<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River</b>

The river dropped to 185 CFS, and steelheads were banked, but now will “shoot right out,” said Don from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. They’ll escape the low river to spend summer in Lake Ontario. Steelheads enter the river in autumn to spend winter, spawn in the river in spring, and return to the lake for summer. Brown trout were boated on the lake far west of Oswego in 20 to 40 feet, close to shore. Lake trout and king salmon were boated from the lake at Henderson, to the north, off the power plant in 120 to 130 feet. All the lake’s fish were trolled on planers and downriggers. Boating for brown trout on the lake becomes the popular fishery this season.

<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

On Delaware River, the better striped bass fishing came from upstream during the weekend, Bill Brinkman from Philadelphia’s <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> wrote on his Facebook page. The Delaware upstream at places like Burlington-Bristol Bridge and the Turnpike Bridge turned out stripers like 22- to 36-inchers, but mostly small ones. But sometimes stripers were hung locally, like two stripers larger than 30 inches that one angler landed at Petty Island, or a few small stripers banked at Station Avenue at times. Plenty of catfish were axed on the local river. A 27-pound cat was entered in a tournament last week. Shad were smoked from the river last week at Lambertville, farther upstream. Many anglers fought 10 to 25 a day.

<b>NORTH JERSEY</b>

Shad fishing became spotty on the local Delaware River, said Joe from <b>Stokes Forest Sport Shop</b> in Sandyston. Anglers hammered the fish on certain days, and caught none on others, and no reason was apparent. Was kind of weird, Joe said, because roe shad sometimes were still caught, “almost like another wave is coming.” Striped bass usually begin to appear in the local river during the middle to end of the shad run. But that’s never a guarantee, and maybe the cold springtime would affect the migration, or maybe not. Channel catfishing usually picks up in the river when stripers come in. The Delaware ran low, and boaters, especially in larger vessels, didn’t travel far up and down the river, because of depth, unless they used a jet engine. Trout streams ran low, as did all waters, but trout fishing was very good on the streams, because lots of the fish filled waters, especially Big Flatbrook. Probably 90 percent of trout customers fish the Flatbrook, but Paulinskill River is next most popular. Fishing on lakes and ponds was fairly decent. Largemouth bass, required to be released through June 15, were usually in pre-spawn in larger lakes like Swartswood. In most smaller lakes or ponds, many bass were on spawning beds. 

A trip boated Lake Hopatcong with <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale, Capt. Dave Vollenweider said. First, crappies, an okay catch, mostly smaller fish, were hooked on drop-shot rigs on a slip bobber with a crappie jig on bottom and a grub tied onto a leader above. Crappie fishing is lots of fun, Dave said, if a concentration of the fish can be found, and crappies are delicious. Then the trip looked around a moment for largemouth bass, restricted to catch and release through June 15. Largemouth spawning beds were seen all over, and some were already abandoned, and others still held fish guarding them. Males guard the beds, after females lay eggs there and leave. About a 2-pound, male largemouth pounced on a Cabin Creek lure and was released. Dave doesn’t prefer to bother bedded largemouths, because some research says that once a bass is pulled from a bed, it’ll never return to guard the eggs, while other research says the fish will return. Next the trip got up on the troll with spoon plugs to see what would bite, like maybe a musky. A 3-1/2- to 4-pound walleye was trolled and released. The fish was apparently spawned out, because the stomach looked like it had been large but was now empty. The lake was 58 to 68 degrees, depending on location. The morning was cold, and winter jackets had to be worn, and the day was windy, making the lake choppy. Weather was rough lately. Dave’s season’s first musky trip is booked for the weekend with an angler. A trip with the client landed two muskies last year, though catching a musky, the fish of 10,000 casts, is never a guarantee. Anglers fish for them because a catch can be the biggest of a lifetime. Another angler telephoned Dave about potentially fishing for carp. One way to fight the large fish is to target them when mulberries are growing in spring, like on Passaic River. The fish love the berries, waiting for them to drop into the water. They can be caught on one of the berries on a plain hook, without weight. Carp are one of the smartest fish, Dave said, and anglers need to be stealthy. Dave might still trout fish on streams this season. He specializes in lure fishing for them in springtime, and trout will keep being stocked through the month. Streams this spring will probably become low for lure fishing. The angling requires depth to avoid snagging the plugs, like on bottom or on logs. But so long as the angling’s possible, he’ll still guide the trips. Dave had some great trouting this season, covered in previous reports.  Brown trout, tolerating warmer water than other trout, began to be stocked. Later this spring, walleye trips on lakes will begin aboard in the middle of the night, when the fish move to shallows, foraging on alewives. Then the sizeable fish can be top-water plugged. 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.

Fishing was generally picking up, said Brian from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. Hendricksons and red quills hatched on trout streams, and March browns would probably come off soon. Spinning-rod trout-fishers tossed Phoebes, especially in gold this year, or Trout Magnets. Brown trout began to be stocked. Not a lot was heard about Delaware River’s shad, but fishing for them sounded at least okay. On Lake Hopatcong, hybrid striped bass and walleyes were top-water plugged in evenings. Largemouth bass, limited to catch and release through June 15, held in shallows in lakes in cool waters.

A larger variety of fish were swung from the lake, said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong. This was a good time to take a trip to the lake, because fish bit, and not much boat traffic filled waters. Chain pickerel, trout, crappies, walleyes and hybrid striped bass chomped. The pickerel, lots, were caught among a good turnout of anglers in the Knee Deep Club’s pickerel tournament Sunday. Most entrants caught on trolled or cast Rapala lures and Mepps spinners worked in shallower waters along weed lines. Mike Truglio won with a 3-pound 5-ouncer. Trout were still caught, and Mike McImich weighed in a 3-pound 13-ounce brown trout. The crappies jumped on small fathead minnows and jigs. The walleyes included many weighed in. Kevin Dempsey’s 7-pound 4-ouncer that he trolled was biggest. Lou Marcucci used herring to whack several walleyes to a 6-pound 11-ouncer. Harry Selnow checked in a 4-pound 2-ouncer. Hybrid striped bass began to swipe the herring.

Smallmouth bass, good catches, came from Passaic River below the Garfield falls, said Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. The fish grabbed rubber grubs and 3- and 4-inch Yamamoto’s, and must be released through June 15. One angler drilled them as far downstream as the first bridge. Northern pike gave up some good fights on the river at Twin Bridges on large shiners. Rainbow trout were yanked from Barbour’s Pond and Dahnert’s Pond, mostly on meal worms under bobbers. Trouting was good on Ramapo River, and anglers talked about salted minnows catching well, because brown trout were stocked. But butter worms also remained popular bait for trout. Places were trout fishing produced also included Pequest and Rockaway rivers. Lakes probably pushed close to 55 degrees, Nick thought. Smallmouth bass were probably about to spawn, and largemouth bass would probably spawn soon afterward, and both should be released by law through June 15. Largemouth fishing was good at Lake Hopatcong, maybe 40 or 50 feet from shore. A friend’s son smashed walleyes, good fishing, at Hopatcong on trolled Shad Raps and jigs with worms. At Greenwood Lake, largemouths were wrestled at the southern end, and smallmouths gathered around Fox Island. Delaware River’s shad fishing went well for customers, mostly at Delaware Water Gap, but from Dingman’s Ferry to the Gap. Most shad were bucks, but roes were filtering in, Nick thought.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Mayflies are named for this month, and Hendricksons hatched on streams, and other mayflies should hatch in the next couple of weeks, said Angelo from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods<b> in Bound Brook. Those include March browns and slate drakes. Hares ear nymphs in size 14 imitated Hendrickson larvas. Grannom caddis hatched. Trout fishing was good, though streams ran low and clear. For spinning-rod anglers, that meant bait fished better than lures, because lures could become hung up. Jeff Merkowski weighed in a 7-pound 6-ounce rainbow trout he tackled on Pequest River on a meal worm. On lakes, customers whaled largemouth bass that were in pre-spawn so fed like crazy. Customers bought shiners and lures for them, and the bass must be released through June 15.

Trout were tugged from Toms and Metedeconk rivers, and bait still caught more than artificials did by far, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in the town of Toms River. “I don’t know what the deal is,” he said. Largemouth bass fishing, restricted to catch and release through June 15, improved somewhat on lakes. Bait also beat most of them, because of cool waters. Chain pickerel fishing was good at nearly all lakes or ponds on killies and shiners. Crappies and “the normal stuff,” Dennis said, also bit in lakes and ponds. Shiners, killies and the whole variety of worms are stocked.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Delaware River’s striped bass fishing “calmed down,” said Tom P. from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. But the fish to 12 and 20 pounds were sometimes socked on cut shad and ocean herring. River herring are prohibited. Stripers were popper-plugged from the river at Calhoun Street Bridge from kayaks in early mornings. The river’s shad fishing was fairly good from Lambertville to upstream, and lots of the shad were roes now. Flutter spoons zonked 70 percent of the shad, and darts honked 30 percent. Carp to 15 and 20 pounds began to turn on in the river at the Trenton power plant. Not much was heard about smallmouth bass from the river. Very good trout fishing was waxed on Delaware and Raritan Canal on Roostertails, especially black or yellow with silver blades, and Trout Magnets, especially in hot pink. Trouting was solid at Sylvan Lake on shiners and Power Bait. Rosedale Lake shoveled up great angling for both trout and largemouth bass. The bass punched shiners or stick baits like Rapala black and silver minnows. Both smallmouths and largemouths need to be released by law through June 15. In saltwater, surf fishing blew open for stripers to 20 pounds and bluefish 2 to 8 pounds at Island Beach State Park to Seaside Park in late afternoon Monday and on Tuesday. Fresh clams and bunker did the job. Catch the shop’s <b><i>free surf fishing seminar with D.J. Muller</i></b>, surf guide and book author, from 7 to 9 p.m. today. All aspects of nighttime surf fishing for stripers, from both open beach and along jetties, will be covered.

Fishing for striped bass slowed on Delaware River locally, compared with before, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b> in Westville. Catches sounded better farther upstream, but the bass will migrate back downriver, heading to the ocean after spawning, so they’ll be caught again locally. Lots of big catfish were dragged from the river. Plenty of large white perch were nabbed from the river. Little was heard about trout from stocked lakes, so the fishing seemed to drop off for the season. Lakes produced good fishing for largemouth bass, including sizeable, on shiners. Be sure to release them by law through June 15. Many healthy catches of chain pickerel were mugged from lakes. Big Timber stocks bait and tackle for fishing in all waters from fresh to offshore.

Some largemouth bass spawned, and others were in pre spawn, and others were yet to spawn, said Vince from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. So they were in all three stages, and were caught and released, like required by law through June 15. Fishing for them was good at Parvin’s Lake. Catches were heard about from Union Lake. When the bass were spawning, rubber lizards were usually fished for them. The bass, refusing to feed when spawning, attack the lizards to prevent them from eating eggs. Otherwise, largemouthers fished with soft-plastic lures and Senko worms. Rubber worms started to be used. Trout news was fading away for the season, after the fish were stocked. Chain pickerel chewed  in lakes, as always. They’ll even feed when lakes are iced over, Vince said. Customers kept buying minnows for crappie fishing on lakes. In saltwater, striped bass were beached from shore at Fortescue on Delaware Bay. Most striper reports came from beach anglers this season. Bloodworms hooked them and are stocked. So are frozen, salted clams, minnows, meal worms, trout worms, nightcrawlers and baby nightcrawlers.

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