<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River</b>

Anglers fought lots of steelheads to 13 or 14 pounds on the river with <b>Salmon River Guide</b> from Pulaski, Capt. Shane Thomas said. Fifteen to 20 were “on” per trip, and that’s phenomenal. They fished from the drift boat, mostly with floated trout beads, sometimes fly-rodding with beads. The trips floated the upper river, but Shane heard about steelheads taken along the whole river. His trips stayed on the upper river because there was no reason to leave. Only a few king and Coho salmon, not many, swam the river. The river flowed at 750 CFS, holding steady at that level for some time.

Steelheads, great catches of 6- to 12-pounders, were wrestled along the entire river, said Dave from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. The bite was on! Blue egg sacks especially enticed bites. But single eggs, trout beads and flies like estaz patterns picked up plenty. Brown trout were around in the river, and the Salmon flowed at 750 CFS, the same as in a while.

<b>Oswego River</b>

Steelheads, rainbow trout and brown trout, about an equal mix of the fish, all gave up plenty of catches throughout the whole river, said Larry from <b>Larry’s Oswego Salmon Shop</b> in Oswego. Egg sacks, skein, trout beads and estaz flies cashed in on the catches. The level of the wide, deep river bounced around, but was 7,000 too 8,000 CFS. “That’s fishable,” Larry said. A few salmon, stragglers from the tail end of the run, held at the dam. Steelhead fishing is good through winter. The fish shoot up after the fall salmon run, stay in the river through winter, spawn in spring, and return to Lake Ontario. The shop’s motel fills up during the salmon run, but vacancies are now available. Stay at the motel and have quick access to the river and the shop’s tackle.

<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

Fishing on the Delaware River was the hot angling for largemouth bass toward Philadelphia, said Bill from <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> in the city. One angler bailed 26 of the bucketmouths to 3 pounds at the coves, though the coves were full of leaves, on a trip on crank baits and plastic worms and lizards. Another who fished the river near Salem River Cove drilled 19 largemouths, 1- to 4-pounders, on a trip, saying the bite was great, on Sluggos, Senko worms and Yo-Zuri Pins Minnows. Big white perch and small stripers tore around the waters around Salem. But a customer who fished the main river toward Philly landed fewer largemouths, saying winds killed the fishing. He picked up 15 of the bass in four trips and also six catfish and three striped bass. He mostly hooked up on Rat-L-Traps, suspended crank baits and sinking crank baits. Catfishing was good on the river in the area, and chicken livers, shrimp and nightcrawlers worked best. When catfishers dunked bloodworms and chicken livers they also caught stripers to 20 inches around Petty’s Island, the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge, Station Avenue and the Trenton power plant. On the upper river smallmouth bass fishing was slowing down each week in cooling waters, but the fishing was still worthwhile, and walleyes were in the mix. An angler who fished the river at Lambertville on each trip came up with 5 to 15 smallies, low numbers but some bigger fish 14 to 16 inches or up to 3 pounds. One who fished farther upstream at the Stockton Bridge put the shimmy on smallmouths and up to 6-pound walleyes while trolling crank baits. An angler who fished the river at the New Hope wing dam grabbed walleyes and stripers. Fishing for smallmouths on the streams was slow, and mostly bluegills and rock bass bit, but rock bass fishing will shut down as water temps drop. But the Susquehanna River’s smallmouth fishing was on the upswing, doling out plentiful, sizeable fish while anglers drifted from Clemson Island to Duncannon. For trout anglers, fishing was best on Pennypack Creek. Most in a trip banked one to three trout, fat fish full of fight. They scored best on wax worms, meal worms, Power Bait and spinners. Trouters connected at Levitttown Lake among a mix of largemouth bass and crappies. One angler at Levittown per trip toggled in a couple of trout, mostly rainbows 12 to 13 inches, and some largemouths. Lake Luxembourg at Core Creek Park wasn’t re-stocked with trout this season, but a few were plucked from the upper end. At the Penn Warner Club lakes, largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing was becoming better and better. One fisherman there reeled in 5 to 10 largemouths each morning while wading the banks, fishing with jigging spoons, rubber-skirted jigs and spinner baits. Another at Penn Warner on a trip racked up several 1- to 3-pound smallies and a 5-pound largemouth. At South Jersey’s Union Lake anglers piled up good catches of largemouths, chain pickerel, yellow perch and crappies, and anglers said rubber caught the fish more than anything did. Rubber worms, lizards, Fin-S Fish and Sluggos were some of the best. The Mullica River at Crowley’s landing served up healthy numbers of chain pickerel 15 to 22 inches and largemouths to 2 pounds, and minnows gained most strikes, but twister tails and spinners drew plenty of smacks. Pickerel fishing was great at Batsto Lake and the spillway at the mill. Five to ten per trip pounced on minnows. A report rolled in from farther north at Manasquan Reservoir, saying largemouth fishing there was the best ever. The angler fished there a couple of weekends, winging largemouths to 6 pounds, including plenty of 1- to 3-pounders, and 10 to 20 pickerel each outing.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Trout fishing that targeted the fall stocking was the main talk from customers who angled, said Greg from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Ledgewood. They fished waters including the Pequest River, Ken Lockwood Gorge and the Musconetcong River with nymphs including small bead heads and zebra midges. Lake Hopatcong anglers mostly fished for crappies. Or they looked for yellow perch that started to bite more than before. Hybrid striped bass fishing had been a focus several weeks ago on the different lakes. But the cold will probably begin to slow hybrid fishing. Nothing was heard about largemouth bass angling. Not much of any fish were pulled from the Delaware River, and Greg didn’t know whether the cold or something else was the cause.

A handful of anglers still fished the lake, rounding up walleyes and hybrid striped bass, sometimes on bait in shallower depths, other times while jigging in the deeper waters, said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong. Walleye catches included Wayne Bryant’s 7-pound 10-ouncer and Lou Marcucci’s 6-pound 9-ouncer. But lots of yellow perch nipped fathead minnows or small jigs in the lake. Boat rentals will be available at the shop through Sunday this season. The staff will stick around the store another week or so afterward, but call ahead to confirm. Dow’s will hold steady hours again once safe ice forms for ice angling.

Fishing for trout, recently stocked, was excellent at the Pequest River, said Mark from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. Lunkers to 24 inches were hung, and the Ramapo River also put up good trouting, including for sizeable fish. Regular, old nightcrawlers did the work best for trouters. Should say Power Bait worked best, so anglers bought Power Bait, he joked. But nightcrawlers were the deal. Waters on the streams were crystal clear and low, and the trout spooked easily. But the fishing was hopping, and the trout were bigger this year. Northern pike eagerly swiped shiners on the Passaic River at Twin Bridges. Little was heard about fishing on the lakes.

Round Valley Reservoir’s shoreline anglers shoveled up excellent catches of rainbow and brown trout, said Jody at <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop</b>. They mostly chucked out meal worms or Power Bait, but some found limited success on shiners. Spruce Run Reservoir was quite difficult to fish because of low waters. One angler nailed a 10-pound hybrid striped bass at Spruce last week. He returned this week and marked fish, but could get none to bite. No reports rolled in from the trout streams because no customers hit the waters.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Small bead-headed nymphs and scuds would be flies to cast for the trout recently stocked for fall, said Ron from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. The fall anglers fish the same patterns as in springtime. Small flies matter, and blue-winged olives and caddis are the dry flies they use. Anglers could expect to catch smallmouth bass on the Raritan River at places like Neshanic, despite the cold. The suddenly cold weather and nights could stun the fish a moment, but smallmouths are a cold-water species. Catch the shop’s sale on Orvis tackle: fly rods at 30 percent off, reels at 20 percent and waders at 40 percent.

A few of the fall-stocked trout were picked from the Toms River at the Route 571 Bridge, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. Trout 4 or 5 inches were also seen there, and whether they were stocked or were holdovers was unknown. Trouters also fished at the South Branch of the Metedeconk River, and Dennis there reeled in one rainbow recently. Cars kept being seen parked at the I-195 overpass at the Manasquan River in the evenings, probably from after-work anglers. Whether they caught wasn’t known, but Dennis was sure they angled some. Largemouth bass fishing was improving well at Manasquan Reservoir, and the fish were moving closer to shore, and bank anglers could wrestle them. Shiners probably nabbed them, and a few anglers probably used Senko worms with results. Crappies were copped at the retention pond at the JCP&L industrial park on the south side of Route 37. All the industrial parks on Route 37 include retention pounds that harbor a mix of fish species.

Largemouth bass fishing was on a roll at Mercer County Lake, and the fish were fattening up before winter, jumping on buzz baits, said Eric from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. A friend hammered a 51-inch musky at Mercer. Back to the bass: If the bass were active at Mercer, they were surely active at the other usual lakes, like those at the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area. “They’re on the same latitude,” Eric said, half joking. Buzz baits, spinner baits and crank baits should connect. The Delaware River was chilly, so the best of the river’s smallmouth bass fishing wound down. Catfish can be clocked in the river well into the cold.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Trout, recently stocked, were difficult to catch, for unknown reasons, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. Anglers saw the fish at places including Oak Pond, Grenloch Lake and Hammonton Lake, but convincing the fish to chomp was another thing. One customer bagged two trout at Grenloch Lake on Power Bait. Ed heard about one angler who hooked four trout in a row while other anglers, going fishless, watched. The successful angler tossed small red-and-white Daredevil spoons, and seemed to be in the know about how to catch the fish. Still, reports sounded like trouting was fairly good at Iona Lake on Power Bait. Kids stopping at the shop with parents to buy worms was some of the only other activity. Ed imagined they were catching sunnies at usual spots like the spillway across the road from Blackwood Lake and at Puppyland Pond. Anglers talked about yellow perch that swam active at Big Timber Creek. Channel catfish were sometimes hauled from Big Timber.

Most anglers honed in on trout from the fall stocking, but the trout were tough to catch, said Lou from the <b>Sportsman’s Outpost</b> in Williamstown. Anglers saw the fish cruising past, but had trouble getting the trout to strike. Small minnows or small shiners might be better choices for the angling. Anglers tried fishing for trout with spinners, Power Bait and worms, but ran into a challenge. Not much else was heard about fishing, including for largemouth bass. Saltwater anglers began to beat striped bass in all the different waters, including on Delaware Bay. One charter captain friend ran a trip on the bay that boated two 25-pound stripers and lost five or six on bunker chunks.

On the Maurice River fairly decent trout catches, fish from the fall stocking, was wiped up, and a few trout were angled from Iona Lake, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Power Bait was tops. Chain pickerel were aggressive on nearly all the lakes, and the cooler weather helps fire them up. Fishing for yellow perch and crappies also benefits from cooler weather. Union Lake was a safe bet for catches of pickerel and probably crappies. Largemouth bass fishing was beginning to improve at Union, but largemouth angling, in general at all the lakes, produced on some days and was slow on others, hit or miss. Up-and-down weather or the recent warm spell and this week’s cold spell seemed the culprit. But the fishing was a Rat-L-Trap bite, and other places to find the bigmouths included Rainbow Lake, one of the better places, and Davis Mill Pond, giving up alright catches. In saltwater, striped bass fishing began to gain steam, including on Delaware Bay, when winds allowed boaters to sail the bay. Some big linesiders came from the bay.

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