<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River</b>

Most salmon were now in the river, or few fresh ones entered from Lake Ontario anymore, said Eric from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. The salmon, mostly kings, a few Cohos, filled the river, running low at 185 CFS, the same as all season, in the drought. Fishing for them was best from mid to upper river. The usual egg imitations, egg sacks and flies caught. A few brown trout were banked, and steelheads began to migrate to the river, biting mostly in the lower end. Drift boating for salmon in the river’s mouth in evenings dropped off, because most of the fish shot up the river, were no longer staged at the mouth.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Fall trout stocking began Tuesday, and many customers geared up for the fishing, said Don from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. News about the angling will roll in this week. In the meantime, a few anglers still traveled to Salmon River in upstate New York for the salmon migration. Good reports about the fishing were heard. Other customers fished for largemouth bass on local ponds with the usual Senko rubber worms or shiners. The shop stocks no shiners. Or kids fished for the bucketmouths with nightcrawlers.

Many hybrid striped bass to 8 ½ pounds were socked off Chestnut Point on livelined herring, said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong in an e-mail. Most seemed to bite from mid afternoon to dark, but some hit in mornings.  A few walleyes to 5 pounds were caught off points “on bait,” Laurie said. Jigging for them in the depths should begin as water temps drop in about the next week. Chain pickerel were tackled off weed lines on Mepps spinners. Crappies were jigged in deeper waters.  The Knee Deep Club’s King of the Lake Tournament, open to members and non-members, will take place this weekend on the lake. Anglers can call the shop for info: 973-663-3825. The shop will open an hour early at 5:30 a.m. for the event. Otherwise Dow’s is open 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Rental boats will be available through sometime in November, depending on weather.

From <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield, Nick competed in a largemouth bass tournament at Greenwood Lake on Sunday, he said. The fishing was tough, and a supposed virus in the lake’s bass this season might’ve partly been a reason. No big bass were entered, but most participants caught the fish on Senkos in the shallows. Nick only landed three keepers and 10 throwbacks. Lots of chain pickerel were hooked in the event. Waters were 65 degrees. In a tournament at Greenwood about a month ago, most largemouths were grabbed on jigs or Rat-L-Traps in the shallows or at the field of underwater trees. A largemouth tournament was held on Hudson River in the past week, and a whopping 19 pounds for five fish won. In other words, an average of about 4 pounds per bass. Nick heard crank baits caught most of the contest’s bass. A bunch of friends fished Lake Hopatcong, honking walleyes and muskies. The walleyes were jigged in 25 feet on Hopkins, Kastmasters and sizes 7 and 9 Rapala ice-fishing jigs. Anglers have found that the ice jigs work well for fishing like this. The muskies were beaten on livelined bait or trolled or cast spinners in shallows. On Passaic River small striped bass and northern pike were axed.

Ryan Lipot banked nine rainbow trout from shore at Round Valley Reservoir on streamer flies, said Jody from <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport</b> in an e-mail. Rob Platt, from the impoundment’s shore, landed a few small rainbows and a sizeable brown trout. On another trip, he Power Baited a 19-inch rainbow at the rez on foot. Zach Merchant, fishing medium shiners and Power Bait there, reeled in a 16-1/2-inch rainbow, two largemouth bass  14 and 11 ½ inches, and a 13-1/2-inch chain pickerel.  At Spruce Run Reservoir, one angler, Ted, trolled four hybrid striped bass 2 to 2 ½ pounds on flies down 12 feet in 50 feet of waters, and Tim Muscatel smoked 12 hybrids on flies trolled down 10 to 15 feet

<b>Central Jersey</b>

A customer nymphed small brown trout at Ken Lockwood Gorge, said Darrel from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Now trout streams were being stocked this week. Stream levels were somewhat low but seemed high enough for stocking with no problems. Darrel and friend fished for smallmouth bass on Raritan River below the confluence with Millstone River. Not one smallie hit, for some reason. Darrel had been catching them there previously.

Local trout streams were being stocked Tuesday, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. The Toms, Metedeconk and Manasquan rivers were slated to be stocked that day, and were the first waters scheduled to be stocked in the fall stocking that will last this week and next. Customers stopped in for trout supplies that day, mostly buying worms to fish the Toms. Dennis planned to fish the Metedeconk this week for trout. All the trout baits and gear, a large supply, are stocked. A kayaker at Forge Pond plucked small chain pickerel in the back toward the reeds and swamp on Mister Twisters and Rapalas. One yellow perch swiped the Rapala, too. A few pickerel and crappies were played at Lake Riviera. Customers bought shiners to fish for picks at places like the lakes at Colliers Mills and Assunpink wildlife management areas. Nobody mentioned fishing for Manasquan Reservoir’s hybrid striped bass in the rough weather this week. But previously hybrids began to be landed there, mostly on shiners drifted from boats.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Delaware River ran high and muddy from rains, said Eric from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. Fishing on the waters was reportedly terrible because of that. But the river’s walleye fishing had been good before the flood, and would normally be super currently in cooling weather. A friend who boated the river saw lots of bait and shad but hooked no fish in the high waters. The weather kept many from fishing, but some bought shiners to swim for largemouth bass at Gropp’s Lake and the lakes at Assunpink Wildlife Management Area. Eric guessed they caught. Nobody really stopped by to purchase lures or artificials for bassing in the weather.

Lots of customers loaded up on trout gear to fish the fall stocking that began on the northern state’s waters this week, said Tom P. from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Local waters will be stocked with trout next week. Not much was heard from Delaware River. Good fishing for smallmouth bass was crunched on Raritan River from the gate hole at Duke Island to Nevis Street in Raritan and farther downstream. Jigheads and fathead minnows caught. Crappies and largemouth bass, plenty, were creamed at Carnegie Lake. Largemouths at lakes these days punched spinner baits and Gizzard Shad SkippyFish. Tom and friend bombed lots of crappies and perch at Little Swartswood Lake on fatheads under bobbers. They plastered hybrid striped bass that went bonkers at Lake Hopatcong on Friday on livelined herring.

Oak Pond and Grenloch Lake will be stocked with trout next week, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. The schedule says they’re slated to be stocked this coming Tuesday. Other South Jersey waters like Iona Lake are also scheduled for next week. Fewer anglers fish the fall stocking than the spring one. That can be good for the trouting. Many fish for them with meal worms or Power Bait. Minnows are a popular bait for the spring stocking, because brook trout like minnows. The fall stocking usually includes mostly rainbows, and a few brown trout, probably because of water temps. Brooks need lower temps. One customer clocked six or seven chain pickerel at Lake Rene. A few fished for sunnies at the spillway across the road from Blackwood Lake and at Grenloch, popular places for sunnies. Nothing was heard about largemouth bass fishing, and weather kept many from fishing. But the trout stocking will draw more to fish.

Parvin Lake was reopened, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. The lake was closed because of damage from the storm months ago. Anglers hope largemouth bass fishing will be good on the lake, because the fish weren’t pressured since the closure. A little fishing was happening at Union Lake for a mixed bag of largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and chain pickerel. White perch fishing was fairly good on brackish rivers and ditches. Trout will be stocked locally next week, including at Maurice River and Giampetro Park Pond. In saltwater, the striped bass migration will probably arrive in two or three weeks.

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