<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River</b>

Fishing for steelheads on the river, running at 335 CFS, was so-so, said Eric from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. The angling was best from mid to upper river, and a few brown trout were banked, but mostly steelheads were. Mostly egg sacks and stoneflies caught them. Forecasts called for 50-degree weather the next day or so. Then days were supposed to turn cold. Practically no snow fell yet this season.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

An awesome musky, probably 18 to 20 pounds, was caught and released on a lake Saturday with <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale, Capt. Dave Vollenweider said. The fish was maybe 41 or 42 inches, and wasn’t weighed or measured. But it was heavy or fat for the length. That seemed a good sign, suggesting that fish were fattening up for winter. That could spell good fishing. This time of year is usually good for musky fishing, and they thrive in cooler waters. The lake was 48 degrees, and Dave looks forward to waters dropping to the low 40s and high 30s. A well-known musky angler that Dave is aware about scored some of his best multi-musky-catch days around this time of year. The musky was trolled on a white lure with a red head, and the trip also jigged a few crappies on blade baits. Crappie fishing on lakes is also usually excellent for Dave this time of year, if anglers are interested in a trip. If this trip had concentrated on crappies, the fishing likely would’ve been phenomenal. The crappies schooled deep in 25 to 30 feet, and were clearly marked on the fish finder. No fish were seen in shallows close to shore. They all held deeper this time of season. However, once lakes turn over for the season, becoming all one temperature, like they already did, muskies can be found anywhere from shallow to deep. Dave also jigged crappies a few hours Sunday on the lake with his wife. If live bait were fished for crappies, that would really bail them. Walleyes looked stacked up on the fish finder, too. Fishing for them was probably good. Another trip is booked to fish Friday with an angler with Live to Fish. Dave will try to keep fishing at least another couple of weeks, before calling it a year. Few boats sailed the lake this weekend, and few boat launches remained open. That could be good for fishing, pressuring the fish less. Anglers might need to bundle up, but the fish seemed to be aggressively feeding to prepare for winter. Hit the lakes now. Live to Fish Guide Service guides trips for trout, muskies, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleyes, crappies, chain pickerel, panfish, yellow perch, white perch, carp and more. Lakes fished include Greenwood Lake, Lake Hopatcong, Monksville Reservoir, Echo Lake, Mountain Lake and Furnace Lake. Rivers fished include the Flatbrook, Pequest, Paulinskill and Ramapo.

A few anglers trout fished the area’s streams, reporting good angling, said Don from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. They saw big trout, too. “So that’s good,” Don said. One trouter fly fished, and the others spin-fished with Power Bait or salmon eggs. They said stream levels dropped, after rising from rains. Don saw the Rockaway River, and it flowed at a good, medium level. One customer crunched good catches of largemouth bass at Lake Hopatcong on live bait. Some customers geared up for steelhead fishing on upstate New York’s rivers. The fishing sounded like it somewhat slowed but still produced. The shop’s fishing business picked back up after slowing from the hurricane.

Northern pike, lots, were tackled on Passaic River, below the falls, around tidal waters, on shiners, said Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. A few customers hammered walleyes, lots, at Lake Hopatcong and Greenwood Lake, on livelined herring from boats. Winter trout stocking got under way this week, including at Barbour’s Pond on Tuesday. Customers headed there, and results should be reported next week. The winter stocking features particularly big trout. A friend socked smallmouth bass on Ramapo River on live bait. Nick nabbed largemouth bass, small, or 7 or 8 inches, but a bunch, at a small lake in Garfield he fishes. He worked 3-inch Keitechs very slowly, and the lake was probably in the mid 40 degrees.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

From <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook, Darrel fly-rodded rainbow trout, a good catch, from Pequest River on pheasant tail nymphs, he said. The river flowed at a healthy level and clear. “Just really good. Nice,” he said. Trout seemed to spread out in the river, after bunching up soon after the fall stocking. He spoke with anglers who caught them considerably downstream from where he fished, on Prince nymphs and salmon egg flies. An angler who fished for smallmouth bass in lakes said the fishing became slower in the cold. That was probably true for largemouth bassing, too. But trout fishing will probably thrive a while in the lower temperatures. But even for trout, anglers needed to fish slowly and place hooks “right under their noses,” Darrel said.

At <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River, many anglers were busy cleaning up after the hurricane, Jeff said. He was busy with that, too. But largemouth bass and chain pickerel were played at Lake Riviera and Winding River on killies or worms. Nobody mentioned pickerel fishing on the Toms River at Trilco, but the angling is reliable year-round. Spinners or killies will catch them, and Trilco is a closed building supply near the river. No sign identifies the building, but anglers know the stretch of river by the name, located near Garden State Parkway. Nothing was heard about other fishing, including on trout-stocked waters and Manasquan Reservoir. No shiners are stocked, and they were lost in the storm. But killies and worms are carried.

<b>South Jersey</b>

One of the crew from the shop plastered smallmouth bass on Delaware River far upstream, toward Route 202 Bridge, said Eric from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. “But he’s the only one,” Eric said. Hair jigs or tubes fished very slowly along bottom caught them. Catfish were snatched from the river at the Trenton marine terminal off the wall on chicken livers, nightcrawlers or baits like that. Largemouth bass and chain pickerel managed to be caught at Assunpink Lake and small ponds. But the fishing, in the cold, was slow, to say the least, Eric said.

Fishing was a little interrupted since the hurricane, but anglers got out, said Karl from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Walleyes were hung from Delaware River at the Trenton power plant along bottom on shiners or black Gulp leeches on 1/8- or 1/16-ounce jigheads or whatever weight just got the hook to bottom. Crappies were clobbered at Stone Tavern Lake at submerged timber on small jigheads with Mister Twisters in white, yellow or chartreuse. Chain pickerel chomped at Assunpink Lake on shiners or ¼-ounce Rat-L-Traps in blue-and-chrome or black-and-chrome. Anglers still fished for trout at Crystal Lake from the fall stocking in October.

Winter trout stocking was slated for Rowand’s Pond in Clementon and Haddon Lake in Audubon on Tuesday, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. So anglers will jump on them, and the stocking features especially large trout. But plenty of trout also remained at Grenloch Lake and Oak Pond from the fall stocking. “Absolutely,” Ed said.

Chain pickerel were pasted at all the different lakes, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Picks keep aggressive in cool waters, and minnows or jerk baits will catch them. A few anglers chased fall-stocked trout. Giampetro Park Pond, Maurice River and Iona Lake were some of the waters stocked, in October. But now winter stocking was taking place this week, including at South Vineland Park Pond on Tuesday. Steve would toss Power Bait. Largemouth bass fishing on lakes was “hit or miss,” he said. Rat-L-Traps, shallow-running crank baits or suspending jerk baits could be fished for them. In saltwater, striped bass fishing was on a tear on Delaware Bay. Chunks of fresh bunker were the bait. 

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