<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Adirondacks</b>

Smaller bodies of water all held plenty of ice, said Jeff from <b>FISH307.com</b> in Lake George. Forecasts called for warmer weather this week from Lake George to the south. But to the north in the Adirondacks, the days were about an equal mix of temperatures above and below freezing. So the ice there was “maintaining,” Jeff said.  Lake George was no longer ice fished, but South Bay on Lake Champlain was. Probably two or three weeks of ice fishing was left. Some areas, including some edges of lakes, in the southern mountains were “dicey.” But smaller lakes and ponds to the north, all the usual waters that Jeff mentioned in past reports, were ice fished. Anglers pulled in the usual catches: mostly yellow perch and some northern pike and lake trout. Mousies, scarce this season, ran out at the shop, and will no longer be carried this season. But the rest of the ice baits are loaded up at the store, including grubs, icicles, hunts, suckers, three sizes of shiners, wax worms, meal worms and nightcrawlers.  Some of the prices in the shop’s ice-fishing clearance sale, called the Ice Fishing “Liquid” (ation) Sale, were lowered even further to move the items. The sale is also featured on <a href="http://www.fish307.com/" target="_blank">FISH307.com</a> itself. The shop is getting ready for spring, bringing in tackle including the new Evolve soft-plastic baits, lots of plastics from Keitech and Venom, and trolling gear, especially from Big Jon, like rod holders and planer boards.

<b>Salmon River</b>

The river’s steelhead fishing was “decent,” said Capt. Shane Thomas from <b>Salmon River Guide</b> in Pulaski. Catches slowed somewhat, because the river’s flow was dropped to 500 CFS. The waters were low and clear, and were crowded on Monday, Presidents’ Day. But Shane’s trips scored good catches on Saturday and Sunday. Rains were forecasted for today through Friday, and that might increase the river’s flow, improving fishing. Monday was just one of those off days. Plenty of steelheads swam the river, and more and more were spawning. There were fewer bites than earlier in winter, but the steelheading lasts into April and May, until all the fish spawn and return to Lake Ontario for summer. Lots of big steelies bit on Shane’s trips last week. Lots broke off, but some 15- and 16-pounders were landed. Quite a few broke off that were larger. Egg sacks worked especially well to hook the fish, but trout beads also worked. Ice fishing served up good catches of yellow perch and walleyes along the north shore of Oneida Lake. Sandy Pond’s ice began to blow apart because of currents from Lake Ontario.

Steelheads were banked on the upper river at Altmar and Pineville, because of a low, 500 CFS flow, said Don from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. Blue and chartreuse egg sacks and stoneflies worked well to grab them. Still, a few fresh steelheads from Lake Ontario were pulled from the river farther downstream in Pulaski. Rains were supposed to fall the next three or four days, and that could raise the river, helping fishing. The weather was in the 30s and 40s, and no snow lay on the ground. Not much ice fishing remained. Sandy Pond might’ve offered 3 or 4 inches to fish for yellow perch, bluegills and a few crappies and northern pike. Oneida Lake held probably 7 inches for catches of perch and sometimes walleyes.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

The lakes were all open, holding no ice, said Kevin from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Ledgewood. Nothing was heard about fishing on them, but reports about the lakes should begin to come in because of warmer weather forecasted for later this week. Early black stoneflies sometimes hatched on the Pequest River at mid day. So trout anglers there could fish with small, black soft-hackles near the open rocks. Catch the shop’s Cast and Blast starting at 10  a.m. Saturday, with activities including seminars, club displays, wood carvers and some items on sale.

Yellow perch could be yanked from Lake Hopatcong, said Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. A buddy nabbed them off the state park on nightcrawlers, saying the perch were full of eggs. The buddy also whacked a few walleyes off Chestnut Point on Rapala ice-fishing jigs. Hopatcong was low but boat-able, but Greenwood Lake was 6 feet low or not boat-able. Mark from the shop took a trip on the Delaware River that boated 35 walleyes and two 2-1/2-pound smallmouth bass on Rapala ice-fishing jigs. The right drift and the right vertical-jigging action, Nick said. Nick’s been fishing for largemouth bass on a pond in Garfield with no success. Fishing will probably pick up within four weeks, when the lakes warm 5 or 8 degrees. Customers kept buying shiners to fish on the Passaic River for northern pike, but none reported notable catches, so the fishing seemed nothing exciting. They probably caught but headed to the river mostly to get out. A few customers picked a few trout on the Pequannock and Pequest rivers on pink salmon eggs.

One customer, Phil Snyder, fished the Musconetcong River and Pohatcong creek in a day, landing two rainbow trout 17 and 21 inches on 2-inch pieces of nightcrawlers, said Jody from <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport</b>. The fish hit softly, and he fished with a long, 9-foot, 6-inch, ultralight rod. The trout seemed to hold in the undercuts. Another customer reeled in two 18-inch rainbows from Pohatcong and the lower Musky. Yet another customer on Pohatcong came up with three beautiful rainbows and missed one or two. Brian Brussard and friend fished Merrill Creek Reservoir from shore, banking five brown trout to 6 pounds on nightcrawlers pumped with air.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Customers were slowly coming in, getting ready for the new fishing season, said Amy from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Nothing was heard about actual fishing, but trout should be able to be angled from the streams. The waters weren’t frigid and frozen like during some winters. But lakes were probably too cold for largemouth bass to bite. No ice fishing happened.

The Toms River at Trilco served up white and yellow perch, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. Chain pickerel were also punched at Trilco. The perch nipped bloodworms, nightcralwers and Mister Twisters, and the picks swiped killies and shiners. Trilco is a building supply that closed down, and no sign identifies the building, but it’s located near the Garden State Parkway. Murphy’s is open Fridays through Sundays, and bloodworms, nightcrawlers, killies and shiners are stocked. But the owner is usually at the shop a few hours daily, and if his truck is in the parking lot, the store is open.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Fishing for crappies was very good at the lakes, said Chris from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. The usual fathead minnows, shiners, meal worms or rubber grubs should catch them. Smallmouth bass began to bite in the lakes, and largemouth bass probably started to bite somewhat. For the largemouths, rubber baits slowly crawled along the bottom are a usual choice in the early season. Trout fishing was okay on the streams in the northern state. The Delaware River’s walleye fishing, previously good along the rocky areas from Trenton to Frenchtown, “shut down,” Chris said. The fish were spawning, Eric from the shop said.

Crappie fishing was on at Carnegie Lake, said Carl from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Fish with either small marabou jigs or fathead minnows under a bobber. Nothing was heard about largemouth bass catches yet this season. Nobody talked about walleye fishing on the Delaware River that previously produced. Maybe the fish were spawning, but Carl didn’t know, and no customers seemed to fish for them. The Trenton power plant on the river was shut down for a couple of months. In past years warm waters from the plant attracted fish. “That’s a secondary plant now,” Carl said.

Largemouth bass sometimes started to be caught from the lakes because of the warm winter, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. The Menantico sandwash ponds were particularly productive, and Rainbow Lake shoveled up alright fishing for them. Giampietro Park Pond produced some. But all the local lakes served them up. One lake would be good on one day, and another would be better on another. Fishing for chain pickerel, fish that are active in cold waters, was great at the lakes. Anglers could throw minnows for them, and the baitfish are stocked. Reports began to be heard about white perch taken from the Maurice and Cohansey rivers. Nothing was mentioned about catches of striped bass, out-of-season in rivers and bays until March 1, that were hooked on the perch baits by mistake. But striper catches will probably begin to be reported in a week and a half or so.

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