<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River</b>

Steelhead fishing ran at a picky pace, said Eric at <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. The river, flowing at 1,150 CFS, gave up most of the 4- to 6-pounders upstream toward Altmar, and new pods of the steelies should push in during the next weeks. Trout beads and pink worms worked well for a strike.

<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

Striped bass fishing really took off on the Delaware River! said Bill from <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Philadelphia. The stretch at Station Avenue was one of the best spots, turning out 18- to 30-inchers on bloodworms. The river off Princeton Avenue, the UPS building and Fort Mifland were other notable spots, giving up stripers to 34 inches. Larger linesiders 30 to 40 inches began to be pulled in farther downriver, especially at National Park, the Commodore Barry Bridge and the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Bloodworms and herring chunks grabbed the bites. Catfish to 8 pounds were also claimed from the lower river on clams, herring and chicken livers. Farther up the Delaware at the Trenton power plant, several customers were reeling in smaller stripers, catfish, gizzard shad and even a few American shad. Capt. Deiter Scheel hooked five shad on shad darts and a few small walleyes and gizzard shad. 

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Fishing for crappies and yellow perch was off the hook, said Greg at <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. Lake Hopatcong and Lake Musconetcong served up both on small hair jigs tipped with curly-tailed grubs. The rivers ran too high for fishing because of rains, but might be fishable in clear weather around the weekend. Though many waters were closed to fishing on March 22 for trout stocking until opening day of trout season on April 10, anglers could currently play catch and release on trout in the conservation areas at Ken Lockwood Gorge,

Most of the lake’s anglers focused on fishing the shallows toward Brady Bridge and the state park for a decent pull of yellow perch, crappies, pickerel and largemouth bass, said Laurie at <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong. A variety of offerings worked out, such as small Rapala Husky Jerks, Rufus Jr. Jigs and small, rubber Mighty Mite Jigs fished under weighted bobbers. Fathead minnows and nightcrawlers also fit the bill. Jack Dziduch landed a 3-pound 10-ounce chain pickerel at the state park. The shop began to rent boats again. The Knee Deep Club will stock the lake with 2,200 trout at 3 p.m. Saturday. The stocking will take place from Dow’s Boat Rentals, and the public is invited to observe and assist. Club members purchased the trout.

Largemouth bass began to become more active, said Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. Cranbury Lake held the bigmouths to 5 pounds that chased shiners and jerk baits. Before the rains, the Passaic River was a sure bet for angles who wanted to tackle northern pike to 10 pounds on shiners and killies. Look for the fishery to rebound once the river settles back down after the storms.

Round Valley Reservoir’s shoreline trout fishing kept churning out the catches, said Steve from <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop</b>. Bruiser brown trout to 5 pounds were caught on Rapala crank baits in fire-tiger color and shiners. Pike anglers geared up to fish the flats of Spruce Run Reservoir, because the water wolves should be prone to attack shiners any day now. Concentrate on fishing the stream inflows.

Trout streams were fishable but high during the weekend, said Bill from <b>Skylands Angler</b> from Clinton. Rains this week will make them even higher, so at least a little time will have to pass to let them settle down. When the waters are at least fishable when high, streamer flies are a popular choice for Bill, and can even entice big trout to bite. The big fish seem to hone in on streamers when high waters knock baitfish around the waters, making them susceptible to attacks. Seems like high waters also force baitfish out of shallows where big trout usually can’t reach them. Streamers are also handy for covering lots of waters quickly. But because the trout streams were high through the weekend, Bill took his first shot of the season at surf fishing, banking short striped bass from shore on Raritan Bay. The season was a little early for the striper fishing, but the fish were there. Clams and worms caught them best, and will be the choice until bunker migrate in. Then Bill’s trips will also fish with lures and flies. The bass seemed to hunker in the deeper holes, maybe because of a drop in air temperatures by the weekend. Water temps along the bay shore might’ve topped 50 degrees last week but probably dipped back into the 40s by the weekend. No winter flounder were hooked, and Bill saw nobody land any, but the flatties definitely nibbled the baits, and if he had used smaller hooks, instead of larger ones for stripers, flounder probably would’ve been picked up. Bill was yet to try surf casting in the ocean this season, but he imagined an occasional striper could probably be found there if anglers targeted warmer waters like in the shallows. Bluefish, tough fighters, should invade the surf in a few weeks. Bill originally was going to launch his boat from Atlantic Highlands, but the launch was closed because of damage from the big storm in mid March. In the last report Bill talked about northern pike fishing turning active at the lakes. Rains probably hampered that fishing this week, dirtying up the waters, but the action will probably kick in again during the clear weather on the weekend. The pike move up into the shallows to spawn at this time of year, offering sight fishing for them. The angling is challenging, but that makes it fun. The fish have to be tricked into smacking a lure or fly, anything that can be quickly tossed to them, instead of thinking about spawning. Bill tried fishing for hybrid striped bass on the lakes a couple of times, but that fishery wasn’t happening yet. But it should become good in probably a few weeks. Water temps that become high enough for the hybrids to become active seem the factor. 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.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Some sizeable fish were checked in from different locations, said Ron at <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. James Tigner angled a 4-3/4-pound largemouth bass from Mill Pond Park on a shiner. Ed Kamart whacked a whopper, 18-1/2-pound carp at Spooky Brook Park on a nightcrawler. Brown trout to 4 pounds were reported banked from the shores of Round Valley Reservoir on crank baits and shiners.

Chain pickerel and yellow perch fed all over, said Jim from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. Forge Pond, the Ocean County College ponds and the Trilco stretch of the Toms River were a couple of places to scarf them up on shiners or killies.

Crappie fishing rolled on at Gropp’s Lake and Stone Tavern Lake, said Sean at <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. Small, 1/32-ounce jigs tipped with white or yellow rubber grubs grabbed their attention. Pickerel were on the prowl in the Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area lakes, and largemouth bass fishing was heating up at the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area lakes. Shiners were the best bait for both. The shop will be open at 7 a.m. on opening day of trout season on April 10, and fathead minnows will continue to be stocked.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Plenty of small largemouth bass and yellow perch chomped at Blackwood Lake, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers</b> in Blackwood. Shiners will do the job on both, and one angler ran into a flurry of activity with both those species at Clementon Lake, catching loads on a Red Devil Spoon. Pickerel to 3 pounds aggressively hit at New Brooklyn Lake on fathead minnows and killies.

Striped bass continued to move up the Delaware River, said Dave from <b>Shag’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Pennsville. Most were shorts, but lunkers to 36 pounds were sometimes hauled in near Elsinboro Point. Bloodworms were the best bait.  Crappie fishing really turned on at Alloway Lake and at Haddon Lake off King’s Highway on fathead minnows on small jigs.

Fishing before the rains had gained serious momentum, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. That should bounce back by the clear weather during the weekend. Largemouth bass pounced at Cedarville Lake on shiners. Serious smallmouth bass fishing went down at Lake Audrey. Three- to 5-pounders, some big fish, swiped drop-shotted 4-inch Senkos in watermelon and green pumpkin. Union Lake also produced smallies that crushed Rat-L-Traps and crawfish imitations. Striped bass were targeted on the Delaware River at Penns Grove and Salem, and bloodworms were the top bait. Crappie fishing was hit or miss at spots such as Union Lake and the Salem Canal.

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