New Jersey Fishing Reports

Anglers had to choose times to fish the Salmon when the least slush floated downstream, but mid-river areas such as the Trestle and Sportsman’s pools held 5- to 7-pound steelheads, said Eric at All Seasons Sports in Pulaski. The river ran at 500 CFS, and blue and white egg sacks worked well. Ice anglers at Sandy Pond pulled on northern pike and yellow perch, and buckeyes and fatheads on tip-ups grabbed the pike, and wax worms tipped on Rapala ice-fishing jigs nabbed the perch.

PENNSYLVANIA

Ice anglers fished at Lake Luxembourg at Core Creek State Park and Levittown Lake, said Bill at Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle in Philadelphia. Both turned out yellow perch and crappies on shiners through ice that was 5 to 8 inches thick. Penn Warner Lake also served up plenty of yellow perch and crappies. On the Delaware River anglers from shore reeled in yellow perch and crappies at Tullytown Cove. But fishing around high tides, when ice moved out, allowing casts to open waters, was key. Wax worms tipped on small jigs scored both.

NEW JERSEY

North Jersey

Hot ice-fishing reports tumbled in at Ramsey Outdoor in Succasunna, Don said. The state park area at Lake Hopatcong was ripe with yellow perch and pickerel, the picks gobbling up medium shiners, and the perch really jumping on jigs tipped with mousies. Trouters scored well at the Pequest River on rainbows that pounced on streamer flies and nymphs.

Ice built to 10 inches on most of the lake, and catches were clobbered, said Laurie from Dow’s Boat Rentals in Lake Hopatcong. Gary Bruzaud rounded up walleyes in the 3-pound range at the ridge on shiners. He also whacked a 29-pound, 5-ounce, 45-inch muskie off Nolan’s Point. Bernie Yocius jigged largemouth bass and yellow perch in the Woodport area on mousies. Bill Mrozek yanked up yellow perch to a 1-pound 11-ouncer toward the state park. Casey Christiansen showed off a 13-ounce rainbow trout he caught off Prospect Point on a small jig tipped with a fathead minnow. The Knee Deep Club’s second ice-fishing tournament of the season will take place Sunday, and anglers can call Dows for more info: 973-663-3826.

Greenwood Lake shoveled out the best ice fishing for customers, said Nick from Meltzer’s Sporting Goods in Garfield. Muskies were sometimes hauled through the 6 to 8 inches, but a truckload of yellow perch and walleyes were taken in the 40-foot depths. Drop down heavier Swedish Pimple Jigs for both. Lake Hopatcong maintained a steady ice-fishery for yellow perch and pickerel, mainly near the state park and Nolan’s Point.

Trout fishing had been on hold a moment with Bill Hoffman from Skylands Angler from Clinton, once the snowstorms and cold hit a couple of weeks ago. Then last week he traveled to Mosquito Lagoon, Florida, toward Orlando, hoping to fish. But cold, rainstorms, “the whole works,” he said, cancelled any fishing. Seems the whole eastern half of the country was under a weather siege! But he’s antsy to return to fishing the trout streams back at home. Choices such as nymphs fished slowly will work in winter, and midges should be able to be fished when the days grow somewhat warmer, triggering the hatch. 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.

Ice fishers made the rounds at Spruce Run Reservoir, picking up northern pike and yellow perch, said Steve from Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop. Some fished at the parking area off Van Syckle’s Road. Chris Lido slammed a 26-inch pike on a shiner at the rez. Round Valley Reservoir’s anglers claimed rainbow trout and brown trout that scarfed down nightcrawlers and meal worms cast from the shore at Ranger’s Cove, mostly a morning feed.

Lake Hopatcong and Lake Musconetcong put up most of the ice-fishing action, and yellow perch and chain pickerel were on the menu, said Bert from Efinger Sporting Goods in Bound Brook. Customers searching for trout worked over the Pequest River with streamer flies and nymphs, finding holdover rainbows to 19 inches.

South Jersey

The ice was unsafe at the Assunpink Wildlife Management area lakes, said Sean from Harry’s Army and Navy in Robbinsville. But the hard-waters might be fishable by week’s end, if frigid nights continue. Anglers fished the warm waters at the Trenton power plant on the Delaware River for a few largemouth bass and walleyes on shiners and small crank baits.

Largemouth bass and walleyes hooked in the Delaware River at the Trenton power plant doled out about the only local catches, said Carl from the Sportsmen’s Center in Bordentown. Shiners and white or chartreuse Mister Twisters on small jigs got strikes.

Was a tough week for fishing, because ice covered most lakes, but was too thin to fish from, said Steve from Blackwater Sports Center in Vineland. The open waters at the spillways, such as at Blackwood Lakes or other impoundments, might be able to be fished for largemouth bass, panfish and yellow perch with shiners on bobbers. If an open cove could be found on the Maurice River, white perch could eat up grass shrimp or fathead minnows.