<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River</b>

If anglers put in time, covering waters, they scored alright on the river’s steelheads, said Eric from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. The fishing was so-so, and the river flowed at 335 CFS, but rose because of rains and snow melt. It ran at 600 CFS at Pineville. Mostly steelheads swam the river, and not many brown trout catches were heard about. Trout beads and egg sacks caught. Weather warmed to almost 70 degrees, melting the season’s first snow. A foot had dumped on Pulaski. Difficult to think about ice fishing in 70 degrees, but ice angling is coming, and half the shop’s ice gear is stocked. All the gear will be out by the end of the week.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Lots of walleyes were jigged on Lake Hopatcong, said Kevin from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Pulaski. This was a time of year for that and trout fishing. Trout were banked on streams on glow bug flies. Stream levels were likely somewhat low but good for fishing. Nothing was heard about fishing for largemouth bass or smallmouths by this time of season.

North Bergen’s James J. Braddock Park Lake gave up large trout from the state’s winter stocking, said Dan from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. Power Bait in rainbow color socked them. Barbour’s Pond also turned out winter-stocked trout. Not much is heard about largemouth bass during this season, once weather cools and tournaments end for the year. A few northern pike, not many, are usually fought from Passaic River now. Heavy rain on Tuesday morning muddied lakes and streams, ending fishing for the moment.

A customer smoked a 6-1/2-pound brown trout, an 18- or 19-inch trout and a couple of smaller trout on Black River on meal worms on a trip, said Darrel from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. The angler fishes a stretch downstream from a private club, knowing how to access the area on public lands with a little work, like crossing the river. Bait fishing for trout on streams seemed to catch well. Catches on Pequest River were heard about on meals on Monday. Darrel fly-fished the Pequest on Sunday with pheasant tails and WD40’s. “I didn’t really do anything,” he said. The fishing sounded slower for everyone during the trip. The Pequest ran a little low on the outing, but at a good level for fishing. Another angler cleaned up on trout, good catches, at Ken Lockwood Gorge on small Prince nymphs. Customers geared up for trout that bit along the shoreline at Round Valley Reservoir. The warm spell got them out.

Catching chain pickerel from the Toms River at Trilco is always an option, 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 the building, but locals know the stretch of river by the name, located near Garden State Parkway. Yellow perch also nipped there. A few customers grabbed supplies for trout fishing on the Toms farther upstream and Metedeconk River. No results were heard. Killies, baby nightcrawlers and meal worms are stocked.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Two places were the news, said Tom P. from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Sylvan Lake, one of them, churned out big brown and brook trout, from the fall stocking. Nymphs fished behind a clear-plastic casting bubble, half-filled with water, caught them, and so did shiners. Round Valley Reservoir was the other place. Fishing for trout from the impoundment’s shore, angling that takes off this season, was on. Mostly rainbow trout and browns were banked, but a few lake trout began to be landed. Meal worms and marshmallows, the M&M combo, hooked the trout. But so did orange-and-white or orange Power Bait or shiners. Nothing was heard about Delaware River, Delaware and Raritan Canal, or trout fishing on streams. One customer bought shiners to fish the lakes at Assunpink Wildlife Management Area. Another picked up nightcrawlers to fish for largemouth bass at the spillway behind the dam at Lake Mercer. Crappies could always be copped there, and Tom’s seen a couple of large channel catfish to 15 pounds hauled from the waters. Muskies should be turned on at Mercer, but sculling by researchers made boating difficult. Walleyes, plenty, were jigged on Lake Hopatcong.

In Delaware River, largemouth bass began to school up on winter grounds and get caught better than before, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b> in Brooklawn. Largemouths and crappies were swung in from Cooper River. Crappies were beaten at Stewart Lake. Live bait became popular to fish in the season’s cooler waters. Good trout catches were talked about from Haddon Lake on small minnows. Pine Barrens ponds were stalked for chain pickerel.  Big Timber stocks bait and tackle for fishing on all waters from fresh to offshore.

Customers fished more frequently in warmer weather, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. They beat up chain pickerel, mostly on minnows, sometimes on lures, like jerk baits. They picked away at trout, and trout catches were heard about from Giampietro Park Pond and Mary Elmer Lake. Plenty of crappies bit at usual spots, including Union Lake and Salem Canal. Largemouth bass fishing was slow, for some reason. The fish were lethargic.

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