow’s Boat Rentals in Lake Hopatcong. The coves were all locked up with fishable ice, and the points should be fishable by week’s end. Ice hounds were already out to Chestnut Point, pulling on perch, crappies and pickerel. The state park, River Styx and Woodport areas all attracted ice anglers out chasing flags or jigging up walleyes to 3 pounds and even some muskies. About 5 inches covered the main lake, and 6 or 7 inches topped the coves, and both should be thicker by the weekend. The Knee Deep Club’s ice-fishing contest will be held Jan 24, ice conditions permitting. Info is available at Dows: 973-663-3826.

Plenty of ice action went down at Lake Hopatcong, said Al from Meltzer’s Sporting Goods in Garfield. Yellow perch and pickerel headlined the catches at the state park and Woodport sections, and shiners were the best live baits. The shallower Lake Musconetcong was a good spot to jig perch, picks and crappies on Kastmasters.

The first layer of ice formed on Spruce Run Reservoir but wasn’t safe to go out on yet, said Steve from Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop. Many anglers still reaped the rewards of the Round Valley shoreline fishing for a steady stream of brown and rainbow trout to 2 pounds at Ranger’s Cove. The browns keyed in on shiners, and the rainbows focused in on meal worm and marshmallow combos.

Bill Hoffman from Skylands Anglers checked out the trout rivers, and they ran high, and the weather was really cold, he said. But fly fishing on them will now be all about midges, and once the cold snap breaks, and air temps rise at least between the 30s to 40s, anglers should see healthy midge hatches, and they were sort of overdue. Large nymphs could also be fished. Ice in the rod guides and on the fly lines and everything was in play, and spraying Pam on the guides helps keep them clear without damaging the guides, rods and lines. Chapstick can also work, but Pam is better. Anglers should be careful on the cold waters, avoiding becoming too chilled or exposing flesh to potential frostbite. An angler could become cold quickly and unexpectedly or be injured from a mishap like a slip in the drink. 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 also offers fly trips for other freshwater fish, like pike, hybrid striped bass, carp and largemouth bass. Plus he guides trips in the ocean and bay surf during the spring and fall migrations at Sandy Hook and Island Beach State Park with both conventional and fly tackle.

Anglers fishing from the banks of Round Valley Reservoir found rainbow and brown trout mouthing up nightcrawlers during the late mornings, said Nick from Efinger Sporting Goods in Bound Brook. The shop will host a fly-tying demo on Saturday starting at 9:30 a.m. A fly-tying sale is also going on through the end of the month.

South Jersey

The Delaware River gave up decent winter action, said Eric from Harry’s Army and Navy in Robbinsville. Smallmouth bass, walleyes and striped bass smacked plugs in the warmer waters around the Trenton power plant. The Scudder’s Falls stretch offered walleyes that swiped jigs tipped with minnows. Invasive flathead catfish 6 to 10 pounds aggressively hammered plugs in the river. None of the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area lakes formed fishable ice when Eric last heard about them a while ago. But there’s a chance the ice could be fished by the weekend.

The stick piles near the centers of Stone Tavern and Rising Sun lakes drew in a mess of crappies, said Carl from the Sportsmen’s Center in Bordentown. With open waters still around, fathead minnows rigged 6 to 10 feet under slip bobbers grabbed crappies over the submerged brush. Those lakes might be locked up with ice by the weekend, though. The warm waters at the Trenton power plant on the Delaware River were home to a few walleyes, smallmouth bass and striped bass that whacked 4-inch, white grub tails on a ¼-ounce leadhead. The river was a little slushy, somewhat challenging to fish.

Skim ice is covered most of the area’s lakes and ponds, said Jeff from Blackwater Sports Center in Vineland. But anglers could cast out shiners at the moving spillways at waters such as Blackwood Lake for fish including largemouth bass and yellow perch. Trouters could head to the Almond Road section of the Maurice River to pull on the fish using Power Baits. Or anglers on the Maurice could head to the lower part of the river to try for white perch on grass shrimp or fathead minnows.