<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River</b>

The river’s steelhead fishing was like before: so-so, said Ben from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. The angling was “on and off, day to day,” he said. The fish were spread throughout the river, running at 335 CFS. No stretch held more than another. Egg sacks and trout beads socked them, and not many brown trout catches were heard about from the river. Rain and snow –  “a little of both,” Ben said – fell at times. Weather was “60 degrees one day, 34 the next,” he said. Most ice-fishing gear is now stocked.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Trout streams turned out catches, said Kevin from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. The streams ran low, but were cool. “So it’s alright,” he said, sounding like the fish fared well. Glow bugs caught them. Yellow perch nipped at Lake Hopatcong on any small, gold, fluttery jigs or spoons or Mister Twisters. Walleyes were axed on the lake on the same jigs, like Phoebes or Kastmasters, but larger.

Walleyes were jigged at Greenwood Lake and Lake Hopatcong, said Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. Hybrid striped bass were jigged at Hopatcong, and a friend chanced into a 15- or 20-pound muskie while jigging for walleyes there. A bunch of customers landed trout at Ramapo River on Power Bait and salmon eggs. A buddy banked beautiful rainbow trout at Pequest River on baby worms. One topped 5 pounds, Nick thought. Customers fought a few northern pike 6 or 8 pounds, none huge, at Passaic River below the falls, on large shiners they bought from the shop. Nick played a mess of largemouth bass at the creek at a lake he fishes in Garfield on 3-inch Keitechs on a couple of trips. The fish were small or 7 and 8 inches but active and fun on a trout rod.

Some of the shop’s crew smoked trout, lots, at Pequest River on stoneflies and midges during the weekend, said Darrel from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Someone at the store said the river’s level was up the past couple of days. A customer talked about trying a Pumpkin Head fly that cleaned up on trout at a stream. Many customers bought shiners or minnows to fish for trout from shore at Round Valley Reservoir. No results were heard, but they kept heading there.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Chain pickerel will always bite on the Toms River at Trilco, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in the town of Toms River. Trilco is a closed building supply, and no sign identifies it, but it’s located near Garden State Parkway, and locals call the stretch by the name. Crappies will chew in lakes and ponds this season, and the waters were warmer than usual. Rubber grubs or Mister Twisters will grab them. Trout streams like the Toms and the Metedeconk River are probably busting with the fish. Weather and water conditions are right. Only worms will probably be stocked for live bait now. Meal worms, garden worms and nightcrawlers are on hand. Killies and shiners will be stocked again when demand grows as winter breaks.

Delaware River put out walleyes at Scudders Falls, said Karl from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Fish nightcrawlers or Gulp leaches for them, and crappies were clocked at Stone Tavern Lake at submerged tree piles on shiners. Shiners could hardly be kept stocked, because anglers bought them to fish for brown trout and rainbow trout from shore at Round Valley Reservoir. Nothing was heard about trout at lakes closer to the shop. But lots of trout were snatched from streams in the northern state like Pequest River. Fly fishing especially pounded them, on sizes 16 or 18 glow bugs, the same-sized sucker spawns, or pink San Juan worms.

A few anglers stalked trout at stocked waters like South Vineland Park Pond, Giampietro Park Pond and Mary Elmer Lake, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. That angling was most popular, but chain pickerel, cold-water lovers, could be counted on for a tug at lakes. They’ll punch minnows or lures including stick baits or in-line spinners. Largemouth bass fishing was slow. In saltwater, a handful of boaters fished for striped bass on Delaware Bay. Participation dwindled, but stripers, maybe smaller than before, remained in the bay.  

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