<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Adirondacks</b>

Practically all Adirondack lakes and ponds now held ice, except Lake George, said Jeff from <b>FISH307.com</b> in the village of Lake George. Some cold nights settled in, and weather is supposed to be cold this week into next. So conditions for ice fishing improved, and should keep improving. Snow, a little, fell Monday night, “but that doesn’t hurt,” Jeff said. Ice anglers pulled in all usual catches: yellow perch, northern pike, walleyes, lake trout and landlocked salmon. A mess of perch, catches including 35 in a trip, were bailed at Loon Lake and Lake Colby. Raquette Lake’s fishing was very good, turning up lots of lake trout. Other waters also produced. All the baits are stocked, including shiners in three sizes, hunts, fathead minnows, suckers, mousies, wax worms, meal worms and more. The shop is open at 6 a.m. daily, and will open earlier when ice-fishing conditions improve on Lake George.

<b>Salmon River</b>

Steelheads were angled from the river here and there, but not a lot were hooked, said Ben from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. “The weather’s been goofing with everything,” he said. The river’s flow, 900 CFS, wasn’t the matter, though the flow was moved up and down a bit. But the weather fluctuated wildly from a low of minus 24 degrees one night to 42 degrees on Tuesday, for example. The temp is supposed to reach 52 by Sunday. The upper river held larger numbers of steelheads, but fishing for them wasn’t better in the upper, middle or lower. Egg sacks caught most, though a few were beaten on trout beads and flies. Ice sometimes formed at a few places for ice fishing on the lakes this season, but kept appearing and disappearing in the temperature changes. A few anglers ice fished through Tuesday, despite the 42-degree day and rains. But the ice will probably melt with warmer weather coming.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

 <b>North Jersey</b>

Reports were heard about ice  anglers to the north in Sussex County “cutting 4 inches,” said Kevin from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Ledgewood. Skim ice formed on lakes farther south. But ice fishing, for the most part, was yet to begin, and warmer weather, and rains, were moving in. Nothing was heard about fishing in open waters on lakes. A few customers trout fished on the Pequest River. Small, dark stoneflies and micro eggs should score.

A little ice had formed, like skim ice on Lake Hopatcong, but that was probably melting now, said Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. The weather’s supposed to be warm next week, and by the second or third day of temps in the 40s, Nick plans to be “putzing around,” he said. He returned to fish for largemouth bass at a small lake in Garfield that he fished previously, covered in the last report. On the return trip, ice had somewhat formed, but the lake was mostly open. He could get none of the small bass there to chew, though he saw a couple, and he’ll return again, and the angling is something to do in winter. Most anglers stowed away boats for the season, and practically no ice fishing began. Fishable ice might never form during this warm winter, but one never knows. One customer kept fishing for trout on the Pequannock and Ramapo rivers, landing them on pink salmon eggs. A few customers bought shiners to fish the Passaic River for northern Pike, but no results were heard. Anglers at Lake Hopatcong, before the ice, boated yellow perch in 20 or 30 feet.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

After Burt from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook hooked but lost his biggest-ever rainbow trout, covered  in the last report, he returned to the South Branch of the Raritan River to look for the fish again, he said. On this trip, he banked no trout. He met two fly rodders coming off the river, upstream from Califon, when he arrived, and they said they did no good. But a spin-rodder who afterward arrived reeled in some trout on worms. Little else was heard about trouting by this time of year. “But they’re still out there, and they have to eat something,” Burt said. Not enough ice formed locally for ice fishing, though the weather turned cold in past days.

Chain pickerel can be punched on the Toms River at Trilco all year long, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in the town of Toms River, though he managed none on a couple of trips this past week. He fished with spinners, and Trilco is a building supply that closed down near the Garden State Parkway. No sign identifies the building, but locals know the stretch of river by the name. Carp can also be found at Trilco. That was about all that was known about fishing, and Jeff had only just returned to the shop on Saturday, after a break since the holidays. The store is open during no set hours. But the shop’s owner, Dennis, is usually there a few times a week. If his truck is in the parking lot, the shop is open. The doors can also be open during hours when anglers are likely to stop by, like last Saturday. Nightcrawlers are stocked.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Lots of crappies were copped at local lakes, including at the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area and Lake Mercer, said Eric from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. They were mostly whacked on shiners or fathead minnows, but artificials like Trout Magnets will also work. No fishable ice formed on lakes. Walleyes were wrenched from the Delaware River between Trenton and Frenchtown. Anything biting on the river at the Trenton power plant? Eric was asked. The power plant was turned off, he said. “I couldn’t give you that information anyway,” he laughed, offering no explanation. Hmm.

Smallmouth bass were busted on the Delaware River at the Trenton power plant, said Carl from the <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Shiners caught them, and the river was dirty for walleye fishing farther upstream. Nobody mentioned fishing at the lakes. “They’re hibernating,” Carl said.

Skim ice had covered the lakes in previous days, said Vince from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Anglers nabbed fish like sunnies in the open spillways then. But waters should be opening in warmer weather. Chain pickerel should swipe once anglers can cast to them. Minnows are stocked that should make them hit.

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