<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River</b>

The river’s steelheading was fair to good, mostly on the upper river, and the lower was probably too slushy, said Scott from <b>All Season’s Sports</b> in Pulaski. Weather was cold, but snow from the big snowstorm forecast for the northeast will probably fall mostly farther south. A couple of feet of snow probably lay along the river, but paths were beaten down, and access was no problem. Mostly egg sacks and trout beads caught, and a few trout were in the mix. On lakes, ice was fished nearly everywhere. That included on Sandy Pond and Chamont Bay. Oneida Lake held plenty of fishable ice, and mostly walleyes were tugged in there. Lots of northern pike and some yellow perch made up most ice catches at lakes. The shop stocks all supplies for fishing the river and for ice-fishing.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Trout streams flowed a little higher this week after previous rains, said Brian from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. They still flowed fairly low, but trout were banked. Midge, scud and egg flies landed many. When weather was warmer, Griffiths gnats hooked them. Smaller ponds were ice-fished last weekend. Then warmer weather melted the fishable ice, but colder weather now might make smaller ponds fishable again this weekend. Budd Lake gave up chain pickerel, some of them sizeable to 7 pounds, through the ice a couple of weeks ago, until warmer weather.

In wintry weather that’s forecast, ice on the lake should be fishable at the coves by the weekend, Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong hopes, she said. That’ll depend on snow and winds. But bait and all the gear, including tip-ups and augers, is stocked. “I’m ready,” she said. Bait includes shiners, fathead minnows, mousies and wax worms.

Fishing for trout actually improved in the last week or two, said Angelo from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Snow melt raised trout stream somewhat, and the streams became warmer, because of warmer weather. Weather’s going to become cold now, so that will change. But trout became less spooky or more willing to bite than before, including because of high waters. Heavier leaders could be fished than previously. In winter, trout bite on some days, and not on others, depending on weather and conditions, more than in other seasons. Currently, trout in streams bit in slow waters, like a slow, deep hole, not in fast waters. Where one trout was found, several were. They grabbed the same flies as before, including midges in sizes 20 to 24, whatever an angler’s favorite pattern was, like a Rainbow Warrior. Egg flies worked, another typical fly in winter. Stoneflies were seen, and a few isonychias and blue-winged olives were. Fish a midge trailed behind an egg, stonefly or maybe a small caddis. Trout fishing from shore sounded hit or miss at Round Valley Reservoir. One angler would talk about bailing the fish for a week. Another would say nothing hit in three days. The fishing was probably like on trout streams: In winter, the fish bite on some days, and not on others, depending on conditions. In the reservoir, maybe weather kept trout shallow and biting on some days, and not on others. Either shiners under a slip bobber or M&M combos – meal worms and marshmallows – hung trout there.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Delaware River was fairly dirty recently, and ice had formed along the waters early last week, said Karl from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. So nobody really fished the river lately. Previously, walleyes were beaten from the river at the Lambertville wing dam. Customers who fished mostly worked trout streams in the northern state, including the Musconetcong and the Pequest. They fished flies including size-20 pheasant-tail nymphs and size-18 Prince nymphs. Egg patterns and sucker spawns got strikes. Pink or green scuds hooked-up on the Pequest. Spinning-rodders cast small Yozuri Pins Minnows or Snap Beans on the trout streams.

Skim ice probably formed on many lakes, and probably will now, in the cold that’s forecast, said Jeff from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. That’ll prevent much local fishing, except in open waters at places like spillways. When waters can be fished, chain pickerel will chew all winter. Minnows are usually best to land them, but none was stocked, because the supplier had difficulty netting them. Minnows are carried whenever available, and if none are on hand, lures like spinners, “something flashy,” Jeff said, will draw the picks to attack. A trout was weighed in a couple of weeks ago from Maurice River, and that was some of the only news about fishing. Waters included in the state’s winter trout stocking, in late November, were South Vineland Park Pond and Shaw’s Mill Pond in Cumberland County, Haddon Lake and Rowand’s Pond in Camden County, and Ponderlodge Pond in Cape May County. <a href="http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/wintrstk13.htm" target="_blank">Click here</a> for details.

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